I am not sure what you mean by shortcuts. If you are familiar with Excel, you know that a new created file is called a workbook. A workbook consists of almost unlimited number of spreadsheets or sheets - those tabs - which you can label as you like. Each cost category is assigned to a separate sheet and labeled accordingly. With a little more invention, you can create additional sheet where you can combine all the totals and calculations. A summary sheet which gets updated dynamically as you add transactions to each cost sheet. The paperwork ought to be handled similarly. Each paper receipt goes to a dedicated cost category file. There is Excel version for a smartphone too. It is somewhat cumbersome to use for data entries and updates but possible nonetheless.
Lol thanks! This way for me, works because instead of constantly inputting stuff, I just take a couple days off and knock it all out while at the comfort of home. I put together strategies from others that came before me. I was always told that if irs wanted to look at expenses they’ll say “you claimed $x,xxx.xx on parts in 2018, where are those records”, so that way I can just pull open my cabinet to 2018, and pull out the parts folder which has the receipts and a printed total of the receipts. QuickBooks is $10 a month. But super convenient if you use apple products. I have an iPad Pro and iPhone that both shares the app and my files app. So whatever I do on one I can do on the other. So say I’m away from the truck and an accounting department calls me or broker asking if I could resend a BOL or invoice, I can, even though I did the pdf file and invoice on my iPad, I can still access everything on my phone, and vise versa. Before I got my own authority I met a guy in Nc who had his own company and I asked him “how do you keep up with invoices and billing?” He showed me the QB app, and really simplified it to me. I loved the format and the intuitive but practical nature of it, so I kept it in my playbook. It also very easily makes nice professional looking invoices with your logo on top.
Only $10? Wow! I think that the great benefit of using it is that you don't reinvent the wheel. The biggest negative aspect of using Excel is this unforgivable vulnerability of data corruption as you constantly try to. Improve it or modify it. Besides, I still pay about $100 per year for MS Office suite
This is what I was referring to. I remember using this feature a lot over 10 years ago when I was a treasurer at a church.
I’ve used Turbo Tax in the past to file my taxes as an employee. It was easy, but I’m afraid I might miss out on some discount for lack of knowledge on taxes. So you say it’s for truckers, but what about contractors or independent owner operators?
Having solid bookkeeping practices is one thing but knowing the tax code is another. I am a solo owner operator incorporated and with S-Corporation status for IRS purposes. It means that I have to pay myself a reasonable salary, run payroll, contribute to unemployment program. Remember to file this or that. As if it were not enough already with the regular trucking office bureaucracy. These regulations and codes may change on state and federal level. I have a tax preparer to oversee that. The peace of mind is worth the money.
I use the diesel boss spreadsheet, TurboTax, my banks account year end report Diesel boss excel spreadsheet cost about $30 a year
