1. Make sure you provide your cash paid outs that may not have been posted to your POS, or that you paid for outside of your restaurant cash accounts.

2. Dig through all of your non-business checking accounts for items paid for the restaurant personally and include them in your restaurant profit and loss. Your CPA should know how to include these additional expenses.

3. Due to limited space in the restaurant most operators perform management activities at home, potentially creating a home office deduction.

4. Take the time to provide a complete listing of vehicle expenses used for your business. Make sure you are advised about the standard mileage versus actual expense methods that the IRS allows an operator to use in calculating vehicle business expenses deductions. In 2006 the new standard mileage rate is 42.5 cents per business mile.

5. Take the time to capture your merchant credit card fees your credit card carrier charges. Discount fees are usually taken out of the total once before it hits the bank and additional fees will be on your monthly statement.


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