Tax & CPA Panel

Boosting your Bottom Line  

(1.5 Tax Law PHP credits )

As a REAPS member, we know you enjoy finding deals, getting them under contract, buying and selling.  Managing the back-end of these deals, however, isn’t quite as exciting.  But it couldn’t be more important.

Organizing books, setting up the correct entities and keeping accurate records may not be glamorous, but it is critical to help provide you the protection you need and allow you take the deductions you deserve without raising audit red flags.

So this month, we’re tackling the issue head-on.  With tax time upon us, we’ve asked some of the region’s leading CPAs and tax experts to join us for a discussion on taxes, bookkeeping and best account practices for real estate investors.

What will you learn?

• What changes in the IRS code will affect real estate investors in 2010?
• How do you take advantage of your loss of equity from 2008 and 2009?
• How do you properly reconcile a short sale transaction with the IRS?
• How do you stay away from being audited by the IRS?
• What kind of entity set-up works best for landlording, flipping or wholesaling investing?
• What is the best way to record deductions for best practices?
• And much, much more!

The best part about this meeting is that members are in the driver’s seat.  You’ll get a chance to ask all of your pressing questions and learn exactly what you can do to boost your bottom line.

This is also an opportunity to enhance your investment team.  To be successful in real estate investing, you MUST have a tax advisor or CPA on your team.  If you are searching for someone, we’ll help introduce you to some of the region’s finest.  If you have an advisor that’s not meeting your expectations, this event will help you find someone who will.  If you’re happy with your current advisor, this meeting is a chance to get new perspectives and ask any lingering questions.

Not only will you learn a ton, but it will be fun, to boot!  We know that tax talk can be the dry side of business, but we’ll make it entertaining and fun, with real life horror stories and anecdotes.

Whether you’re new to investing or an experienced investor, the information we’ll review at this meeting is critical to your success.   If you want to avoid common, but costly mistakes AND learn how you may be able to reduce your tax liability, this is one meeting you won’t want to miss. And it’s the only time we’ll touch on taxes all year, so be sure to reserve your spot!

Join us Thursday, Feb. 25 at Lake Washington Technical College.  Networking starts at 6 p.m., and the meeting gets underway at 7.  Preregister online for your chance to win one of our fantastic meeting giveaways!

Our Professional Panel includes:

Linda Winslow, J.D 

Formerly a Senior Tax Manager for eight years with Clark Nuber P.S., a mid-size accounting firm in Bellevue, Washington, Ms. Winslow's practice focused on tax consulting and compliance for real estate developers, tax exempt organizations, individuals, trusts and estates. Her practice included consultations on complex Section 1031 exchanges and representing individuals and exempt organizations in federal and state audits and controversies.

While in her position at Clark Nuber, Ms. Winslow's speaking engagements included continuing education classes for the Washington Bar Association, the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and many groups of non-profit executives and managers.

In addition to being a certified instructor for Washington clock-hour classes, Ms. Winslow is certified to teach continuing education classes for real estate agents and brokers in Idaho and Oregon.

If you wish to contact Ms. Winslow with tax questions, have her speak to your group, reserve a seat in an already existing lecture, please visit our web site at www.kingmanwinslow.com and click on "Ask the Accountant."

Dennis Thompson

Dennis is a CPA  and also an Advanced QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor ..

His real estate background is as an Accountant for a title insurance company in the late 1970’s.

He also worked for Wamu from 1979 to 2002 in the areas of Financial Reporting, Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Management and Corporate Credit. He also was Assistant Manager in Commercial Real Estate Loan Servicing. Finally, the last few years he was there, he was a Financial Analyst/Data Analyst for Corporate Credit, where he analyzed the single family residence portfolio.

The real estate groups he currently belong to are REAPS and the Snohomish County Apartments Operators Association.

Audrey Godwin

Audrey L. Godwin, CPA is a teacher, business advocate and financial guide.  She inspires visionaries to action with insight and practical applications. She is the principal and founder of The Godwin Group, PLLC, a Certified Public Accounting and Business Advisory Services firm.  The Godwin Group is the leader in assisting clients move strategically through their businesses. 

She served clients in local firms all her public accounting career and noticed a need for business owners to have financial analysis and strategic planning.  She formed The Godwin Group in 2003 to bring this much needed level of management experience and insight to companies who have limited resources yet need the expertise.

Clients appreciate Audrey’s clarity and insight when trying to grasp how their choices will influence their business’ health.    Audrey brings 20 years of experience working with businesses to build solid strategic plans and equipping them with the tactics to get the job done.  She understands what drives business and how to turn reactionary transactions to strategic decisions. 

Audrey works with clients to achieve financial goals that improve their businesses which in turn enhances the quality of their lives and communities

Cost:
REAPS Members Free (with REAPS badge)
Non-members: $20.00 by pre-registering online or at the door

Open to Members and non-members

Registration Required .. use the MEMBER or NON-MEMBER buttons to RSVP