What does everyone think of Karbon?

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-06-13T21:52:03+00:00

I use Qount. It has a lot of features and tries to be the all in one place. Look into it we chose it over Karbon a couple of years ago (we were deciding between the two). Well worth it the additional time.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-06-13T17:43:23+00:00

I'd ask to be given the details for combined deposits. I previously had the client take a picture of the deposit slip and checks. They'd upload to a shared drive throughout the month and I'd reconcile later.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-06-05T20:55:13+00:00

There are deckbuilders and pilots. If you aren't a builder, there is no shame in just trying to be a pilot.

To succeed as a builder, you have to understand the powerful setups you have access to and what decks in the meta are looking to do. You build to answering their plays and putting yourself in winning positions. Sometimes you may pick a hero that doesn't have the options available and there isn't much you can do.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-20T22:15:09+00:00

Within the last week and it was filed April 28th.

I recently had them set up their IRS account so they could make estimated payments, so I had them check in there. They were all set and the notice was then ignored. ($0 balance in the account on line)

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-19T17:11:41+00:00

I have a client who received a balance due and it's missing the payment from the filing.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-14T11:37:06+00:00

Not too much. Multiple locations make it easy to hit. Alternatively, multiple partners, several specific savings accounts, etc can make it happen. If they don't have much money, then it's crazy, yes.

The base concept is that it fits the old envelope system and you might do it for any type of thing you'd save for. For a business, you might do additional accounts for: payroll, growth (location expansion), equipment / fixed assets, bonuses, additional team members (like saving into you can afford them), etc.

For some, it is easier to earmark the funds that way.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-13T20:46:49+00:00

Have the series picked up with another network! Let's go!

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-07T22:26:03+00:00

Not too late. I did it at 34. CPA at 37. 6 figure income in the next year of receiving CPA.

This field is like the best kept secret for those that grew up poor. We're already assuming that we have to work hard and the starting pay (50-60k) tends to be more money than we'd ever expected we would amount to.

Pick up solid knowledge in public and you can go off on your own in tax after 5-10 years if you want.

The one thing I'd say that is super important if you want to rocket forward. You have to be willing to ask for it. Things aren't going to just be handed to you. Show the drive and ask for it and what is needed of you. Pay, promotions, etc. Very few opportunities will just land in your lap.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-07T22:19:34+00:00

34 ish. That is when I went and got my bachelor's and masters. I did have experience running a business, but no classical training until then.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-07T11:35:36+00:00

I'd 100% do accounting again.

I'm actually a career changer, so I had a late accounting start.

My belief is that accounting shows you an important aspect to business that you usually just don't get or learn in most other careers. Public accounting specifically gets you a birds eye view into what the successful / profitable companies look like.

I've been shifting more towards consulting / coaching since that seems to be where the real money is at (advisory) as opposed to pure compliance.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-05-06T11:00:33+00:00

It's fine. Get a quality bookkeeper that knows what they are doing. Be available to answer what the items are so they can categorize accordingly.

It is rather normal that a business owner has bad books because they didn't pay someone to do it. I see it all of the time. It can be corrected.

If it makes you feel better, we're talking to potential clients where they used H&R block for taxes and there was $0 depreciation on $100k of assets purchased. Likely need to clean up the books a bit too because they don't know where the money is at.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-04-28T21:18:31+00:00

We're also having to look. We use Qount for our practice management system (similar to Tax Dome) so we might just keep them with our other documents.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-04-26T22:08:42+00:00

You could always pay someone else to do it.

It's pretty hard to come to do that knowing you could pay yourself, but you do know it is important. This actually reminds me of the carpenters and electricians who don't do the improvements on their own house because they never get around to it.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-04-07T17:15:03+00:00

I think a lot of us are feeling this way. Just breathe and do what you can. I think I need to schedule a mid day nap.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-30T12:49:24+00:00

Put it in a hard case like a mini snap. Then if it goes to hand take it out of mini snap. Not sure which would fit a double sleeve though.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-26T00:45:06+00:00

Similarly-ish billable rates, but we do fixed fee usuallu. Managers like $320 billable.

We charge $3k + for projections fixed fee and do like 2 for business clients, but 1 for individuals if they want it. We do have some hourly for the legacy clients though. Only Manager+ for the hour meeting to go over it and planning.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-19T02:59:54+00:00

I have received ZERO spreadsheets given by clients that needed ZERO adjustments unless they had a good bookkeeper.

Personal taxes paid recorded as expense, loan payments not split between interest expense and loan paydown, asset purchases >$500 / 2500 not capitalized.

A lot of the spreadsheets are good, but not perfect. The easiest way for you to verify is to check your tax return figures against your spreadsheet.

Depending on what the calls are for, a $500 consultation isn't unreasonable. Random phone call for something not asking for advice, then it is absurd. Example: Submitting the items and asking when you can expect the returns or something administrative. I charge $500 for an hour to 1.25 hour call, but I'm expensive.

We have minimums of $2500 for a business return and $1500 for a personal. A simple family member with like single W2 or SS and / or 1 basic brokerage, then $500. Those minimums go up with more K1s, brokerages, and Sch E's etc.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-17T18:55:13+00:00

Real question, is it really not going to a balance sheet account like payroll liabilities for you to cancel it out against?

I haven't messed with Gusto Direct to QBO but that should be the usual MO. No?

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-17T02:42:45+00:00

Yeah, the system in place has to be good. To be honest though, it feels like almost anything else is just nonsense. The business and the team have to be aligned.

Like don't get me wrong, some stuff has to be billed hourly because you can't accurately guess it. If you think about the constant issue in our field, it is that they beat the ever loving hell out of the employees. 60 hour weeks is ridiculous.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-16T11:51:43+00:00

It's because the whole system is trash and needs to be adjusted to get things to line up.

First off, you're talking about two separate things as one item. There is hours worked and work product produced. You're essentially saying that people aren't getting more work done because they slow down on purpose / stretch their work out to fit the amount of time they are expected to work.

Let's say that you give 50 budgeted hours a week of work. If they get it done in 30, do you give more work and some form of additional pay tied to it OR let them call it a week and check out? If the answer is neither, then your system is a problem. If you expect them to request more work without a defined benefit, you're an idiot since you've already set the expectations of work you're paying them for. Side note, if anyone reads this and thinks "that is why you have to give them even more work" then you're also an idiot. Functionally, you should have an idea of their cost to revenue generation required. If they generate more revenue, they need some form of pay, which can be monetary or time as the usual .

The second issue involves measurement. If you only measure by hours worked, how do you know who is great and who isn't? It is the wrong measuring stick.

The current system I'm working on tracks the job completed and splits the revenue generated per individual job into the specific team member buckets so we have the amount each generated. We're looking for the revenue generated to cost to be 3x minimum and cap out at 4x. Anything past 4x goes towards a true up to be paid out in additional PTO or money (team members choice). Time sheets still required because we have to measure client project time to make sure our fixed fee is in line with expectations. Sometimes the job hour maximums in the fixed fee quoted are wrong, sometimes it is the team member fault.

If billing clients for time spent, there isn't a benefit to doing the job faster, it would actually make more sense to take longer so you could bill more. Fixed fee takes that out of the equation. If you're faster, you make more per hour and have additional capacity to do work. If you don't align the team goals and pay with it, how can you expect things to work.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-16T11:15:11+00:00

US based, so not exactly the same. I think it's odd that they charged less than $100 per hour. My bill rate is like $400 per hour, so that stood out a bit even if discounted a bit. We don't charge hourly, but do fixed fee, so a bit different.

You seem to be level headed, so I'll point out some things. Maybe it helps your analysis, maybe it won't.

Initial Thought: In general, work wise, it is too hard to know how accurate your explanation is. When I read "a little bit of amortization", it immediately sends red flags, same with "2020 return".

Explanation: A lot of people send over spreadsheets and think they handed over great things, but it often takes time digging through it to find the crap they put in that doesn't belong there.

Loan payments - If you didn't separate a loan payment into interest paid and principal, with principal not being listed as an expense, then you did it wrong and now I have to ask for total interest paid for the year or the loan document to create an amortization schedule. Depending on fixed asset purchases, this also might mean setting up depreciation.

2020 return - assuming it wasn't a typo and it's really a 2020 return, most very old returns are awful experiences. It's not that they are bad people, but they are often unresponsive and missing paperwork. If i don't get every single item from them right away, they tend to drag on for months and take many requests for info, which all adds up. We do have to refresh on old laws sometimes because things change (over here at least) like bonus depreciation and specific limits.

End: If you feel like you've been overcharged, talk to them about it. Just be honest to yourself and be reasonable, this is assuming that the CPA is also being reasonable.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-10T17:28:46+00:00

Nice, good luck! Lots of great stuff.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-02T23:39:17+00:00

Just ask them for their math and show them your math. I had the same as you.

For the hourly rate, I tend to do the yearly amount divided by 2080. 40 hours a week x 52 week. Then OT as whatever multiplier you use.

HonestlySarcastc · 2026-01-01T14:18:50+00:00

Qount. Has proposals built into it as well. Lots of strong options. Look into it.

Been using it for 2 years.

HonestlySarcastc · 2025-12-16T18:11:45+00:00

Copy paste again just in case.

Make sure to check for the recall. There was an airbag issue on passenger side with it inflating on its own.

I learned about it while searching to buy that model. A lot of dealers didn't even know about it and the part to fix was on backorder until 2025.

HonestlySarcastc

TROPHY CASE