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July 2025
HANSON HEADLINES
CraigHansonCPA.com • (701) 252-6190
Withholding Wisdom TIPS FOR MIDYEAR MONEY MAKEOVERS
Welcome back to tax season!
financial implications and, if necessary, contact me early so I can help you devise a plan for moving forward. Whether positive changes or sad events have affected your life, I’m always here to help. The evolving nature of American income is something else to consider. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more people take on “side hustles” and freelance work to earn extra money. Naturally, you need to organize and closely track any work you perform independently without the benefit of an employer’s accounting. For example, if you’re earning supplementary income by delivering food on the weekend, be sure to account for all mileage, even if the company you’re delivering for tracks it. You should also keep records of all office expenses incurred while doing freelance work. If you’ve reached a point where your supplementary income grows enough to consider going into business for yourself, be aware that your tax obligations will change dramatically. When someone else employs you and provides a W-2, your employer pays half your Social Security and Medicare withholdings. When you’re self-employed, you’re responsible for paying 100% of it. A sizable amount of new self-generated income can catch a person off guard, so it’s best to discuss and consider these things now so you’re not scrambling to connect the dots at the end of the year.
If you’re scratching your head over why I’ve started an article with the above sentence in July, I assure you I don’t have my timetable mixed up. When it comes to financial planning, the truth is that the next tax season begins on April 16 — solid financial planning should always be a year-round goal. Whether your most recent tax filing was smooth sailing or you hit choppy waters, now is the time to get a head start on focusing on your finances to ensure a better tax season than the one you just had. First and foremost, it never hurts to double-check your pay stubs to ensure your withholdings keep pace with your income. Address any discrepancies you uncover with your employer as soon as possible. Additionally, consider any recent lifestyle changes — however small — that could affect your bottom line next spring. If you’ve recently had a child, change your W-2s to reflect that addition to your family. If you sold some property, do some calculations to determine whether an estimated payment needs to be made to cover the taxes on possible gains on the sale. Getting married is another significant change that could impact your withholding. Sadly, so can the death of a spouse. While any of these events can fill your schedules and demand your full attention, it’s essential to consider their
Fortunately, most of my clients have an excellent track record of contacting me ahead of the end of the year to get these processes started. Still, even they aren’t always immune to sudden life changes that paint a much different picture of their tax liability than they first imagined. The plan for success and comfort next April is simple: The quicker you contact me with any questions, concerns, or changes to your financial outlook, the safer your money will be next year. I know this isn’t a particularly sunny topic to bring up in summertime, and the point isn’t to rain on your picnic. Although paying taxes isn’t the most enjoyable activity in the world, it doesn’t need to give you a sense of anxiety. By planning early, you’ll reduce the stress and worry that come when you wait until the last minute to get everything in order. As you hopefully enjoy some stress-free days
this time of year, don’t forget to do the things that will keep your financial state calm in the coming months. –Craig Hanson
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
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THE VAST VALUE OF EDUCATED CONSUMERS TEACH, DON’T TELL
In today’s marketplace, being the best at what you do isn’t good enough. Whether you’re selling granite or grapefruit, persuading consumers to purchase your products is the only way you’ll thrive and survive in business. While this statement is far from revolutionary, capturing a consumer’s trust and loyalty is a constantly shifting goal more difficult to achieve today than at any other time. You may have the most outstanding product or service in your industry, but your marketing efforts will likely falter unless you accept two hard truths about selling in 2025: 1. Consumers are bombarded with marketing attempts virtually every moment of every day — including your competitors’ — and your costly campaign can be buried in a mountain of cyber clutter in a millisecond. 2. Nobody should ever be expected to remotely care about what you’re trying to sell them unless you educate them on why they should.
brief informational videos on YouTube offering expert tips on addressing their customer base’s areas of need. Don’t shy away from providing free expertise and advice before a sale, as giving an interested consumer a solution in advance may lead to greater sales — especially if your presentation leaves them with questions they’ll contact you to answer. In the current landscape, tomorrow’s sales often result from your ability to position yourself as a trusted resource today. Use pictures over paragraphs. When showcasing yourself to a potential sale, pictures will always speak louder than words. Studies have shown that including images in text increases a person’s ability to retain information by as much as 55%. If your current marketing is heavy on words, it’s time to refresh your approach in ways that open a person’s eyes and wallet. Remember who you are.
Above all, never neglect to acknowledge you’re a consumer yourself. What kind of marketing tends to attract your attention? Are you drawn to humor,
So, how do you maneuver through the mire and gain the attention of consumers? It’s time to skip traditional ads and transform your company into an educational resource for your customers! Here are three tips to help you turn your sales tactics into opportunities to train your customers to view you as the definitive go-to for their needs. Don’t resist giving away some of your store.
or do you react more to a serious or emotional message? When a salesperson contacts you, are you interested in learning about every facet of their company or services, or do you just want the most pertinent information that speaks to your immediate needs or interests?
Before launching a new campaign, consider how you’d explain what you’re selling to a neighbor or family member. Would you stuff your overview with eye-glazing industry jargon or make
Every product for sale is a solution in search of a problem. If you want a consumer to fully understand why your product is the best answer to their concerns, merely telling them about it is one of the worst things you can do. Instead, show them why your solution matters. Nowadays, it’s increasingly common for companies to post blogs, white papers, or webinars on their websites or upload
your words succinct and easily understood? Never forget you’re a customer selling to other customers. Genuine empathy and education will always win their trust — and money — better than any flashy gimmick or overblown explanation ever could.
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re:3D’s most celebrated creation, the Gigabot, is an aluminum-framed industrial printer designed to provide practical, cost-effective solutions for multiple industries. The product was an immediate success, with museums, hospitals, and educators among the company’s earliest customers. Care in Times of Crisis When the healthcare community struggled to meet the seemingly insurmountable demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, Snabes put her ingenuity to inspiring use. Her company 3D printed face shields donated to various hospitals and created ventilators for her former colleagues at NASA. Additionally, re:3D was instrumental in providing personal protective equipment to economically disadvantaged communities. Insight From an Innovator Naturally, forward-thinking minds worldwide have sought Snabes’ perspectives on building a leading tech enterprise. To her, thriving as a business owner and creator comes down to a willingness to put everything on the line to make the seemingly unattainable a fruitful reality. “It sounds cliché, but I would say really love what you do,” she shared in a 2017 interview with the job-search site Jobbio. “It’s deeper than that because if you really love
something, you don’t care if you’re living out of your car. You don’t care if you use your retirement or your savings. You don’t care that your friends heckle you about not having a real job. If you’re doing what you love, then every day is a journey, and it’s exciting and it’s worth it. It has to be more than a hobby. Think about something you want to commit your life to because your time is more valuable than anything else, and life is so short.”
HAVE A Laugh When Monopoly Helped Win a War ALLIED POWERS OUTWITTED THE ENEMY, ONE GAME AT A TIME
Most people know Monopoly as the game that ruins friendships over Park Place. But during World War II, it played a far nobler role: helping Allied soldiers escape from German POW camps.
The British Secret Service turned Monopoly into a top-
secret escape kit. Smuggling noisy paper maps without tipping off the
guards was too risky, so they used strong and silent silk. The British turned to John Waddington Ltd., the licensed Monopoly manufacturer in the UK, who also happened to be an expert in silk printing.
Along with silk maps, rigged Monopoly sets also held metal files, compasses, and real currency hidden beneath the play money. Thanks to the Red Cross, these “games” were slipped into POW camps as humanitarian aid packages. Over 35,000 POWs escaped German camps — many with the help of these Monopoly sets. So, next time you pass “Go,” just remember Monopoly once helped people pass barbed wire.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
905 James Ave. NE • Jamestown, ND 58401 (701) 252-6190 • CraigHansonCPA.com Inside This EDITION
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
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Plan, Prep, and Prosper
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From Resource to Revenue
3. The Most Dangerous Game of Monopoly Ever Played
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A Multilayered Innovation Mission
From NASA to Next-Gen Navigator Samantha Snabes’s 3D-Printed Pursuits
The Roots of a Tech Revolution Before diving into Snabes’ remarkable life and business acumen, a glimpse inside the ever-evolving world of 3D printing itself is in order. Otherwise known as “additive printing,” it is a process in which tangible items are created based on digital files used by specialized printing equipment to build real-world objects through successive layers of specific material. For example, a part for an automobile could be made from multiple layers of plastic based on a digital file of that product’s design. Already capable of producing everything from toys to homes, 3D printing is poised to have an even more significant impact on global manufacturing in the coming years. From EMT to 3D Considering Snabes’ place in technological progress, it’s no surprise that her résumé is as adventurous as it is jaw- dropping. Formerly a deputy strategist for NASA, the Texas- based entrepreneur has served in many other impressive roles throughout her adult life, including a training EMT, a volunteer firefighter, and a Mississippi Air National Guard captain. Never one to settle into a single professional space, she became an early pioneer in the development of 3D printing when she co-founded re:3D in 2013. Over the subsequent 12 years, her vision has resulted in astonishing advancements that have transformed 3D printing from a concept into a cultural and financial phenomenon.
The world of printing technology is moving at an unprecedented speed, and Samantha Snabes is setting the pace.
As the CEO of the innovative 3D printing hardware company re:3D, Snabes has been instrumental in expanding product development possibilities and how medical professionals save lives. Her eclectic life and career — which have literally seen her reach for the stars — serve as an intriguing example of how the desire to explore new frontiers can change the course of humanity.
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