Fresno Venture Capital Partner Podcast Metropolis DEX

Marshawn Govan, President and CFO of MKG Insurance Agency and MKG Tax Consultants, has unveiled a comprehensive banking app that rolls many services, from taxes to crypto, under one banner.
Published On March 10, 2022 - 11:35 AM
Written By Frank Lopez at The Fresno Business Journal
https://thebusinessjournal.com/fresno-entrepreneur-launches-one-stop-banking-app/


The tax season is upon us, and while every taxpayer encounters some confusion when filing, the uphill tax battle is even steeper for businesses.

A local tax and insurance consulting agency has launched an app to make the filing process for personal and business owners quicker and simpler.

MKG Insurance Agency and Tax Consultants, with two locations in Fresno, released its banking-as-a-service tax app for both the IOS and Android platform in February.

President and CFO Marshawn Govan said it was important to launch the mobile app during Black History Month to honor the contributions African-Americans have made throughout history — and to recognize the fight for racial justice going on to this day.

The app allows users to open bank accounts from their mobile phone, send and receive ACH (Automated Clearing House) payments, pay bills and manage cash flow securely online with an FDIC-insured business bank account.

The new app is a rebuild from an old version with an IBM license—meaning MKG didn’t own the source code for app. The new app was built specifically for MKG, meaning there is no limit for the license and no costs to renew it.

Most tax companies with mobile apps use third-party developers, leasing the software as a service.

“We are originators and developers of what we have in the market,” Govan said. “We can also branch out, white label it and offer that as a software service to other tax companies — to a bank looking to become a green product.”

The app also helps consumers start the process of buying a home.

Govan said the goal is to help underprivileged and underbanked families access credit to affordably finance auto loans, home improvements, home solar systems, down payments, investment and paying off debts.

While it is unique that a local tax and insurance agency has its own specifically developed app, MKG also offers crypto tax service.

Users will be able to buy, sell and exchange crypto currency. The company even launched its own crypto-token — Token MKG Enterprises Corp.

According to Govan, no other tax firm is offering a crypto token.

The app also features money-wiring services such as Cash app and Venmo.

Users that are business owners will be able to open a business banking account, send and receive money and make check deposits — much like other banking apps on the market.

Currently MKG is doing regulation crowdfunding, allowing retail investors that might not be accredited to invest smaller amounts. With smaller investment amounts, Govan said it gives them an opportunity to share in the company’s future growth without them having to invest a large part of their finances.

https://wefunder.com/mkgenterprisescorps

MKG is preparing to go public in 2022 to be listed on the OTC market. Govan said that investors have the opportunity to invest now before it grows.

Govan said there are a lot of barriers for Black people and other underserved communities regarding financial equity, and the FinTech industry is not one where Black...

There are many valuable tax deductions for freelancers, contractors and other self-employed people who work for themselves. Here are 15 big self-employment tax deductions to remember.
Schedule C Tax return filing for Sole Proprietor
https://mkgtaxconsultants.com/shop/
1. The home office deductionIf you work from your home or use part of it in your business, then self-employment tax deductions like this one could get you a break on the cost of keeping the lights on.
What you can deduct: A portion of your mortgage or rent; property taxes; the cost of utilities, repairs and maintenance; and similar expenses. Generally, this deduction is only available to the self-employed; employees typically cannot take the home office deduction.
How it works: Calculate the percentage of your home's square footage that you use, in the IRS’s words, “exclusively and regularly” for business-related activities. That percentage of your mortgage or rent, for example, becomes deductible. So if your home office takes up 10% of your house's square footage, 10% of those housing expenses for the year may be deductible. IRS Publication 587 outlines a lot of scenarios, but note that only expenses directly related to the part of your home you use for business — say, fixing a busted window in your home office — are usually fully deductible.
What else you can do: Choose the simplified option, which lets you deduct $5 per square foot of home used for business, up to 300 square feet — that’s about a 17-by-17-foot space. You won’t have to keep as many records, but you might end up with a lower deduction, so consider calculating it both ways before filing.

2. Health insurance (maybe)If you bought medical insurance policies on your own for yourself or your family, you might qualify for a self-employment tax deduction on the premiums.

What you can deduct: Medical and dental insurance premiums for you, your spouse, your dependents and your children who are younger than 27 at the end of the tax year. Long-term care insurance premiums also count, though there are specific rules. IRS Publication 535 has the details.

How it works: It’s an adjustment to income rather than an itemized deduction, which means you don’t necessarily have to itemize to claim it. But you might be let down, because if you’re eligible to enroll in your spouse’s employer’s plan — even if you choose not to, maybe because it’s more expensive than your own — you can’t take the deduction.

What else you can do: Find out if you can deduct the premiums as a medical expense. This typically works only if you pay your premiums out of your own pocket, and your deduction is limited to expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. So if your A G I is $100,000, your first $7,500 of medical expenses isn't deductible.

3. Continuing educationYou have to stay smart to run a growing business, and there are self-employment tax deductions for that.
What you can deduct: The costs of “qualifying work-related education,” including things such as tuition, books, supplies, lab fees, transportation to and from classes and related expenses.
How it works: The expenses are deductible only if the education “maintains or improves skills needed in your present work.” In other words, if you’re taking classes to change careers or you're working toward the minimum educational requirements for

Marshawn Govan, President and CFO of MKG Insurance Agency and MKG Tax Consultants, has unveiled a comprehensive banking app that rolls many services, from taxes to crypto, under one banner.
Published On March 10, 2022 - 11:35 AM
Written By Frank Lopez at The Fresno Business Journal

https://thebusinessjournal.com/fresno-entrepreneur-launches-one-stop-banking-app/


The tax season is upon us, and while every taxpayer encounters some confusion when filing, the uphill tax battle is even steeper for businesses.

A local tax and insurance consulting agency has launched an app to make the filing process for personal and business owners quicker and simpler.

MKG Insurance Agency and Tax Consultants, with two locations in Fresno, released its banking-as-a-service tax app for both the IOS and Android platform in February.

President and CFO Marshawn Govan said it was important to launch the mobile app during Black History Month to honor the contributions African-Americans have made throughout history — and to recognize the fight for racial justice going on to this day.

The app allows users to open bank accounts from their mobile phone, send and receive ACH (Automated Clearing House) payments, pay bills and manage cash flow securely online with an FDIC-insured business bank account.

The new app is a rebuild from an old version with an IBM license—meaning MKG didn’t own the source code for app. The new app was built specifically for MKG, meaning there is no limit for the license and no costs to renew it.

Most tax companies with mobile apps use third-party developers, leasing the software as a service.

“We are originators and developers of what we have in the market,” Govan said. “We can also branch out, white label it and offer that as a software service to other tax companies — to a bank looking to become a green product.”

The app also helps consumers start the process of buying a home.

Govan said the goal is to help underprivileged and underbanked families access credit to affordably finance auto loans, home improvements, home solar systems, down payments, investment and paying off debts.

While it is unique that a local tax and insurance agency has its own specifically developed app, MKG also offers crypto tax service.

Users will be able to buy, sell and exchange crypto currency. The company even launched its own crypto-token — Token MKG Enterprises Corp.

According to Govan, no other tax firm is offering a crypto token.

The app also features money-wiring services such as Cash app and Venmo.

Users that are business owners will be able to open a business banking account, send and receive money and make check deposits — much like other banking apps on the market.

Currently MKG is doing regulation crowdfunding, allowing retail investors that might not be accredited to invest smaller amounts. With smaller investment amounts, Govan said it gives them an opportunity to share in the company’s future growth without them having to invest a large part of their finances.

https://wefunder.com/mkgenterprisescorps

MKG is preparing to go public in 2022 to be listed on the OTC market. Govan said that investors have the opportunity to invest now before it grows.

Govan said there are a lot of barriers for Black people and other underserved communities regarding financial equity, and the FinTech industry is not one where Black people normally...

Should you rent or buy a home? Prices are surging in both cases, which makes it complicated
Fresno Calif. has had a 23.1% rent increase over the last 12 months which is well above the state of California (11.6%) and U.S. (15.1%) rent increases. The average one-bedroom apartment now costs $1,150.
Buying vs Renting

There are limits to how much a landlord in California can increase rent. Every rental property that is not exempt from AB 1482 can only have an annual rent increase of 5% plus the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) percentage change.


“People who were renting in anticipation of buying a home are still renting because the housing prices have gone up so much; the house they wanted to buy a year ago is 20% more than it was



KEY POINTS
Home prices are rising faster than rents, which is shrinking the affordability gap between being a homeowner and a tenant.Single-family homes are less affordable than they have been in just over three quarters of the U.S. — the highest total in 13 years, according to a real estate data tracker.All real estate is local, however. Homeownership is more affordable than renting in suburban and rural areas, but it’s cheaper to rent in big cities. Work with a good mortgage loan officer that put your best interest at heartGet Pre-approved before home shoppingFind a good relator that knows the local market File two years of tax returns

Home prices are rising faster than rents, which is shrinking the affordability gap between being a homeowner and a tenant.
Median-priced, single-family homes are less affordable in just over three quarters of the nation — the highest total in 13 years, according to ATTOM, a real estate data tracker. That’s up from 39% at the end of 2020.

Rents are also up, especially for single-family homes, which have been in high demand during the pandemic. Single-family rents increased 10.9% in October 2021 compared to the year-earlier period, a sixth consecutive record high, according to CoreLogic. The fall is typically a slow season for housing.
So which is more affordable, owning or renting?
As a tax expert we recommend to use your tax refund as a down payment on a home

Four C's of Qualify for a Mortgage
Whether you are a first-time home buyer or are re-entering the housing market, qualifying for a mortgage can be intimidating. By learning what lenders look at when deciding whether to make a loan, you'll be more confident in navigating the mortgage application process.
Credit "620 higher FICO score" CollateralCompacityCash-to-close

Standards may differ from lender to lender, but there are four core components — the four C's — that lender will evaluate in determining whether they will make a loan: capacity, capital, collateral and credit.
Capacity to Pay Back the LoanLenders look at your income, employment history, savings and monthly debt payments, and other financial obligations to make sure you have the means to comfortably take on a mortgage.
One of the ways that lenders verify your income is by reviewing several years of your federal income tax returns and W2s, along with current pay stubs. They evaluate your income based on:
The source and type of income (e.g., salaried, commission or self-employed)How long you've been receiving the income and whether it's been stableHow long that income is...

Timeline of African Americans/Blacks in business in America
The 19th century was not the beginning of Black business in America, but this century would see these pursuits being organized along the lines of and under the newly reconstructed U.S. Government structure. The 1800s saw the creation of many businesses, including insurance companies, banks, and newspapers. The first Black insurance company, The African Insurance Company, was founded in Philadelphia, PA in 1810. The first Black newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, was founded in New York, NY in 1827. However, by the end of the century, many gains made after the enslavement ended were lost due to Jim Crow, Black Codes, segregation, and theft.
The 20th century began with the formation of the National Negro Business League (currently the National Business League). The year 1900 would usher in the “Golden Age of Black business”, named so by historian, Juliet E. K. Walker. This would last from approximately 1900 to 1930, most likely ending due to The Great Depression, 1929-1939, and race riots and massacres, including one of the best-known, the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, which spanned from May 31 through June 1 that year and was the first time in history the United States bombed its own people.
In the first decade of the 21st century, Black businesses experienced the largest growth, adding 0.8 million businesses. The creation of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Protection Act to assist Black-owned businesses procure more federal contracts. This Act also established the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) which among other duties, develops standards for equal employment opportunity and the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the workforce. The years 2020-2021 saw racial unrest coupled with a pandemic, spurring a rebuilding of Black/African American business and economic bases.
Honoring Black History Month
https://mkgtaxconsultants.com/honoring-black-history-month/

(SECURD) Setting Every Community up for Refund Deposit
$50 CASHBACK REWARD for downloading our Banking-As-A-Service Tax-Filing App
OFFER IS VALID ONE PER CUSTOMER, tax returns must be electronically filed with MKG Tax Consultants and be eligible for an ERD electronic refund deposit.
 
SECURD Advance loans are available in 15 States APR depends on your resident state.
California 35.99% APR
Arkansas
Colorado 12% APR
Connecticut 12% APR
District of Columbia 6% APR
Florida 18% APR
Massachusetts 12% APR
New Jersey 16% APR
Oklahoma 10% APR
Oregon 12% APR
South Carolina 12% APR
Texas 10% APR
 Virginia 12% APR
Wisconsin 18% APR
Wyoming 10% APR
 
SECURD Advance loans is an optional fixed-term loan offered by Cash Advance Short Term Repayment Option Lender. The SECURD Advance loans principal loan amount, applicable interest and any fees will be deducted from federal and state tax refund proceeds. SECURD Advance is not an actual federal or state tax refund. Applying for a SECURD Advance does not guarantee approval. Qualifications and restrictions apply and all applicants may not be eligible for SECURD Advance.
 SECURD Advance loans is an optional fixed-term loan offered by Cash Advance Short Term Repayment Option Lender. The SECURD Advance loans principal loan amount, applicable interest and any fees will be deducted from federal and state tax refund proceeds. SECURD Advance is not an actual federal or state tax refund. Applying for a SECURD Advance does not guarantee approval. Qualifications and restrictions apply and all applicants may not be eligible for SECURD Advance.
 
SECURD Advance loans  principal amounts offered are $500, 25%, 50% or 75% of the expected net tax refund amount, up to $10,000 SECURD Advance loans have an APR of 35.99% based on a 30-day term. All SECURD Advance loans have an origination fee. Refund Transfer fees may also apply.
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https://mkgtaxconsultants.com
 
MKG Tax Consultants 
4021 N Fresno Street Suite 107
Fresno, CA 93726
Call us today 1-866-675-3933