The Fauquier Bank has continued its “Charity of Choice” program for 2020.

For every new account opened, the bank will donate $25 to a Charity of Choice and for every “Tell-A-Friend” coupon redeemed, the bank will donate $10 to the selected charity.

A total of 10 charities have been selected for the program, which focuses 80% on local charities and 20% on larger charities that the bank believes are important to the community.

This week, we’re highlighting the Charity of Choice Semper K9.

Semper K9 provides service dogs to critically wounded or ill veterans to enhance their quality of life. The nonprofit provides dogs with the veterans free of charge. The dogs are rescued and donated to Semper K9 to provide to the veterans.

The organization was established in 2014 by veteran Christopher Baity and his wife Amanda. In addition to providing service dogs for veterans, Semper K9 educates the community on service dog laws, resources, and disability awareness.

There are many ways to get involved with Semper K9, including hosting an event, monetary donations, volunteering, and sponsorship.

The Bank’s goal is to donate $80,000 to charities in 2020.

Strike up up a conversation today with Peden Accounting Services by going to their website, or by calling 703-967-1948. They’re your local tax and accounting firm.

When you start a business, you end up dealing with a lot more paperwork.

When you were an employee, you had someone else at your company who would take care of all the paperwork and tax forms that need to be filed to stay in compliance with all the rules set forth by the federal and state governments.

Now you are responsible for all aspects of your business, which means you will need to complete the paperwork and deal with any correspondence that comes your way.

One type of form you will need to deal with start with “1099”. These would be referred to as series 1099 forms, and are used to report various types of income you would receive. Let’s take a look at a few of them that you may receive as a business owner.

1099-A: Acquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property –If you borrowed money from a bank or other lender to purchase property, and you either abandon or have the property foreclosed, you may have to treat the property as being sold. The lender will have to send you Form 1099-A with all the relevant information needed to report the “sale” on your return. If you had purchased an office for your business, and you abandon it or it gets foreclosed, you should expect this form from the lender.

1099-B: Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions – One way to save on cash is to barter with another business for services. If you did that, you would receive this form if you engaged in bartering with someone else, or took part in a bartering exchange.

1099-C: Cancellation of Debt – Here is something that may seem a little strange: If you borrow money, and the lender cancels the remaining debt at some time in the future, you have to recognize the amount forgiven as income. If you think about it, it does make sense. You actually gain from not having to pay back the money. If your loan is forgiven, you will get a 1099-C from the lender showing how much you of the forgiven loan you need to record as income.

1099-K: Merchant Card and Third Party Network Payments –Do you accept credit cards in your business. Then you will be receiving this form if you received money from any online sales you made during the year that were paid for with a credit card. You want to make sure the amounts on these forms match with your records. If not, contact the sender to determine what is causing the variance.

1099-MISC: Miscellaneous Income – This is the one on this list that you will probably most likely receive during the year, and possibly more than one if you have more than one customer. Basically, this form shows the amounts your customer has paid you for the work you did for them, or if you rent a property to them. You will want to review this form to make sure the amounts match your records.

1099-S: Proceeds from Real Estate Transactions – Although most of the time you won’t receive this form unless you sell your home, you may have a property that you own for your business. You would receive this form if you sell:

1. Land, whether improved or unimproved,
2. Residential, commercial, or industrial building
3. A condominium unit
4. A cooperative housing corporation’s stock

While most entrepreneurs do not have to deal with the sale of real estate, you should be aware of this form so that when your business grows to the point of needing a headquarters, you will be ready for the form when it arrives.

Having to deal with all these new forms may be intimidating, but don’t let that stop you from starting and growing a business. Additionally, don’t let the forms be so intimidating that you don’t ask an accountant what they are about and what should be done.

I always enjoy helping my clients understand their tax situation, and I would rather have you ask what something means than have you make a decision based on information about which you are confused. If you have questions, drop me a line and I would be happy to answer them.

It’s tax season and that means you’re running around the home office looking for documents, receipts, and other pieces of paper that may have fallen behind your desk over the past year.

While it’s not ideal, trust us, tax time doesn’t have to be a hassle. We talked with Potomac Local Supporting Partner Chris Peden, of Peden Accounting Services about how to best prepare for tax season.

Get a five-divider folder

Well, first thing is to gather your documents together. And what I said in the post was you go down to Walmart or Target or store and get a five divider or folder and you just start throwing the documents in there. You have got to have a section there for your income. Another one for any kind of a government document you’re going to get or from the bank.

Say you’re going to get refunds, you’re going to get your mortgage statement, you’re going to get an IRA statement: throw this in there. And then you also want to use the other buckets for, say, things like charitable contributions, because a lot of people are going to need to have documents for those in order to be able to deduct those.

If you own a business

And then if you run a business, you’re going to have your expenses, and you’ll want receipts for those just that when he handed off the account, they can look through it and understand what they’re looking at and how they can deduct it.

Also, if you do have a business, a PNL or a profit loss statement is very helpful to help make sure that everything gets reported and reported correctly. So those are what you’re going to need to get started on your taxes for the year.

For my clients, I have an organizer that I send people so they can just go through and just do a checklist while watching some of the bowl games or a basketball game.

Afterward, we have a conversation, find out about what’s happened to you during the year. Any kind of events that may have triggered something. You sell a house, sell some stocks, you have a kid. Those all things can be lead to other questions that we can have a discussion about and see what else we can do and really be ready just to talk and just have a nice chat with somebody who wants to help you out.

Hey, can we talk?

After the documents are together, we have a conversation and find out about what’s happened to you during the year. Any kind of events that may have triggered something. Did you sell a house? Did you sell some stocks? Did you have a kid? Those all things can be lead to other questions that we can have a discussion about and see what else we can do and really be ready just to talk and just have a nice chat with somebody who wants to help you out.

What should I ask?

I generally start out with this outlook: there’s no such thing as a stupid question. I would rather have you ask me something just out of pure honesty and curiosity, asking something like. “Hey, I don’t know about…” And just ask me about it and I’ll give you the best answer I can.

And sometimes the what’s considered dumb questions are actually very insightful. And those conversations could lead to new findings, like decisions you didn’t know you could make.

Now is a good time

It’s also a good idea to make a simple phone call a call to your CPA and saying, “Hey, can we talk for a little bit before you go absolutely crazy.” And have a nice civil conversation about what needs to happen, and maybe do a little tax planning while we’re there because it’s early in a year.

The sooner you can put plans in place, the less you have to worry about it down the road. It’s best to do this now, while there are still weeks and months before the tax deadline looms.

Strike up up a conversation today with Peden Accounting Services by going to their website, or by calling 703-967-1948. They’re your local tax and accounting firm.

Now that we have a new year, it is time to start thinking about what you need to do getting ready for this so it doesn’t turn into a stress-filled experience.

What should you do to get ready?

The first thing you probably want to do is pick up an organizer from a local office supply store, with at least five pockets to organize your paperwork. The organizer will make it easier to sort the documents by their category to make it easier to prepare a return. You will want to put the documents into the folders based on the following categories:

1. Income received
2. Statements from banks and brokers
3. Statements from government
4. Receipts for expenses
5. Receipts for donations

By organizing your documents and receipts this way, it will make it easier for the preparer to complete the return in less time, usually resulting in a smaller bill.

Now that you have your organizer set up, you now have to go through your paperwork. So put on some good music and start looking for the following:

Records of income. You want to look for your W-2s, any statements from banks, brokers, renters, and customers. If you run your own business, you want to make sure that you have all the 1099-Misc that was sent to you. Not every customer will send you one, but check their total against your records, and be able to explain the difference.

Any Information about expenses that may help reduce your taxes. This would include receipts from childcare providers (including provider’s tax identification number), mortgage interest statements, donations to your church, costs incurred in seeking a college degree or taking courses to acquire or improve job skills, receipts for medical care. Additionally, you will want to make sure you have proof of payment of medical insurance premiums covering your children.

You will want to find any correspondence from government entities. This would include any receipts of sales taxes paid, as well as receipts for property tax payments. Additionally, you may have received a 1099-G, which shows how much was received in unemployment insurance benefits.

Any documentation of any amounts contributed to an IRA.

Lastly, look through your bank statement for items that may be income, or for amounts spent that may be deductions. Find the paperwork related to these transactions, and show them to your accountant to find out they are deductible.

By making sure you have all this information, you should have not only the amounts to include on your return, but the documentation of those items in case there are any questions down the road.

Next, you want to review your financial results for your business to make sure it is complete, so it is easier to complete your business’s tax return. The best thing to do is make sure you reconcile your bank account, which will point out any items you missed which need to be included in your financial records.

Lastly, if you don’t prepare your own return, make an appointment with your CPA. They tend to get busier as April 15th gets closer, so by getting to them early, they will have more time to analyze your situation, put together a return, and do so some tax planning for the coming year.

While you meeting with your CPA, keep in mind that they may ask you some strange questions. It’s how they make sure your return is complete and accurate. The more complete the return, the less trouble you will have with the IRS.

Preparing your tax return can be a bit of a hassle. However, if you start early, you will be able to make sure your information is complete and there are no issues with your return. If you have any questions about the preparation of a tax return, talk to a tax professional.

Peden Accounting Services in Manassas wishes you, your business, and your family a prosperous New Year! Call them today for all of your accounting and tax needs. 

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF RALEIGH COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA

IN THE INTEREST OF: Juvenile Abuse Neglect Nos.

Adylynn Ann Wingrove DOB: 05/06/2019 2019-JA-091-B

Ayden Layman DOB: 12/03/2017 2019-JA-092-B

Judge, Robert A. Burnside, Jr., Division 10

Adult Respondents:

Alyssa Layman DOB: 01/17/1990

Andrew Wingrove DOB: 09/13/1986

Bobbi Jo Layman DOB: 07/05/1972

Robert Denardi DOB: unknown

The purpose of this action is to determine guardianship of Ayden Andrew Layman, DOB 12/03/2017. Petitioner, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, is seeking continued legal and physical custody of said children, and/or Termination of Parental Rights.

It appearing that the whereabouts of Robert Denardi or any known or unknown father, or of any named or unnamed father, or of anyone claiming paternity of infant children, Ayden Andrew Layman, is presently unknown at this time, it is ORDERED that Robert Denardi or any known or unknown father, or any named or unnamed father, or anyone claiming paternity of infant child, Ayden Andrew Layman, appear in the Office of the Honorable Robert A. Burnside, Jr., Judge of the Circuit Court of Raleigh County, West Virginia, on February 18, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., of that day and object, or make other defense, to the Petition, otherwise guardianship of the children may be granted to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the parental rights of the father and mother terminated.

Further, it is hereby ORDERED that Robert Denardi or any known or unknown father, or of any named or unnamed father, or of anyone claiming paternity of infant children, Ayden Andrew Layman, be advised of his right to have counsel at every stage of these proceedings and that counsel will be appointed if they cannot pay for the services of counsel and that such proceedings may result in the severance of parental rights and the transfer of custody of said children unto the Petitioner.

Entered by the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Raleigh County, West Virginia, on the 17^th day of December 2019.

W. F. RICHMOND, JR.

ASSISTANT PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

Customers at The Fauquier Bank will continue to be able to choose which charities they want to help when opening a new checking account. A press release states:

As of January 1, 2020, we are excited to announce that as “A Community Bank Investing in Its Community,” we will continue Charity of Choice for the entire year of 2020. For every account opened, the Bank will donate $25 to a Charity of Choice and for every Tell-A-Friend coupon redeemed, we will donate $10. Our campaign will focus 80% on local charities and 20% on larger charities that we believe are important to our community. The Bank’s goal is to donate $80,000 to charities in 2020.

“We are passionate about helping the communities we serve and consider the Charity of Choice initiative one that will certainly assist many great nonprofit organizations with their efforts. As a community bank, we know it is important to support organizations that nurture our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with these organizations,” said Abbie Ford, VP, director of retail banking.

In the first quarter of 2019, The Fauquier Bank launched a campaign known as Charity of Choice. Thanks to the support of our community during the first quarter of 2019, the Bank donated over $40,000 to charities. “The success of the campaign in 2019 spoke volumes about the members of the community that we serve—there is a true desire to help those in need. Our customers have enthusiastically expressed their support of the various charity choices.”

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.

The da Vinci Xi System was designed with the goal of further advancing the technology used in minimally invasive surgery.

• The System can be used across a spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures and has been optimized for multi-quadrant surgeries in the areas of gynecology, urology, thoracic, cardiac and general surgery.

By enabling efficient access throughout the abdomen or chest, the da Vinci Xi System expands upon core da Vinci System features, including wristed instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion, and an ergonomic design.

• As with all da Vinci Surgical Systems, the surgeon is 100% in control of the robotic-assisted da Vinci System, which translates his/her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. The Xi System’s immersive 3D-HD vision system provides surgeons a highly magnified view, virtually extending their eyes and hands into the patient.

Key Features Include:

• A new overhead instrument arm architecture designed to facilitate anatomical access from virtually any position.
• A new endoscope digital architecture that creates a simpler, more compact design with improved vision definition and clarity.
• An ability to attach the endoscope to any arm, providing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site.
• Smaller, thinner arms with newly designed joints that offer a greater range of motion than ever before.
• Longer instrument shafts designed to give surgeons greater operative reach.

The da Vinci Xi System is an expandable technology platform that is designed to accommodate and seamlessly integrate a range of current technologies, as well as future innovations, in areas such as imaging, advanced instruments, and anatomical access.

• We are truly thrilled to be a leader in this field and look forward to continue bringing Woodbridge and Northern Virginia minimally invasive surgical options.

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is an accredited Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery and Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology.

• The Sentara Weight Loss Surgery Center is a designated accredited Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).

For more information on minimally invasive surgical options at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, contact us at 1-800-SENTARA or visit sentara.com/surgery.

As children, many of us were encouraged to eat certain foods because they would help make our bones strong.

We were also probably cautioned from doing things that would cause them to break.

However, children are not the only ones who need to be reminded of the importance of keeping our bones strong.

Our bones provide support and protect our organs. They also store important minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, which can be released when needed by the body.

If we don’t eat right and get proper exercise, our bones can become weak. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone density and quality diminish.

The bones become more porous and fragile, greatly increasing the risk of fractures. People with osteoporosis most often break bones in their wrists, spine, and hip.

There are various factors that put people at greater risk of osteoporosis:

• After 40 years of age, people are not able to replace bone tissue as quickly as it is lost.
• Women, particularly white and Asian women, are more likely to get osteoporosis.
• Family history of osteoporosis is another risk factor.

While those factors cannot be controlled, other factors can be, such as diet, exercise, and other habits. To reduce your risk, follow a bone-healthy diet and exercise regimen, reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption and stop smoking.

Eating a well-balanced diet with foods that are rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin D can help to keep our bones healthy. Calcium supports the structure of our bones and teeth. Magnesium and vitamin D improve our body’s ability to absorb calcium and aid bone growth. Good sources of calcium include:

• Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, okra, broccoli)
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt)
• Chinese cabbage or bok choy
• Sardines/salmon with edible bones
• Apricots/figs
• Nuts (almonds, sesame seeds)
• Beans/legumes
• Foods fortified with calcium (Check the labels on tofu, soy milk, and orange juice.)
Good sources of magnesium include:
• Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts)
• Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale)
• Soy milk
• Beans/legumes
Good sources of vitamin D include:
• Fatty fish (tuna, salmon)
• Eggs (Vitamin D is in the yolk)
• Cheese
• Foods fortified with calcium (Check the labels on cereal, soymilk and orange juice.)

Likewise, proper exercise can help keep our bones strong. Weight-bearing exercises, such as weight training, walking, climbing stairs, and dance, are best for bone health. Non-weight bearing exercises, such as swimming and bicycling, are good for cardiovascular health, but they do not provide much benefit to your bones.

Talk to your doctor about bone-healthy exercise and foods that are right for you. To learn more about our orthopedic services, visit SentaraOrthopedics.com.