Lesson 1
How M.A.K.S. works
Every month follows the same four steps. Keep the rhythm and you never face a shoebox of receipts in April.
Step 1DownloadGet last month's statements from your bank and credit card websites.
Step 2SendUpload them on the checklist in your client portal.
Step 3CategorizeOnce we load them, sort each transaction into a tax category.
Step 4ReviewWe check your work, ask about anything unclear, and update your report.
Who does what on the Simple Plan
| You | M.A.K.S. team |
|---|---|
| Download and upload your statements each month | Load your statements into M.A.K.S. TaxCat Pro |
| Pick a category for each transaction | Review your categories and fix errors |
| Log business trips in the mileage log | Ask you about anything unclear |
| Answer questions in your portal | Prepare your year-end report, ready for whoever files your taxes |
"Tax-ready" meansyour transactions have been reviewed, any questions have been resolved, and your mileage is logged.
What is your responsibilityOur team reviews only your odometer readings for accuracy. We do not total your receipts for actual vehicle expenses, such as gas, repairs and insurance. Keeping and reporting those receipts is solely your responsibility.
Your plan does not include tax preparationTaxCat Pro keeps your books organized all year. It does not include preparing or filing your tax return. If you want IT Tax and Business Solutions to prepare your return, you need to request tax service at year end. See Lesson 8.
Lesson 2
Your client portal
Your portal is home base: your documents, your reports, your plan, and messages with your advisor.
First sign-in
- Open the welcome email from M.A.K.S. and click the link. The link works for 24 hours.
- Choose a password (at least 8 characters), type it again, and click Save password & continue.
- From then on, sign in at makswebapp.net/client.html with your email and that password.
Link expired?Email maks@account-keeping.com and we will send you a new one.
What you will find in your portal
- Documents We Need: your checklist of what to send us.
- Categorize my transactions: the button that opens your categorizing screen (Simple Plan only).
- Monthly Reports and P&L Summary: your income, expenses and profit.
- Requests: questions from your advisor that need your answer.
- My Service: your plan, payment links, and the option to upgrade.
Two sign-ins, same passwordWhen you click Categorize my transactions →, you sign in once more with the same email and password. That is normal.
Lesson 3
Getting your statements
Send every account your business uses: checking, savings, and credit cards. One statement per account, per month.
Best format: Excel or CSV
- Sign in to your bank's website (not the phone app; downloads are easier on a computer).
- Open the account and look for Download, Export or Activity.
- Pick last month's dates, for example the 1st to the 31st.
- Choose Excel (.xlsx) or CSV and save the file.
- Repeat for each account, including business credit cards.
Why Excel or CSV?They load straight into M.A.K.S. with an exact transaction count. A PDF statement works too, but our team has to count it by hand, so it takes longer.
Name your files clearlyFor example: Checking 4631 – March 2026.csv. It helps us match each file to the right account and month.
Lesson 4
Sending your statements
Upload everything from the Documents We Need checklist in your portal. Files go to secure storage that only you and our team can see.
- Sign in to your portal and scroll to 📋 Documents We Need.
- Find the item, for example Bank Statements, and click Upload.
- Pick the file from your computer. You will see ✅ Uploaded when it arrives.
- If an item does not apply to you, click I don't have this. Clicked it by mistake? Click Undo.
What happens nextOur team loads your statements into M.A.K.S. TaxCat Pro, usually within 2 business days. Your transactions then appear on your categorizing screen, ready for you.
Never email bank statementsEmail is not secure enough for account numbers. Always use the Upload button in your portal.
Lesson 5
Categorizing your transactions
This is the heart of the Simple Plan: telling us what each transaction was for. Most take a few seconds, and M.A.K.S. suggests a category for many of them.
Open your categorizing screen
- In your portal, click Categorize my transactions → and sign in with the same email and password.
- You land on the Categorize tab. It starts by showing only transactions that still Need Review.
- The progress bar at the top shows how many are done.
Three ways to categorize
- One at a time: click the Category box on a row and pick the right category.
- Accept a suggestion: when M.A.K.S. recognizes a transaction, it shows a suggestion. Click ✓ Accept if it is right. To accept many at once, use the accept-suggestions button at the top. It only accepts safe ones (matching your earlier choices, under $5,000) and leaves the rest for you.
- Many at once: tick several rows, choose from Assign Category…, then click Apply. Or drag the small corner of a category down to fill the rows below it.
Your work saves itselfWatch for ✓ Saved at the top right. If you see Not saved, click Retry save. The page also warns you before you leave with unsaved changes.
Watch for these notes
- "Large amount, please check": double-check big transactions before you categorize them.
- "You chose different categories before": you categorized similar transactions differently in the past. Pick the right one this time.
The four mistakes we fix most often
| Transaction | Common mistake | Right category |
|---|---|---|
| Zelle, Venmo or Cash App | Left as Transfer (M.A.K.S. marks these Transfer automatically) | Business Income if a customer paid you; Contract Labor if you paid a helper; Transfer only if it moved money between your own accounts |
| Paying your credit card bill | Categorized as an expense | Transfer (Skip). The card's purchases are categorized on the card statement, so counting the payment too would double it. |
| Groceries, family dinners, personal shopping | Categorized as a business expense | Personal (Skip) |
| Amazon, Walmart, Sam's Club | Accepting "Office Expense" for everything | Pick what you actually bought: Supplies, Inventory Purchase, Office Expense, or Personal (Skip) |
Not sure?Leave it uncategorized and send us a message from your portal. A question costs nothing; a wrong category can cost you at tax time. See the category cheat sheet.
Lesson 6
Your mileage log
If you drive for your business, every business mile lowers your taxes, but only if you write it down. The IRS requires a written log with the date, miles and purpose of each trip.
- On your categorizing screen, open the Mileage tab and enter your vehicle, for example "2020 Honda Accord."
- Click + Log Business Trip. Enter the date, the miles (or your starting and ending odometer), where you drove from and to, and the business purpose (required).
- Delivery or rideshare driver? Use ⚡ Quick Gig Day to log a whole day with the platform and area.
- Log gas, repairs, insurance, tolls and parking with + Vehicle Expense. Keep your receipts: we do not total them for you.
- Click 📧 Email to M.A.K.S. to send us your summary, or download your log to keep a copy.
Log trips the same dayA log written months later is hard to defend. Take 30 seconds after each trip. The screen shows your business miles, the IRS rate per mile, and your estimated deduction as you go.
Commuting does not countDriving from home to a regular workplace is commuting, not business mileage. Trips to customers, job sites, the bank, or supply runs do count.
Lesson 7
Questions from your advisor
When we review your categories, we may ask about a transaction we cannot identify. Quick answers keep your books on schedule.
- Sign in to your portal and open Requests. Questions waiting for you show Needs Response.
- Each question shows the date, amount and description of the transaction.
- Type your answer and click Submit Answer. Answered questions show ✓ Answered.
- Have your own question? Use 📧 Send a Message.
Aim to answer within 3 business days.We cannot finish your month until every question is answered.
Lesson 8
Your reports and tax time
Your report updates as you categorize, so you can see how your business is doing any time.
Reading your report
- On your categorizing screen, open the My Report tab and pick the Tax year.
- Income: money your business earned. Expenses: business costs, grouped by tax line. Net Profit: income minus expenses.
- Not on the P&L: transfers, owner draws and loans move money but are not income or expenses, so they are listed separately.
- An orange note means some transactions are still uncategorized and not in your totals yet. Finish them on the Categorize tab.
- Click 📥 Download Excel for a copy with your profit & loss and every transaction, handy for a lender or your accountant.
A working summary, not your tax returnYour report shows amounts in full. Whoever prepares your return applies tax rules, such as counting only 50% of business meals.
At year end
- Send your December statements in early January.
- Finish categorizing and answer any open questions by January 31.
- If IT Tax will prepare your return, also upload your other tax documents (1099s, W-2s, last year's return) on your checklist.
- We review everything and prepare your year-end report.
Who files your taxes? You choose
Using TaxCat Pro all year does not mean IT Tax and Business Solutions will prepare or file your tax return. We will not use your TaxCat Pro records to file unless you ask us to. You have three options:
- Have IT Tax prepare your return. Request tax service by January 31. Send a message from your portal or call the IT Tax office at 402-934-2554. Tax preparation is a separate service with its own fee.
- Use your own accountant. On the My Report tab, click 📥 Download Excel and give the file to them.
- Prepare your own taxes. Download your year-end report and use it to fill in your return.
No request, no tax returnIf we do not receive your tax service request, we will not prepare your return. Your year-end report is still yours to download and use.
Lesson 9
Getting help, and when to upgrade
We aim to reply within 1 business day.
Is Pro Managed a better fit?
Consider upgrading if any of these sound like you:
- You have more than 99 transactions a month.
- You are two or more months behind on categorizing.
- You would rather spend the time running your business.
- You want a balance sheet and monthly advisor check-ins.
On Pro Managed you send statements and our team does the categorizing for you. To upgrade, open My Service in your portal and click Upgrade to Pro Managed, or click Questions about your plan? to talk it through first. Your plan does not change until you decide.
Handout
Monthly checklist
Do this in the first week of every month for the month before.
- Download last month's statement for every business account (checking, savings, credit cards), in Excel or CSV if you can.
- Upload them on the Documents We Need checklist in your portal.
- Log any business trips you have not entered yet in your mileage log.
- Categorize your transactions once they appear (about 2 business days after you upload).
- Check Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, card payments and Amazon purchases. They are the most common mistakes.
- Answer any questions in Requests.
- Look at My Report: does the profit match what you expected for the month?
About 30 minutes a month.Catching up a whole year at tax time takes far longer, and you may miss deductions.
Handout
Category cheat sheet
The categories you will see on your categorizing screen, in plain words.
| Category | Use it for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Money coming in | ||
| Business Income | Payments from customers for your work or products | Square or Stripe deposits, customer checks, Zelle from a customer |
| Other Income | Business money that is not from sales | Interest earned, refunds of business expenses |
| Business expenses | ||
| Advertising | Getting the word out | Facebook or Google ads, flyers, business cards, website ads |
| Car & Truck | Vehicle costs for business use | Gas, oil changes, car repairs, car wash |
| Commissions & Fees | Commissions and platform fees you pay | Referral commissions, marketplace selling fees |
| Contract Labor | Paying people who are not employees | Helpers, subcontractors, freelancers |
| Insurance | Business insurance | Liability, business auto, equipment insurance |
| Interest – Mortgage / Other | Interest on business loans | Business loan or business credit card interest |
| Legal & Professional | Professional services | Accountant, attorney, bookkeeping software like QuickBooks |
| Meals (50%) | Business meals | Lunch with a client, meals while traveling for work |
| Office Expense | Office items you use up | Paper, ink, postage, small office items |
| Rent – Equipment | Renting tools or equipment | Equipment rental, leased machines |
| Rent – Property | Renting business space | Shop, office or storage unit rent |
| Repairs & Maintenance | Fixing business equipment or space | Equipment repair, cleaning service, HVAC service |
| Supplies | Materials used to do your work | Cleaning supplies, tools under $2,500, Home Depot materials |
| Taxes & Licenses | Business taxes and permits | Business license, permits, registration fees |
| Travel | Overnight business travel | Hotels, airfare, Uber or Lyft on business trips, parking and tolls |
| Utilities | Business phone, internet, power | Cell phone bill, internet, shop electricity |
| Wages | Paying employees through payroll | Payroll from Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks Payroll |
| Bank & Merchant Fees | Bank and card-processing fees | Monthly service fees, Square or Stripe fees |
| Subscriptions & Software | Monthly software and apps | Canva, Microsoft 365, Zoom, website hosting |
| Cost of Goods Sold / Inventory Purchase | Products you buy to resell | Wholesale products, inventory |
| Asset Purchase | Big items that last years | Computers, vehicles, large equipment |
| Other Expense | A real business cost that fits nowhere else | Add a note so we can review it |
| Only if your advisor asks you to track them | ||
| Home Utilities, Repairs, Insurance, Rent | Home office costs (Form 8829) | Only if you have a qualifying home office |
| Medical, State & Local Taxes, Mortgage Interest, Charitable | Personal deductions (Schedule A) | Only if we told you to track these |
| Not income or expenses | ||
| Transfer (Skip) | Money moving between your own accounts | Checking to savings, paying your business credit card, paying yourself |
| Personal (Skip) | Anything not for the business | Groceries, family meals, personal shopping, personal bills |
When in doubt, ask.Leave it uncategorized and send us a message from your portal.
Handout
Frequently asked questions
My transactions are not showing yet. What do I do?
After you upload, our team loads your statements, usually within 2 business days. If it has been longer, send us a message from your portal.
I categorized something wrong. Can I fix it?
Yes. Open the Categorize tab, change the filter to show all transactions, find it, and pick the right category. Changes save automatically.
I only have PDF statements. Is that okay?
Yes. Our team counts and loads PDFs by hand, so they take a little longer. Excel or CSV downloads are faster when your bank offers them.
I use one account for both business and personal. What now?
Upload it anyway and mark personal transactions as Personal (Skip). Opening a separate business account makes this much easier, and we recommend it.
I forgot my password.
On the sign-in page, click Forgot password? and enter your email. We will send you a reset link.
Why are Zelle and Venmo marked Transfer?
M.A.K.S. cannot tell who sent or received the money, so it marks them Transfer to be safe. Change each one to Business Income, Contract Labor or Personal as it applies.
Do I categorize cash payments?
Only transactions on your statements appear on your screen. If you received or spent business cash, send us a message with the details so we can include it.
Does TaxCat Pro include my tax return?
No. TaxCat Pro organizes your books and gives you a year-end report. If you want IT Tax and Business Solutions to prepare your return, request tax service by January 31 from your portal or by calling 402-934-2554. You can also give your report to your own accountant or prepare your own taxes.
How is my fee figured?
The Simple Plan is $39 a month plus $1.50 per transaction. Your transaction fee is invoiced after we confirm your count.