Scarfo And Company CPA'S | Tax Services | Business Accounting

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Scarfo and Company,CPA’s is a Clearwater – Dunedin CPA firm that provides a wide variety of accounting, tax and financial management services. Scarfo and Company CPA provides comprehensive accounting and tax services for businesses. We are a well- respected firm with a reputation for expertise and integrity. Scarfo and company CPA covers the relevant tax issues with comprehensive tax planning.
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Scarfo And Company CPA'S | What Happened in the Stock Market Today

Stocks ticked higher on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) inching toward the 20,000-point mark and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) adding slightly to its double-digit gain for 2016.

Price volatility kept commodity funds popular in light overall trading, as a spike in oil prices sent the VelocityShares 3x Long Crude Oil ETN (NYSEMKT:UWTI) up 6%. Higher gold prices produced an 8% bounce for the triple leveraged Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3x ETF (NYSEMKT:NUGT).

As for individual stocks, Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) and Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN) stood out with large price swings.

Fitbit catches a break

Fitbit shares spiked 7% following a rare piece of encouraging news about the fitness device maker's holiday sales trends. Its activity tracking software was the second most-popular download among free apps on Apple's iTunes this past week, beating such heavyweights as Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram. The app hit eighth place in the Android store, just ahead of Pandora's music streaming service. The high ranking suggests millions of Fitbit's products were activated as part of Christmas gift-giving.

Young Couple Jogging With Fitness Device

The company could use some good news. Shares are down over 70% in 2016 on slowing sales growth and slumping profit margins. Fitbit had hoped that a strong product portfolio, including new versions of its Charge and Flex devices, would drive blockbuster fourth-quarter results. However, early indications suggested otherwise. In early November, Fitbit sliced its full-year guidance on what management called "softness in overall demand." More recently, elevated inventory levels at retailers has sparked a drop in consensus revenue estimates for the company's fourth quarter.

The worst-case scenario for shareholders involves broadly weak demand that forces Fitbit to slash prices to protect sales volume. While that's still possible, the fact that usage is spiking on its devices could mean the holiday quarter wasn't as bad as many investors had feared.

Seattle Genetics is put on hold

Seattle Genetics, which specializes in cancer treatments, slumped by 15% after several of its trials were put on hold by the Food and Drug Administration. Two phase 1/2 trials were placed on full hold, meaning no further treatment deliveries, while two others were put on partial hold that ended new enrollments but allowed existing patients to continue receiving treatment at their consent.

The biotech said the holds were ordered after six patients out of the roughly 300 treated so far developed hepatoxicity, or liver damage, while taking the aggressive leukemia treatment. Four of those patients died.

It's not clear whether Seattle Genetics' vadastuximab talirine (or SGN-CD33A) was to blame for the deaths, which all involved patients who had also received stem cell transplants. But the trials won't resume until that possibility is ruled out. "Seattle Genetics is working diligently with the FDA to determine whether there is any association between hepatotoxicity and treatment with SGN-CD33A," executives explained in a press release.

The FDA ruling doesn't jeopardize the prospects for the company's biggest drug, Adcetris, which remains commercially available in 65 countries as a treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. It also doesn't affect other, more advanced clinical trials of SGN-CD33A, including its phase 3 Cascade treatment of older leukemia patients.

Trump's potential $1.6 trillion investment

We aren't politicos here at The Motley Fool. But we know a great investing opportunity when we see one.

Our analysts spotted what could be a $1.6 trillion opportunity lurking in Donald Trump's infrastructure plans. And given this team's superb track record (more than doubling the market over the past decade*), you don't want to miss what they found.

They've picked 11 stocks poised to profit from Trump's first 100 days as president. History has shown that getting in early on a good idea can often pay big bucks – so don't miss out on this moment. Read More...
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Scarfo And Company CPA'S - Sweden Heads The Best Countries For Business For 2017

Donald Trump swept into office last month behind a groundswell of support from Americans captivated by his promises to “take America back” and “make America great again.” Whatever the chances are that he can deliver -- economists are skeptical of Trump’s economic plans -- it certainly has been several years since the United States was “great” in Forbes’ annual list of the Best Countries for Business.

This year is no different as the U.S. falls one spot to 23rd place, continuing a decade-long slide from its No. 1 ranking in 2006. Falling scores on trade and monetary freedom, along with rising levels of red tape and bureaucracy are behind the decline for the world's largest economy. The Heritage Foundation cites more than 180 new federal regulations imposed on businesses since 2009 with annual costs of $80 billion following the bailouts of the auto and financial industries amid the Great Recession, along with increased government intervention in the housing and health insurance markets. Trump's potential plans to impose tariffs on foreign imports is not a recipe for improving the U.S. ranking.

One country headed in the opposite direction is Sweden, which moves up four spots to the top of the charts for the first time (Sweden ranked No. 17 in 2006). Over the past two decades the country has undergone a transformation built on deregulation and budget self-restraint with cuts to Sweden’s welfare state.

Sweden’s government shrank jobless and disability benefits to encourage employment. The lower benefits allowed for tax cuts. The inheritance tax was scrapped in 2005 and the wealth tax was canned two years later. Taxes are still high relative to the rest of the developed world, but taxes paid as a percent of profit are down eight percentage points over the past decade and the country’s tax burden rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business has improved 11 spots during the time.

Sweden’s $493 billion economy grew 4.2% last year with only Ireland and Luxembourg faring better among countries that placed in the top 25 in our ranking. The Scandinavian nation has a low level of public debt relative to other European Union countries, and it benefits from its free-trade policies. The trade balance surplus was 5.2% of GDP last year. Sweden ranked among the top 10 countries in seven of the 11 categories we measured. Read More...

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Scarfo and Company CPA'S - Small Business Marketing Growth Strategies for 2017

Any good marketer knows to keep an eye on the future to stay ahead of the curve on new trends, emerging marketing channels, and other fresh ideas to deliver brand messages. With 2016 in the rear-view mirror and 2017 flying down the pipeline, now is the time to start examining what the New Year is going to mean for marketing.

Here are six marketing growth strategies to help your small business succeed in 2017.
Marketing Growth Strategies for Small Businesses

1. Mobile-Centric is the Name of the Game

Over the past couple years, we’ve seen mobile overtake desktop in usage and search. As a result, there was a big push in 2016 for small businesses to ensure that their web pages were optimized for mobile browsing. This mobile friendly attitude was the first step towards being mobile-centric, but that journey is not over.

Mobile-centric involves a lot of technologies and platforms, some of which are still emerging and only now being utilized for small business marketing purposes. The following are all mobile technologies that a small business should begin implementing into their content-based strategies.

Mobile Apps: If you do anything mobile-related in 2017, then get a mobile app. If you don’t already have one, check out this list for detailed reviews of affordable DIY app builders. Small businesses have been slow to build apps for their brands because of the high price point of mobile development. However, there are now a lot of inexpensive, yet effective, options that can allow your company to propel itself into the mobile-centric world of 2017.

Mobile Payment Services: Consumers are increasingly adopting mobile pay services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet. They want to be able to pay with a simple tap on their mobile device, whether they are in your store or shopping online. From a marketing standpoint, you not only want to offer this service (or risk missing out on possible revenue), but also advertise that it is a viable payment option.

Mobile Only Apps: Many of the top downloaded apps are what are known as mobile only apps, meaning they aren’t available on desktop computers like Facebook and Twitter. Apps like Periscope, Instagram, Snapchat and others are rapidly growing in popularity. They present an exciting and new channels for small and large businesses alike to market themselves on. 2017 will undoubtedly offer more of these mobile-only apps, so keep an eye out.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing is by no means a new trend, but it makes the list because of the severely misguided viewpoint that it is an “old school” tactic and no longer relevant. The data shows the exact opposite; email marketing is one of the most ROI-positive strategies out there.

The people that make the false claim that email marketing isn’t effective are the ones that aren’t using it correctly. This tactic is all about providing audiences with relevant, valuable and helpful information (think DIY guides, links to blog content, industry news, etc.). It is not designed for jamming sales pitches down consumers’ throats.

3. Data Informed Decision Making

A lot of people refer to this trend as a push to become data-driven. But, there is a lot wrong with that concept. It suggests that companies should plop their big data / analytics tools at the helm of the ship and let it steer all of the decisions. Most organizations, especially small ones, lack the high-end, sophisticated big data tools and existing data culture that make a real data-driven approach possible.

Even with these tools, the risks are very high. Data doesn’t always know best. Companies should be pairing their data-born insights with the existing knowledge and opinions of their team members. This approach yields the safety and best results that doesn’t require you to overhaul your IT department.

4. Video Content

It is easy to understand why consumers prefer to receive content-based marketing messages over ad-based ones. Advertisements are often interruptive while marketing through content is informational, entertaining and engaging. When you consider that approximately 60 percent of consumers prefer to watch content, instead of reading it, then the power of video marketing becomes immediately apparent. Video content will continue to build momentum and audiences will be looking for it more in 2017.

5. Expert Blogging

Your small business may already have blog content that is regularly published, but how good is that content? Blog content for marketing became a popular means to get noticed on search engines thanks to SEO practices. In this quest to be seen, a lot of organizations became more concerned with their SEO than the actual quality of their content.

Now, audiences are starting to take notice that there is a difference between valuable blog content and not so important writing. If your content isn’t informative and exciting to read, people aren’t going to stick around. 2017 is poised to be the year that brands invest in bringing their digital writing to the next level, which may mean hiring an “industry expert” to create higher caliber blogs.

6. Better Social Media Practices

This trend is in the same realm as blogging in that it is something that almost everyone is doing, but very few are doing well. Specifically, they aren’t getting the most out of their social media data. Even if you are creating high-quality content and regularly responding to comments, questions and complaints, you may be missing out on a lot of valuable information.

Social media platforms are a significant contributor to big data because there are a lot of engagements on these services. Customers are practically handing you a road map to running your business more efficiently and providing a better customer experience. Thus, you should be actively listening and collecting social media based data. Read More...
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Scarfo And Company CPA'S - Obama Says He Would Have Outrun Trump

U.S. President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast on Monday that he would have won most Americans' support if he had been able to run against Donald Trump for a third term.

"No way!" Trump countered in a tweet, citing as liabilities U.S. companies taking jobs overseas, the fight against Islamic State militants and Obama's signature healthcare law.

Barred by the U.S. Constitution from seeking a third four-year-term, the president told his former adviser David Axelrod in a podcast that Americans would have backed Obama's vision.

"I'm confident that if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could've mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it," Obama said, referring to his 2008 campaign message of hope and change.

A wealthy businessman, the Republican Trump will assume his first public office when he succeeds Obama on Jan. 20. He defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton on Nov. 8 with a promise to clean up Washington.

In a tweet, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said Obama would have beaten Trump and Clinton would have won if not for an FBI statement shortly before the election disclosing new material on Clinton's email practices as secretary of state.

Clinton's aides have said FBI Director James Comey's announcement, which led to no charges, swung the election, a charge Trump's team has dismissed.

Obama said Clinton "performed wonderfully under really tough circumstances." He said she focused on Trump's flaws and could have argued more that the Democratic Party agenda helped working people.

Trump garnered more than 270 of the 538 state-by-state electoral votes to win the presidency. Clinton won 48.2 percent of the popular vote compared with 46.1 percent for Trump, according to the Associated Press. Read More...

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Scarfo And Company Cpa's - The year in business: A review of 2016

2016 was the year that a decade of bubbling public discontent over the economy boiled over in two dramatic votes.

Donald Trump defied almost all predictions to become President of the United States. A few months earlier, the UK had turned its back on the club of European nations it joined 43 years ago.

The UK referendum result was a shattering blow to European Union leaders, who were only just beginning to breathe more easily after years of battles to keep the euro currency together.

The decision came as a shock to many, but it didn't surprise one economic commentator, Roger Bootle, chairman of Capital Economics and best-known for his accurate predictions in his book, The Death of Inflation, published 20 years ago.

Mr Bootle says his reaction to the referendum result has been one of "sheer delight".
He says research shows the main motivation for voters ticking the Leave box was encapsulated in the simple phrase "take back control" and believes the decision will help the UK economy.

Voters' disillusionment

By contrast, a former adviser to the European Commission, Graham Bishop, says he was "appalled and horrified" by the result, but says he wasn't surprised.

"When you spoke to people you realised the depth of their disillusion with many things, of which the EU is just one."

The voters' disillusion was clearly connected with the fact that living standards for the bulk of the British population have continued to decline in recent years, and Leave supporters linked that with the recent wave of immigration from the EU into the UK.
High unemployment in the south of Europe, as well as the lack of opportunities in poorer EU countries like Romania and Bulgaria, has led to a constant flow of workers into the UK.

EU leaders had refused to allow the UK to limit that migration, arguing that free movement of workers across the bloc was sacrosanct.

The tide of new workers may well have boosted the total size of the UK economy, but in the past 15 years its population had risen by 10% to 65 million.

Many felt that the new arrivals from poorer countries had forced down wages and property was becoming unaffordable. And given that UK health and education are paid for by taxpayers, those services were left stretched and demanding more from taxpayers.

National debate

Roger Bootle argues that immigration has indeed depressed wages in the UK, and says freedom from European regulations that span everything from loft insulation to working hours will boost the economy.

"The EU is a regulation junkie... and I think it's extremely damaging. Once we're out, we're going to have a national debate and discussion about precisely what rules and regulations we want.

"We've got to comply with single market rules in order to sell our goods into the single European market, that's fair enough.

"That's not the same thing as having the whole load of everything to do with health and safety, working hours, whatever, for a dry cleaning business in Oswestry set in Brussels. That is madness. And across the whole of Europe, not just Britain, people are fed up with it."

Graham Mather is a British former Conservative MEP and now president of the European Policy Forum. In view of his contacts in Brussels, I asked him if he thought leaders of the EU now regret taking such a tough line saying the UK could never put quotas on immigration from other EU countries.

"I think they made an offer which was going as far as they could because they are all democracies, the Romanians, the Poles - they answer to their people in elections," Mr Mather says.

"And if they gave us a deal which allows their people to be discriminated against and pushed out and sent home and so forth, their electors would take revenge on their leaders. So, this is the problem that we are not just a single entity. It's a game of 28 separate democracies."

Dramatic pledges

Donald Trump's election as President of the United States was even more unexpected than the UK referendum result.

Before the vote, Mr Trump had made a series of dramatic pledges. They included building a wall along the southern border with Mexico, a repeal of President Obama's healthcare reforms and tariffs of 45% on Chinese imports. Read More...

scarfo and company cpa

Scarfo And Company CPA'S | Tax And Financial Management Services

Scarfo And Company CPA | Tax And Financial Management Services from Scarfo And Company CPA

Scarfo and company CPA is a Clearwater – Dunedin CPA firm that provides a wide variety of accounting, tax and financial management services. Web: http://scarfoandco-cpas.com/ http://scarfo-and-company.com/ http://scarfo-and-company-cpas.com/ http://scarfo-and-co-cpas.com/ http://scarfo-and-co.com/ http://scarfo-and-company-info.com/