Finished with taxes: back to writing! (with a plug for my book)

My muse suddenly appeared in my living room where I was dusting, making me shriek with surprise. She was dressed like a jewel adorned Marie Laveau, complete with multicolored Mardi Gras beads.

"Is it true? Are you finished with your taxes?" she asked.

"Look at you. How was Mardi Gras?"

"Great. Wonderful. Tons of fun. Don't deflect the question. Are you finished?"

Setting my dusting cloth on the table, I said, "Yes. I'm finished. Well... mostly."

"Mostly?"

"I still have to go to HR Block and get the forms filled out, but I'm finished with my part: the receipts and a profit/loss statement."

"Then you're done!"

"Yes."

"Thank all the goddesses!" She spun around in a happy little circle, making the beads swish and clatter as they rubbed together. A few sparkling strands fell onto the floor.

I laughed. "I guess you're happy."

"Happy? Happy?" She grabbed my hands and swung me around until we were both laughing and dizzy like two small children on the play ground. Then we plopped on the couch to catch our breaths.

Adjusting a few errant strands of beads, my muse said, "Does that mean we can get back to your play?"

"Yep."

She sighed deeply, as if she was smelling a field of wild roses. "At last." Then she jumped up, grabbed my hand, and hauled me to standing. "Come on! We have work to do."

As she pulled me toward the bedroom where my laptop waited,  I asked, "Now?"

"Yes now."

"But what about the dusting?"

"Dusting can wait. Writing is more important."

No wonder my house is always a mess.

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In Jan 2009 I wrote a post explaining what a Profit and Loss statement is. 

And what is a Profit and Loss Statement? In a nutshell, a profit and loss statement is the end of the year report of your business that shows how much you've earned (profit) and how much you spent (lost). This is what you need to show the IRS when you file your taxes, as well as show your city for you business license, your bank when you need a loan, or anyone else who needs proof that you really do have a business and didn't just put up a pretty sign that says so. 

Here's the link to that post

For more detailed information about record keeping and managing your writing and publishing business, get my book, What You Need to Know to Be a Pro: The Business Start-Up guide for Publishers, available from Amazon, Powells, and your local bookstore (coming soon as an E-Book and to the Kindle)