Sag Harbor
Bookkeeping and accounting in Sag Harbor, NY
Marine trades and village retail both run on a season that pays for a year.
What you get
- Accounts reconciled every month
- Statements you can make decisions from
- Payroll and sales tax filed on time
- QuickBooks set up to fit the business
The MyCleverCPA team
- 25+ years in regulated finance, compliance and audit
- Tax work led by a CPA. Jillian Sinel holds the CPA and the CAA
- Hamptons Office at 30 Lincoln St, Sag Harbor, NY 11963
In Sag Harbor
Bookkeeping and accounting for Sag Harbor
We keep the books current through the quiet months so the summer is not reconstructed in October, and so sales tax is filed on time while the shop is at its busiest.
Boatyards and marine services carry work in progress and deposits, both of which distort a cash view of the business if nobody is tracking them.
Scope
What is included in bookkeeping and accounting
The same work wherever you are. Scoped to what you actually need.
Monthly close
- Bank and credit card reconciliations
- Accruals and adjusting entries
- A close calendar you can rely on
Reporting
- Profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow
- Management reports for owners and lenders
- Budget against actual, and the variance explained
Payroll and sales tax
- Payroll processing and payroll accounting
- Federal, New York State and local payroll filings
- Sales tax registration and returns
Cleanup and systems
- QuickBooks setup, cleanup and conversion
- A chart of accounts rebuilt to fit what you do
- Inventory and job costing where they apply
What this covers
- Bookkeeping and general ledger maintenance
- Financial statements and management reports
- Account reconciliation and adjusting entries
- Payroll processing and payroll accounting
- Payroll tax compliance
- Sales tax compliance
- QuickBooks setup, cleanup and conversion
- Financial and accounting analysis
- Budgeting, forecasting and cash flow analysis
- Cost, profitability and performance analysis
- Internal accounting support and advisory
- Inventory control
Local tax
The tightest rental rules out here
Of the five East End areas we cover, Sag Harbor is the most restrictive on renting. Seasonal rentals require a minimum of 30 consecutive days. Two week rentals are permitted no more than twice in a calendar year. No permit is issued at all for a non owner occupied short term rental property. Penalties run up to $1,000 per day of violation.
That matters before you buy, not after. A rental plan that works in the Town of East Hampton may be simply unavailable a mile away inside the village.
The Peconic Bay transfer tax applies at 2.5%, made up of the 2% preservation fund and the 0.5% community housing fund added in April 2023. Both towns the village sits in adopted the housing fund, so the rate is the same either side of the town line. The allowance is $400,000 on improved residential property, but only where consideration is $2,000,000 or less. Above that there is no allowance and the full 2.5% applies from the first dollar. Because the village spans two towns, confirm the allowance treatment for a specific parcel with the Suffolk County Clerk.
For the marine businesses: vessel depreciation, dockage, fuel, the capitalize against repair line on engines, and a revenue curve concentrated into a few months. For the cultural organizations: Form 990. Suffolk County is MCTMT Zone 2 at 0.34%, with the self employment threshold rising to $150,000 for 2026.
How it works
How bookkeeping and accounting runs
Four stages. Most of the value sits in the first two, before anything is filed.
Look at what exists
The current file, the bank feeds and the last month anyone actually reconciled.
Clean up the history
Past months reconciled and categorized before anything new gets built on top of them.
Close every month
A fixed schedule, with statements that arrive without being chased.
Review the numbers with you
Reports walked through, so they answer the question you actually have.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent my Sag Harbor house for a week in August?
Not as a seasonal rental. The village requires a minimum of 30 consecutive days for seasonal lettings, and two week rentals are capped at twice a year. If the property is not owner occupied, no short term rental permit is issued at all. Check the specific address before committing to anything.
Which town am I in?
Either Southampton or East Hampton, depending on where in the village the parcel sits, and it changes which town level rules apply even though the village rules are the same throughout. It is worth establishing before a purchase rather than after.
Do you work with the boatyards and marine businesses?
Yes. The recurring issues are depreciation on vessels and equipment, the treatment of major engine and gear work, and planning estimated payments around a season rather than a calendar.
Our books are a mess. Is that a problem?
It is the normal starting position. Cleanup is a defined piece of work with an end, and we would rather do it properly once than build a year of planning on top of numbers nobody trusts.
Do you work in QuickBooks?
Yes, including setup, cleanup and conversions from other systems. If you are already on something else that works, we are not going to move you for the sake of it.
Can you run our payroll?
Yes, along with the payroll tax compliance that goes with it. Payroll is also where worker classification gets decided, and getting that wrong is expensive in New York.
How often will I see numbers?
Monthly, as a rule, with the reporting shaped around what you actually decide from. A statement nobody reads is a cost, not a service.
Also in Sag Harbor
Our other services here
Tax preparation and planning
A Sag Harbor return usually has a rental on it, and the rental rules depend on where the parcel sits.
Tax preparation and planning in Sag HarborTrust and estate tax
A village house held since before the market moved carries an enormous unrealized gain.
Trust and estate tax in Sag HarborNonprofit accounting
Village cultural and preservation organizations here run on seasonal fundraising.
Nonprofit accounting in Sag HarborIRS representation
Rental registry questions can turn into income questions.
IRS representation in Sag HarborTalk to us about bookkeeping and accounting in Sag Harbor
Book a time online, or call the Hamptons office directly.
Nearest office
Hamptons Office
30 Lincoln St, Sag Harbor, NY 11963
Phone
Office hours
Sunday to Friday, 11am to 8pm Eastern.
Closed Saturday.