Hope for your future

Empowering individuals, families and small businesses with financial confidence so they can meet their goals.

Hope for your future

Empowering individuals, families and small businesses with financial confidence so they can meet their goals.

At Crystal Financial Solutions we believe there's a way for everyone to achieve financial freedom

At Crystal Financial Solutions we believe there's a way for everyone to achieve financial freedom

Financial Coaching

A financial coach can help you determine the best path for your financial success and teach you the methods to achieve your goals

Tax Planning & Prep

Our professional tax preparers can help you plan ahead and know what actions to take to get the most benefit out of the tax code

About

About Crystal Financial Solutions

At Crystal Financial Solutions, we provide hope to everyone, including businesses, through common sense financial education and empowerment. We provide financial planning and tax services to individuals and small businesses.

About Judith Ackland, Owner

After working in the industry for 18 years as a controller and chief financial officer for a multi-million dollar business group in the Midwest, Judith Ackland started Crystal Financial Solutions LLC to provide accounting and financial planning services to individuals, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

board member

Crystal Financial Solutions, Tax Return Preparation, Papillion, NE

Accreditations & Memberships

  • CFP Board
  • Member, Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants
  • Member, American Institute of CPAs
  • Served as a board member and audit committee member of community bank for three years
  • Member, Financial Planning Association
  • Member, Western Douglas County Rotary Club
  • Member, Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce
  • Member, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
  • Member, National Association of Tax Professionals
  • Member, Center Sphere

Services

At Crystal Financial, we provide a number of services for our clients on a personal and commercial basis. Whether you need help with tax planning, budgeting, retirement planning, or providing resources for your employees, we can help. See below for a list of what we do and who we can help.
Income Tax Planning & Return Preparation
Do you need help with your tax planning or return preparation? The experts at Crystal Financial are here to help! Our professional tax preparers can help you plan ahead and know what actions to take to reduce your income tax burden. According to a study released by the U.S. government’s General Accounting Office, 77% of 71 million tax payers believe they benefited from using a tax preparation professional. We can help you take all the deductions and credits to which you are entitled while making the process as simple as possible.

Tax preparation for individuals and families

Even if your income tax return seems simple, it can be confusing for someone who is not familiar with the process. Here is how we can help:

  • We meet with individuals and families to pre-plan for their taxes if necessary as well as prepare their actual return when tax time arrives.
  • No matter what your filing status is, we can help you.
  • We can help you avoid these common tax preparation mistakes:
    1. Not taking advantage of traditional IRA deductions You can lower your taxes and boost your retirement savings by properly taking IRA deductions. Many people miss this step or don’t use it to its full advantage.
    2. Not taking life changes into account Something as seemingly minor as changing daycare providers or having an in-law come live with you for a period of time could have a major impact on your tax return. A good tax preparer will ask plenty of questions to get you the most deductions possible.
    3. Focusing on the biggest possible refund Many people have one goal in mind when they do their taxes: get the biggest refund possible. However, if this means taking improper deductions, not reporting income, or otherwise trying to ‘work the system’, it could have negative consequences. A professional tax preparer will help you strive for the best overall benefit you are entitled to.
    4. Not taking advantage of unreimbursed employee expenses If you are not reimbursed for expenses such as mileage on your vehicle, you can claim these as deductions. If missed, this could make hundreds of dollars worth of difference on your refund.

Tax preparation for small businesses

If you own a small business, your taxes can become incredibly complicated. That’s why it’s important to work with a professional tax preparer at the beginning of the year so you can keep tabs on your finances and be ready for tax time when it arrives. The experts at Crystal Financial have helped numerous small to medium sized businesses simplify their taxes and ensure they file everything properly.

We find that business owners who try to do their taxes themselves or use a tax preparer who is not knowledgeable in business taxes often make the following mistakes:

  • Failing to report information at the proper time The IRS matches the information you report to the information they receive from 1099 forms. If the two don’t match or if you don’t report the information at the proper time, you could get fined.
  • Not filing the proper forms and reports Depending on the type of business you have, there are numerous forms and reports that may be due to the IRS. Working with a professional tax preparer is the best way to ensure you file all appropriate documents.
  • Not claiming all your deductions There are numerous types of deductions you can take as a small business owner to help with your tax bill. When you work with a good tax preparer, you may be surprised at all the deductions you would have otherwise missed.
  • Not keeping good records Keeping good records is essential for small business owners. Not only does it help your tax preparer when it comes to deductions, but it will also be vital in the event of an audit. If you work with a knowledgeable tax preparer, he or she can tell you what types of records you need to keep.

Are you an individual or small to medium business owner? Do you want to work with a professional who has years of experience in preparing personal and business taxes? Reach out today to find out how we can help.

Financial Coaching
A financial coach is your future’s best friend. At Crystal Financial, we have the experience and knowledge to help you through any stage of life. Whether you are trying to build a budget as you get started in life, properly manage your 401K or IRA, are preparing for retirement or want to efficiently manage your small business, Crystal Financial can help. We work with many types of people who have unique financial goals. Here are just a few of them:

Young People

Those who are going to college or entering the workforce for the first time have unique needs. They need to effectively develop and manage a budget, maximize any retirement plans their employer makes available, and plan for their future families. We work with young people from childhood to become a compassionate financial teacher and advisor for them. We want to see young people succeed and go on to build successful careers and families and set themselves up early for fruitful retirements. We can educate young people on:

  • Learning about savings and the value of money.
  • Budgeting for college expenses to lessen student loans and credit card debt.
  • Insurance issues including health, vehicle, renters, homeowners, and life insurance.

Families

Growing families often struggle with maintaining a budget while still trying to pay for their children’s various needs and also save for retirement. Many married couples don’t understand how to properly take advantage of retirement programs at work or how to best claim tax incentives. We enjoy working with families of all sizes and ages to ensure they have the resources to enjoy their current lives while still planning for the future.

Parents of College Kids

Parents who are preparing to or have already sent their kids to college have their own set of needs. They need to decide how much to help their children financially, how to best restructure their budgets in a new empty-nest household, and now must start looking at their own nearing retirement. We can help these parents with budgets, tax questions, investment opportunities, and the multitude of questions that come with this challenging life change.

Those Preparing for Retirement

As individuals get closer to retirement age, their needs rapidly change. Many worry that they have not saved enough to have a safe and comfortable retirement and wonder if they will have to work long past the age of 65 to catch up. We often counsel those nearing retirement age to see how we can maximize savings while not reducing quality of life.

Business Owners

Small business owners are a dynamic and inspiring group of individuals and we enjoy working with them to ensure their companies are a success. We can help with budgeting, tax questions, retirement planning for them and their employees, and a number of other areas. Working with business owners as their companies grow, develop, and succeed is a true specialty of Crystal Financial and we welcome the opportunity to assist any local small to medium business owner.

We also enjoy working with those who plan to start their own business. We can help educate future entrepreneurs on what type of corporation they should set up, tax issues, record-keeping, accounting systems, and more.

Corporate Workshops & Employee Financial Wellness Programs
At Crystal Financial, we love assisting companies and their employees to become more financially educated and aware. By providing financial coaching for employees through workshops or seminars, employers can provide extra benefits to their team members and ensure their employees are properly handling their finances and preparing for retirement.

Workshops

Workshops provided at your place of business provide an extra benefit for your employees. We can schedule workshops over the lunch hour, before or after work shifts, or any time that works best for your team.

We currently offer workshops in the following areas:

  • Developing a spending plan
  • Debt buster
  • Retirement planning
  • Basics of insurance
  • Navigating your tax return
  • Employee stock options

If you would like to schedule a workshop on a different financial topic, please reach out as we can customize workshops to your unique needs.

Financial Coaching

Would your employees benefit from on-site financial coaching? Crystal Financial is available to come to your office and meet individually with your employees. Depending on your team’s needs, we can provide coaching in the following areas:

  • Tax preparation
  • Budgeting
  • Retirement options
  • Eliminating debt
  • How to increase savings
  • Paying off student debt

The cost of financial coaching can be paid by the employee or by the employer. Please reach out for costs depending on your unique situation.

Workshop/Employee Coaching Packages

Interested in both workshops and employee coaching? Crystal Financial offers two packages:

Package One

  • Financial coach on-site two days per month
  • Minimum of two workshops per month
  • Individual financial coaching for employees included in cost

Package Two

  • Financial coach on-site two days per month
  • Minimum of two workshops per month
  • Individual financial coaching for employees at discounted price payable by employee or employer

If you’re interested in providing the benefit of financial wellness to your employees, please reach out to Crystal Financial today! We’d love to customize the perfect plan for your team.

Income Tax Planning & Return Preparation
Do you need help with your tax planning or return preparation? The experts at Crystal Financial are here to help! Our professional tax preparers can help you plan ahead and know what actions to take to reduce your income tax burden. According to a study released by the U.S. government’s General Accounting Office, 77% of 71 million tax payers believe they benefited from using a tax preparation professional. We can help you take all the deductions and credits to which you are entitled while making the process as simple as possible.

Tax preparation for individuals and families

Even if your income tax return seems simple, it can be confusing for someone who is not familiar with the process. Here is how we can help:

  • We meet with individuals and families to pre-plan for their taxes if necessary as well as prepare their actual return when tax time arrives.
  • No matter what your filing status is, we can help you.
  • We can help you avoid these common tax preparation mistakes:
    1. Not taking advantage of traditional IRA deductions You can lower your taxes and boost your retirement savings by properly taking IRA deductions. Many people miss this step or don’t use it to its full advantage.
    2. Not taking life changes into account Something as seemingly minor as changing daycare providers or having an in-law come live with you for a period of time could have a major impact on your tax return. A good tax preparer will ask plenty of questions to get you the most deductions possible.
    3. Focusing on the biggest possible refund Many people have one goal in mind when they do their taxes: get the biggest refund possible. However, if this means taking improper deductions, not reporting income, or otherwise trying to ‘work the system’, it could have negative consequences. A professional tax preparer will help you strive for the best overall benefit you are entitled to.
    4. Not taking advantage of unreimbursed employee expenses If you are not reimbursed for expenses such as mileage on your vehicle, you can claim these as deductions. If missed, this could make hundreds of dollars worth of difference on your refund.

Tax preparation for small businesses

If you own a small business, your taxes can become incredibly complicated. That’s why it’s important to work with a professional tax preparer at the beginning of the year so you can keep tabs on your finances and be ready for tax time when it arrives. The experts at Crystal Financial have helped numerous small to medium sized businesses simplify their taxes and ensure they file everything properly.

We find that business owners who try to do their taxes themselves or use a tax preparer who is not knowledgeable in business taxes often make the following mistakes:

  • Failing to report information at the proper time The IRS matches the information you report to the information they receive from 1099 forms. If the two don’t match or if you don’t report the information at the proper time, you could get fined.
  • Not filing the proper forms and reports Depending on the type of business you have, there are numerous forms and reports that may be due to the IRS. Working with a professional tax preparer is the best way to ensure you file all appropriate documents.
  • Not claiming all your deductions There are numerous types of deductions you can take as a small business owner to help with your tax bill. When you work with a good tax preparer, you may be surprised at all the deductions you would have otherwise missed.
  • Not keeping good records Keeping good records is essential for small business owners. Not only does it help your tax preparer when it comes to deductions, but it will also be vital in the event of an audit. If you work with a knowledgeable tax preparer, he or she can tell you what types of records you need to keep.

Are you an individual or small to medium business owner? Do you want to work with a professional who has years of experience in preparing personal and business taxes? Reach out today to find out how we can help.

Financial Coaching
A financial coach is your future’s best friend. At Crystal Financial, we have the experience and knowledge to help you through any stage of life. Whether you are trying to build a budget as you get started in life, properly manage your 401K or IRA, are preparing for retirement or want to efficiently manage your small business, Crystal Financial can help. We work with many types of people who have unique financial goals. Here are just a few of them:

Young People

Those who are going to college or entering the workforce for the first time have unique needs. They need to effectively develop and manage a budget, maximize any retirement plans their employer makes available, and plan for their future families. We work with young people from childhood to become a compassionate financial teacher and advisor for them. We want to see young people succeed and go on to build successful careers and families and set themselves up early for fruitful retirements. We can educate young people on:

  • Learning about savings and the value of money.
  • Budgeting for college expenses to lessen student loans and credit card debt.
  • Insurance issues including health, vehicle, renters, homeowners, and life insurance.

Families

Growing families often struggle with maintaining a budget while still trying to pay for their children’s various needs and also save for retirement. Many married couples don’t understand how to properly take advantage of retirement programs at work or how to best claim tax incentives. We enjoy working with families of all sizes and ages to ensure they have the resources to enjoy their current lives while still planning for the future.

Parents of College Kids

Parents who are preparing to or have already sent their kids to college have their own set of needs. They need to decide how much to help their children financially, how to best restructure their budgets in a new empty-nest household, and now must start looking at their own nearing retirement. We can help these parents with budgets, tax questions, investment opportunities, and the multitude of questions that come with this challenging life change.

Those Preparing for Retirement

As individuals get closer to retirement age, their needs rapidly change. Many worry that they have not saved enough to have a safe and comfortable retirement and wonder if they will have to work long past the age of 65 to catch up. We often counsel those nearing retirement age to see how we can maximize savings while not reducing quality of life.

Business Owners

Small business owners are a dynamic and inspiring group of individuals and we enjoy working with them to ensure their companies are a success. We can help with budgeting, tax questions, retirement planning for them and their employees, and a number of other areas. Working with business owners as their companies grow, develop, and succeed is a true specialty of Crystal Financial and we welcome the opportunity to assist any local small to medium business owner.

We also enjoy working with those who plan to start their own business. We can help educate future entrepreneurs on what type of corporation they should set up, tax issues, record-keeping, accounting systems, and more.

Corporate Workshops & Employee Financial Wellness Programs
At Crystal Financial, we love assisting companies and their employees to become more financially educated and aware. By providing financial coaching for employees through workshops or seminars, employers can provide extra benefits to their team members and ensure their employees are properly handling their finances and preparing for retirement.

Workshops

Workshops provided at your place of business provide an extra benefit for your employees. We can schedule workshops over the lunch hour, before or after work shifts, or any time that works best for your team.

We currently offer workshops in the following areas:

  • Developing a spending plan
  • Debt buster
  • Retirement planning
  • Basics of insurance
  • Navigating your tax return
  • Employee stock options

If you would like to schedule a workshop on a different financial topic, please reach out as we can customize workshops to your unique needs.

Financial Coaching

Would your employees benefit from on-site financial coaching? Crystal Financial is available to come to your office and meet individually with your employees. Depending on your team’s needs, we can provide coaching in the following areas:

  • Tax preparation
  • Budgeting
  • Retirement options
  • Eliminating debt
  • How to increase savings
  • Paying off student debt

The cost of financial coaching can be paid by the employee or by the employer. Please reach out for costs depending on your unique situation.

Workshop/Employee Coaching Packages

Interested in both workshops and employee coaching? Crystal Financial offers two packages:

Package One

  • Financial coach on-site two days per month
  • Minimum of two workshops per month
  • Individual financial coaching for employees included in cost

Package Two

  • Financial coach on-site two days per month
  • Minimum of two workshops per month
  • Individual financial coaching for employees at discounted price payable by employee or employer

If you’re interested in providing the benefit of financial wellness to your employees, please reach out to Crystal Financial today! We’d love to customize the perfect plan for your team.

Protecting Yourself from Scammers

As we move into tax season, we want to encourage all our readers to be vigilant and watch out for scammers.  These fraudsters will use any means necessary to separate you from your hard-earned money.  Here is what you need to keep an eye out for. In 2021,...

Standard vs Itemized Deductions

Do you have all the documents needed to prepare your taxes this year? Do you still have some lingering questions? A common question I get asked is the difference between standard and itemized deductions. Deciding which option is best for you involves comparing the...

Documents You Need to Prepare for Tax Time

It’s getting close to being that time again—tax time. Whether you have been working remotely this past year or have been in the office, you may have questions about how best to prepare your taxes. Having the proper documents is one of the first and most important...

Alternative Ways to Obtain an IP PIN

Protecting your identity in this ever-changing world is on the minds of millions of Americans. In November 2020, we introduced you to the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN). The IP PIN is available to all taxpayers to protect them from someone...

What You Need to Know About the Earned Income Tax Credit Changes

There have been numerous tax law changes in the past year that are affecting how folks file for 2021. In my last two blogs, I talked about the expanded child tax credit as well as tools that can help you properly apply the credit if you qualify. In this blog, I will...

Resources

Interested in learning more about budgeting, planning for your children’s college education, or retirement? Take a look at our blog to learn more about the financial issues that are important to you.

Videos

Learn more about financial planning and other important issues by watching our videos featuring Judith Ackland. Ms. Ackland is available to talk at your next corporate or organization event. Please reach out to visit about the type of presentation you are interested in booking.

Sessions are available on YouTube.  They include:

Publications

A recognized local leader in the field of financial planning, Judith Ackland enjoys lending her expertise to Omaha-based publications. Judith Ackland has been featured in the following publications where she shares valuable information on financial topics. If you’re interested in interviewing Ms. Ackland for a local or national publication, please get in touch.

Contact

a: Crystal Financial Solutions, 131 North Washington St., Papillion, Nebraska 68046 USA

e: [email protected]

p: 402.504.3497

f: 402.502.3796

© 2022 Crystal Financial Solutions

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