So CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, small business owners, and all of our other readers, treat yourself today on tax day by taking advantage of the following freebies and deals offered on tax day:

Freebies and Deals on Tax Day 2017

• Arby’s: Select locations are offering free curly fries on April 18 with no purchase necessary. Make sure to check with your local Arby’s beforehand because this deal is only being offered at certain locations.
• Boston Market: They’re offering a Tax Day special that includes a half-chicken individual meal with two sides, a regular fountain drink, cornbread and a cookie for $10.40.
• Chuck E. Cheese’s: For every large pizza purchased between April 18 and 20, guests can get one large cheese pizza for free.
• Cinnabon: Some Cinnabon locations are offering two free Cinnabon bites on Tax Day for eClub members.
• Einstein Bros. Bagels: Einstein Bros. eClub members get $1 off purchases by claiming an email offer through April 18.
• Firehouse Subs: Free medium sub with the purchase of another sub, chips, and a drink from April 18 to 20, with coupon.
• Great American Cookies: Cookie fans can stop by participating locations for a free birthday cake cookie on April 18.
• Hooters: Kids eat free at select locations on April 17 and 18 with the purchase of $10 or more by an accompanying adult.
• Hungry Howie’s: Between April 17 through April 19, buy a large one-topping pizza at regular price and get a medium one-topping pizza for 15 cents. For online orders, use the code TAXTIME.
• JetBlue: If you owe money, you can fill a specific form to win a one-way flight.
• Kona Ice: Get free shaved ice on April 18 at select locations.
• McDonald’s: McDonald’s is offering a variety of Tax Day specials on April 18 that vary from franchise to franchise. Examples of deals at some locations include 18-cent Quarter Pounder or Big Mac with purchase of a full-price Quarter Pounder or Big Mac
• Sonic Drive-In: In addition to offering milkshakes and ice cream slushes for half price after 8 p.m., Sonic Drive-in will have half-price cheeseburgers on Tuesday.
• World of Beer: Participating locations are offering a free select draught beer on Tax Day.
• Office Depot: Shred up to five pounds of documents, including tax records, for free through April 29 at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores with a printable coupon available at www.officedepot.com/shredding.
• Planet Fitness: From Saturday, April 15 to Saturday, April 22, consumers can receive a free HydroMassage at any Planet Fitness location. De-stressers need only bring in a coupon available on PlanetFitness.com (starting April 15) before relaxing their cares away.
• Topgolf: Text "tax" to 686-33 for a $10 off coupon.
• Sonny's BBQ: All Sonny's locations are offering their St. Louis Rib Dinner for half price.

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As all accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers and other tax professionals know, Easter means more than a celebration. Filing deadline for income tax is April 17, coming up in just a few days. But for now we hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Below are what MoneyThumb considers the top 10 biggest mistakes when it comes to bookkeeping and accounting for small business.

10 Most Common Mistakes in Small Business Accounting

For many small business owners who do their own bookkeeping, ensuring the accuracy of every account is crucial. Without accurate records, you open your business to financial mismanagement. Protect yourself and your company by avoiding these common bookkeeping mistakes.

1. Bad record keeping.

If you’re in the habit of scribbling notes on scrap paper or relying on handshake deals, stop. Without a clear record of these transactions, you’re putting your business in danger of fiscal mismanagement.

2. Not categorizing expenses.

If you find yourself skipping the Category section of your accounting software, you're shortchanging yourself. This is the only way that you’ll be able to accurately track where you are spending your money.

3. Skipping reconciliation of your accounts.

Assuming that just because you’re paying attention to how much money is in your bank account, skipping reconciliation of your accounts is not a good business practice. This process helps you identify charges that shouldn’t be there. Banks and their employees can make mistakes, and if you don’t catch them quickly, it could cost you thousands of dollars.

4. Not backing up your data.

If you rely on an accounting software program, then you need to make sure that you regularly back up your data onto an external hard drive. Even online accounting programs can crash, or worse- the system could be hacked. Contrary to popular belief, there are high-risk threats when dealing with small business bookkeeping.

5. Neglecting your taxes.

Neglecting your taxes. Leaving your tax filing to the end of the quarter is a sure-fire way to get hammered by the IRS. Tax planning needs to be part of the profit equation for every project. You also need to set aside money to pay those taxes as soon as income comes in.

6. Wasting time.

If you find yourself spending more time on your bookkeeping than on running your business, it’s time to consider some outside help. Hire an employee or contracting firm to take over your record keeping so that you can concentrate on what you do best.

7. Wrong classification of employees.

There are a lot of different types of employees, and each group is subject to a different section of the tax code. Make sure that you are classifying your workers properly. Consult a tax professional to avoid paying back taxes and hiring a tax lawyer later.

8. Too much petty cash.

While some businesses tend to keep a large supply of cash on hand and others a smaller amount, no business should be using this fund as an excuse not to record transactions with clients and suppliers.

9. Not tracking reimbursable expenses.

Often, small business owners skip this tracking step because reimbursable expenses seem like small invoices that will just bother a large client. In actuality, these expenses can add up to large sums quickly.

10. Poor communication.

If you have employees or contractors who help you with your small business bookkeeping, make sure you communicate with them consistently and clearly. Surprises are never a good idea and transparency makes life easier for both you and your vendors.

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