Tax Prep for Small Businesses

Small Business Taxes

As a small business owner, tax season can be a particularly stressful time of the year. Not only do you have to worry about your own personal taxes, but you also have to navigate the complicated process of filing taxes for your business. However, with a little bit of preparation, you can make the process much smoother and less stressful. In this blog post, we will be discussing some tips to help small business owners prepare for tax season.

1. Keep Business and Personal Expenses Separate. One of the most important things you can do to prepare for tax season is to keep your business and personal expenses separate. This means having separate bank accounts and credit cards for your business and making sure to keep accurate records of all business expenses. This will make it much easier for you to track your expenses and deductions when it comes time to file your taxes.

2. Get Your Records in Good Shape. In order to prepare for tax season, you will need to have all of your financial records in good shape. This includes things like invoices, receipts, bank statements, and any other financial records that may be relevant to your business. Make sure that all of your records are organized and easy to find, and that they are accurate and up-to-date. Even if you’re using QuickBooks to track your receipts and expenses, it’s still a smart practice to scan and store them in one convenient location, like Google Drive or another favorite platform. This way, if you ever need to present your receipts, they’ll all be organized in one place—no need to dig through QuickBooks and retrieve them one by one.

3. Review Accounts Receivable and Inventory Balances. Another important step in preparing for tax season is to review your accounts receivable and inventory balances. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of how much money you are owed by customers, and how much inventory you have on hand. This will help you to make more accurate estimates of your income and expenses when it comes time to file your taxes.

4. Review Equipment Purchases. If your business has made any significant equipment purchases in the last year, be sure to review them and make sure that you are taking advantage of any tax deductions or credits that may be available. This can include things like the Section 179 deduction, which allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of certain types of equipment in the year it was purchased.

5. Check Potential Tax Credits. In addition to deductions, there are also a number of tax credits that may be available to small businesses. These can include things like the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, which can help cover the cost of employee health insurance, and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which can help offset the cost of hiring certain types of employees. Be sure to check with your tax professional to see if any of these credits may apply to your business.

6. Prepare For the Coming Year. Finally, as you prepare for tax season, it is important to also think about the coming year. Take time to review your financial records and think about ways you can improve your financial management. This could include things like implementing a budget, improving a cash flow, automating invoicing and tracking expenses, flowing a Profit First System, opening a SEP IRA or hiring a bookkeeper to help keep your records in order. By taking steps to prepare for the coming year, you can ensure that you are in a better position to manage your taxes next year.

In conclusion, preparing for tax season might feel like gearing up for a marathon you didn’t sign up for, but with a little preparation and organization, it doesn’t have to be a race against time. By following the tips in this blog post, you can turn the process into more of a brisk jog—manageable and even satisfying. Keep your business and personal expenses from mingling (they need boundaries too!), whip your records into shape, double-check accounts receivable and inventory balances, take stock of your equipment purchases, hunt down those elusive tax credits, and plan ahead for the next year. With these steps, you’ll be set to tackle tax season like a pro—no sweatbands required!