It’s that time again — tax time. As a small business CPA who helps small business owners and individuals with tax preparation services, we here at Peakview CPAs in Loveland understand your reticence in doing your taxes. After all, taxes can be nothing but a headache. From trying to decipher deductions and tax credits to knowing which business expenses you can write off, preparing your taxes is akin to going to the dentist — something no one wants to do, but a necessary part of life.
Peakview CPAs has years of experience offering Northern Colorado residents the best tax preparation and filing services, as well as small business CPA services, such as payroll services, bookkeeping, and tax and business advisory services. Our mission is to help your small business grow by handling the often not-so-fun side of your business, such as handling accounts receivable and payables, paying monthly taxes, and balancing your bank statements every month. By taking care of these monotonous tasks for your business, your time is freed up to focus on planning for the future. Below, we’ll offer up tips on how to prepare the information you’ll need to give your CPA for your tax preparation service. Contact us today to get started!
WHAT YOUR TAX ACCOUNTANT WILL NEED TO PREPARE YOUR TAXES
Proof You Are Who You Say You Are
Before anything can be done for you, your tax accountant will need proof of who you are. This is for both to satisfy the federal laws put in place after 9/11 and to protect our business from fraud as well. We’ll need a copy of your driver’s license, your social security card, your spouse’s social security card, as well as your children’s. This is also useful on our end so that we don’t make simple input mistakes of social security numbers that could either result in a delay of your tax return being processed, or fines and penalties for being late.
Proof of Your Income
As required by the IRS, all sources of income must be reported. Thus, our tax accountants will need your W-2s, 1099s, and other documentation related to your income, from rental income, unemployment received, or income from your hobbies, such as your Etsy store. While every small business is different and your accountant may require different pieces of information, in general, they will need your financial statements (cash flow statement, balance sheet, and income statement), as well as a list of your assets and expenses. For small businesses, ask your CPA for specifics related to your business.
Proof of Expenses
Many people make the common mistake of failing to itemize their deductions on their tax return. As a result, they are missing out on a ton of tax write-offs, deductions, and tax credits, which could be costing them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year. However, it is imperative as a small business that your tax CPA has a record of all business expenses. Even if you don’t think that a particular expense is tax deductible, you should report it to your small business CPA anyways. Every dollar saved is a dollar earned, which does add up over the long run and can impact your bottom line. Some examples of expenses of note include:
- Travel expenses
- Car repairs
- Mileage reports
- Moving expenses
- Real estate taxes
- Legal fees
- Contributions to charity
- Investments
- Car payments
- Education expenses
- And more
Last Year’s Tax Return
If this is your first year with a particular tax accountant, then you’ll want to take last year’s tax return with you. While this is most important for small business owners so that your new tax accountant can see last year’s write-offs and deductions, it’s always a good idea to have this on hand. It will give your tax CPA a lot of information that they need, and it can save them a lot of work as well (such as having to call you repeatedly), which they will appreciate.
Miscellaneous Paperwork
Some items your tax accountant may need, but not every year, include any losses from a natural disaster, or if you were robbed. This would include any payments received from the insurance company if this is business property. You will also need any small business tax statements that you’ve already paid for the year, as well as payroll information. If you bought or sold property during the year, your CPA will need that paperwork. If you paid any student loan interest or mortgage interest, bring those statements along as those are often tax deductible.
If you are in doubt as to if your tax CPA needs any documentation, just bring it. It may save you a trip back to the CPA’s office or time spent scanning the documents online.
WHY CHOOSE PEAKVIEW CPAS FOR ALL YOUR TAX CPA PREPARATION NEEDS
As a small business owner, you work incredibly hard for your income. You put in long hours, you’ve made the sacrifices, and it’s been your blood, sweat, and tears that have built your business. As such, you want a small business CPA who will work hard to ensure your finances are in order, your tax deductions are maximized, and you are paying the government the least amount possible.
Peakview CPAs in Loveland offers the best small business CPA services. Our mission is to support you as you continue to work hard to provide the goods and services you are passionate about to your customers. We work diligently to ensure your taxes are taken care of, paid on-time, and everything that is possible is deducted. In addition, when you partner with us for our other small business services, such as bookkeeping, payroll services, and tax and business consulting, we can take the burden of these number-crunching services off your shoulders as well. All of these tasks can be time consuming and can drain a business owner’s energy. Thus, when you free up your day for more long-term planning growth, you’ll notice things will progress much faster than otherwise.
Our professional accountants have been going the extra mile for our customers for years. With over 50 years of combined experience, we can help your small business meet its goals. We offer free CPA consultations so that you can come in and discuss not only minimizing your taxes, but also discuss your financial future. We offer financial analysis, so we can take a hard look at your numbers and offer up advice. We can take a look at your old taxes as well, as well as help you file tax extensions and past-due taxes
Peakview CPAs is privileged to be the small business CPA service choice of Northern Colorado. Call today for your free CPA consultation!
