Small-business tax preparation checklist
See the process, records and scope before discussing your bookkeeping needs.
Explore the explanationPractical bookkeeping guides.
Find a clear explanation, a worked bookkeeping example or a records checklist. Start with the problem you need to solve, then explore the related service if you want help. Tax topics focus on preparing evidence for your tax professional.
26 topics
Month-end bookkeeping checklist
A practical month-end bookkeeping checklist: complete records, account reconciliation, open balances, human review and a clear handoff of financial reports.
Explore the explanationYear-end bookkeeping checklist
Prepare year-end bookkeeping records with account coverage, reconciliations, outstanding balances and a clear list of questions for your accountant or tax preparer.
Explore the explanationWhat affects bookkeeping services cost?
Compare bookkeeping costs by accounts, transaction volume, records, software and reporting needs. Separate monthly fees from catch-up, cleanup and additional work.
Explore the explanationCash vs accrual bookkeeping
Understand cash versus accrual bookkeeping with a simple invoice example. Separate financial reporting choices from tax-method eligibility and required changes.
Explore the explanationBank reconciliation explained
Understand bank reconciliation with a worked outstanding-check example. Compare the statement and accounting records without forcing unsupported adjustments.
Explore the explanationDocuments your bookkeeper needs
Prepare bookkeeping documents: complete statements, sales records, supplier invoices, financing information and explanations for unclear business transactions.
Explore the explanationWhen should you hire a bookkeeper?
Decide when to hire a bookkeeper by reporting needs, missing months, account complexity and available time. Use practical scope questions rather than a revenue threshold.
Explore the explanationHow to switch bookkeeping services
Switch bookkeepers with a clear cutoff, accepted balances, document access and unresolved-items list. Preserve the accounting file and confirm responsibilities.
Explore the explanationChart of accounts for a small business
Understand a small-business chart of accounts with examples for cash, receivables, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses. Build categories around reporting needs.
Explore the explanationAccounts payable vs accounts receivable
Compare accounts payable and receivable with a simple invoice and bill example. Understand outstanding balances, payment allocation and cash timing at month-end.
Explore the explanationProfit vs cash flow explained
Understand why profit and cash flow differ through invoice, loan and payment timing examples. Read monthly reports without treating the bank balance as profit.
Explore the explanationE-commerce payout reconciliation
Reconcile e-commerce payouts using sales, refunds, fees, holds and settlement dates. Use a worked example to explain the difference between gross activity and deposits.
Explore the explanationShopify bookkeeping records checklist
Prepare Shopify financial records for bookkeeping: order activity, refunds, payment settlements, fees and other gateways. Clarify dates and avoid duplicate entries.
Explore the explanationAmazon seller bookkeeping records
Gather Amazon seller financial records for bookkeeping: settlement reports, fees, refunds, reserves and bank payouts. Keep settlement activity separate from inventory costing.
Explore the explanationForm 1099-K bookkeeping records
Organize Form 1099-K records alongside payment reports, refunds, fees and ledger activity. Avoid recording the same receipts twice or treating gross payments as profit.
Explore the explanationBusiness tax record retention
Organize business tax records with a retention policy that reflects record type and applicable exceptions. Avoid applying one universal retention period to every document.
Explore the explanationBusiness expense records checklist
Prepare business expense records with invoices, payment evidence and business-purpose notes. Separate bookkeeping categories from tax-deduction decisions.
Explore the explanationContractor payment records checklist
Organize contractor invoices, payment records and appropriate W-9 information for your tax preparer. Keep worker classification and information-return decisions separate.
Explore the explanationBookkeeping records for Schedule C
Prepare Schedule C bookkeeping records: income, expenses, asset information and open questions. Confirm tax classification and filing treatment with your preparer.
Explore the explanationBookkeeping records for estimated taxes
Prepare financial records for estimated-tax discussions: current reports, prior payments, unusual activity and business changes. Your adviser calculates the required amounts.
Explore the explanationHome office expense records
Organize home office records with use details, space measurements and expense evidence. Ask your tax preparer about eligibility, methods and applicable limitations.
Explore the explanationBusiness travel expense records
Prepare business travel expense records with dates, destination, business purpose and supporting documents. Separate mixed trips and let your preparer determine tax treatment.
Explore the explanationLoan payment bookkeeping explained
Understand loan payment bookkeeping with a principal-and-interest example. Use lender statements rather than categorizing every repayment as an operating expense.
Explore the explanationOwner contributions and draws
Identify owner funding, withdrawals and business expenses paid personally. Keep them separate from customer sales and ask your adviser about entity-specific treatment.
Explore the explanationCommon bookkeeping mistakes to check
Check common bookkeeping problems: duplicate feed entries, transfers treated as sales, missing accounts and misallocated payments. Investigate with source records.
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