Year-End Small-Business Tax Guide

What this free guide is

Our Year-End Small-Business Tax Guide is a simple download for people who want to get ready before the year closes. It is made for US small-business owners, side-gig workers, single-member LLC owners, and people who feel behind on bookkeeping or tax records.

The guide is not tax advice and BalancedRow is not a CPA firm, tax preparer, bookkeeping company, payroll company, or law firm. We are a free matching service. We help you understand the process and get connected with a licensed accountant, such as a CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent, if you want professional help.

If you are new to the US, use an ITIN, or English is not your first language, that is okay. Many people need help at year-end. The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to get clear, get organized, and avoid last-minute mistakes.

How to use the guide

Use the guide like a checklist. Set aside 30 to 60 minutes and go item by item.

1. Review your business basics. Look at your business name, entity type, address, and whether you had employees, contractors, sales tax, or payroll during the year.
2. Gather records. Pull bank statements, credit-card statements, bookkeeping reports, payroll records, prior-year return, and notices you received from the IRS or state.
3. Check your books for obvious problems. Look for missing income, personal spending mixed into business spending, duplicate expenses, and uncategorized transactions.
4. List open questions. Write down anything you do not understand so you can ask a licensed accountant.

This guide can help you get more value from a paid professional because you will show up more prepared. That can save time. In some cases, it can also reduce clean-up work, but real fees depend on the work involved, your situation, the records you bring, and your area.

If you need help comparing options, read How to Choose an Accountant.

What to pay attention to before year-end

A few year-end areas cause problems again and again:

• Bookkeeping cleanup: If your reports are messy, your tax return may cost more to prepare. Typical monthly bookkeeping often runs about $150-$600 per month, depending on transaction volume.
• Payroll: If you ran payroll or should have, do not guess. Payroll service often costs about $40-$120 per month plus a per-employee fee.
• Business return cost: A small-business tax return often falls around $500-$1,800 as a typical range. A simple individual return is often $180-$500. These are estimates, not quotes.
• Hourly help: A CPA may charge roughly $150-$400 per hour for consulting, cleanup, or more complex work.

The point of the guide is not to turn you into an accountant. It is to help you catch issues early and speak clearly when you hire one. If you know you need help with records, see small-business accounting or bookkeeping.

How to use the download safely

Please protect your information.

• The download should never require your Social Security Number, ITIN number, bank login, or tax documents.
• BalancedRow collects contact and request details only when you ask to be matched. We do not ask for SSNs, ITIN numbers, financial-account numbers, or uploaded tax documents.
• Do not share sensitive documents with anyone until you have verified who they are.
• Before hiring anyone, verify that the person is a licensed CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent and confirm their PTIN yourself using the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers or your state board of accountancy.
• Ask for the scope of work and fee in writing before any work starts.

You can learn the difference between common credentials here: CPA vs EA vs Tax Preparer.

Your next step if you want professional help

If the guide shows that you are behind, confused, or too busy, that is normal. You do not need to figure it all out alone.

You can get matched for free with licensed accountants who may be able to help with bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation, and year-end cleanup. You compare options, you verify the credential, you choose who to hire. BalancedRow does not prepare returns or give tax advice.

Bring these things to your first conversation:

• Last year’s tax return
• Basic bookkeeping reports, if you have them
• Payroll summary, if applicable
• IRS or state notices
• A short list of questions and deadlines

Keep your sensitive documents with you until you have verified who you are dealing with.