As a business owner, you already have a lot on your plate. It can be challenging to manage everything from hiring quality employees to oversee the daily operations of your company.With all this it can become tedious to maintain your accounts in perfect condition.
Why you should maintain a checklist?
Handling all these things alone can create a chaos when the tax season is just around the corner. Considering all these things we have put together a business tax preparation checklist for you.
Working through this list will help you retrieve all your necessary documents and information that is needed for calculating your tax return. If you cannot do it on your own, it is a better idea to hire affordable accounting services to do this task.
Following this checklist will make your tax filing process easier. You can share this with your tax advisor or you yourself can handle all of it by having a view at these.
Set your base for accounting:
One decision that the tax filer must take is that he must decide whether to pay the tax on accrual basis or on cash basis. Both the models are acceptable and can be switched as per the need of the situation. If you are not aware of both the systems below is a quick description of both.
- In the accrual system expenses are recognized once they are done and income is shown once it is earned.
- And, In cash basis expenses are shown once they have been paid, and income is recognized once it has been collected.
Even if your financial payment is prepared on accrual basis, you can still pay tax returnson cash basis anytime you want. As the years pass and business becomes more profitable, your taxes will be recorded in accrual business. However, you are allowed to switch as per your preference after informing the tax officer.
Maintain your routine tax calendar:
With all the other expenditures and other details on your mind, being a new business owner you might forget about the tax due dates. This might lead to penalties, fines, and interruption in business’s cash flow.
To avoid any such inconvenience, the best thing is to create a tax calendar that has your important business tax dates. Mark all your important dates on your calendar, add reminders and update when the taxes are paid so that you know which taxes are paid. Finding it difficult to maintain your calendar, then hiring an account service Vaughan can help you better.
Documents organization and management:
Organize your important documents so that you can know which forms to fill and which to supply. A professional account service can provide you the necessary help in this case. You can keep your documents arranged according to:
- Dates
- Years
- General documents
- Business income taxes
- Invoices
- Payroll reports
- Utilities
By organizing your documents properly you can find your essential documents easily. Also you can label each of them separately so that it becomes easier to find.
Use software to keep your records:
You can use software such as QuickBooks to help you find all your expenses. This software can automate all your information so that when the time comes you have all of it arranged. You might not know how to use this or any other software so getting assistance of expert accounting service in Vaughan may prove a better option.
You can arrange all your accounting services such as:
- Employees payment
- Rent
- Insurance
- Legal services
- Licence
- Taxes
QuickBooks will have you covered when the tax saving time comes.
Track your automobile expenses:
While some businessmen might think that it is not important to keep a track of automobile expenses, but it is important for new and existing business.
Business owners should keep a track of:
- Who travelled
- Why did they travel
- Where and when did they travel
Keeping a track of your automobile expenses can help you itemise your deductions. The business tax takers ask where the vehicle services were used and how much amount was invested in it.
Track your independent contractors:
Remember your non employee compensations; review them as the government must know which non-employee was paid. Your workers are given a form to identify their incomes and taxes. You should also provide a copy of that form to the government. Corporation contractors are not subjected to receive this form. This can be conveniently done with the support of professional accounting service.
These are a few tips that a business owner should consider in preparing their tax returns as these and many more beforehand preparations are important for first time as well as experienced businesses.
If you follow these tips they might help save you from last minute tensions on your tax day. Navigating tax filing payments is not easy but with proper resources and accounting service Vaughan help, your business’s accounts can be updated.