How to choose an accountant during tax season, especially small biz owners

Year-round services track your finances and will be more effective at tax time while maintaining accurate financial reporting and supporting quality decision-making. Generally, having an accountant familiar with your industry is better if you’re looking for professional advice on financial forecasting or goal setting. Mazuma offers stress-free accountancy services for a variety of industries so you can get all your bookkeeping and accounting needs handled quickly and easily. A robust accounting and bookkeeping system is critical to managing the ongoing financial health of your business and planning for the future.

Read online reviews on Yelp, Google, Angie’s List, Thervo, and Facebook. Google their name to see what comes up—and scroll through the first few pages of search results to make sure nothing is buried. CPAs and accountants tend to focus on particular niches or specialties, such as small-business owners, high-net-worth individuals, https://www.bookstime.com/articles/us-accounting-vs-international-accounting or clients who work in certain industries. “For example, if you’re a doctor, talk to other doctors and ask who they use,” he said. The right accountant will be the professional whose financial advice will guide you through long-term decisions for your business and be your guidance through legal statutes at tax time every year.

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Danielle Bauter is a writer for the Accounting division of Fit Small Business. She has owned Check Yourself, a bookkeeping and payroll service that specializes in small business, for over twenty years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA and has served on the Board of the National Association of Women Business Owners. She also regularly writes about business for various consumer publications. CPAs can represent you at hearings and speak for your business if you’re audited by the IRS. They can also ensure that you have the required documentation and can prepare you with what to expect during the audit process.

• Not every CPA prepares taxes, so you may need to do your own research or make a call to see if the people on your list provide the type of tax services you need.
• They can guide budgeting and financial forecasting, ensure tax compliance, and potentially save you money by avoiding penalties.
• The right accountant is an essential part of this process—they’ll provide you with the tools to understand your finances so you can focus on business growth.
• With TurboTax Live Assisted, our tax experts help you complete your taxes, fix any mistakes, and explain what’s next.
• You may be able to save and find more affordable services if you’re only looking for general accounting, whereas it may be worthwhile to spend when you need specialised tax advice.
• Accountants can also guide your small business in more profitable directions, giving you “the biggest tax bang for your buck,” Cordano said.
• If you’re looking for the assurance that comes from filing with CPAs and tax accountants — as well as EAs — we are ready to help.

An accountant can help a business with payroll, bookkeeping, and timely tax filings to avoid penalties. The best accounting software programs all provide similar features, so when considering which one is best for your business, you need to consider which features are the most important to how to find an accountant for small business your situation. This will help you decide which accounting software meets your needs best. Other features you may want to consider include whether the software has a mobile app, how good its customer service is and how well it does with accounts receivable (A/R) and financial reporting.