HIS CPA - Checklist for Year-End Taxes
and Monthly Financials

It is certainly that time of year again. Please be reminded that corporate returns are due March 15. If we want to file by the due date, I will need to receive your data in next few weeks so that I will have an ample amount of time to file. As always, I will file for the automatic six-month extension in the event I do not get the data in time. Please be reminded that an extension to file is not an extension to pay and that both the IRS and the state expect you to pay your taxes as you earn the monies. Please be reminded there are no valid extensions after the September 15 final due date lapses. Please be sure to allow 10 days for me to complete your returns after I get all of the information needed.

To process your corporate return, please forward your balance sheet and your profit and loss and copies of any W-2's the corporation might have issued. If you have not yet done so, please be reminded that 1099's should be issued by the end of January; your payroll service will handle this if you get them the information. Before you send the current year's financial please be sure to always review the prior year's balance sheet on the tax return and ensure that your internal books equals the return while being sure to make any appropriate adjustments. That way you will be assured of starting the year off with a clean set of records which will otherwise distort you current year's operating results.

If you business has an average salary of less than $50,000 (not counting owners, their family members and those not on your medical insurance plan), have less than 25 Full Time Equivalents (FTE's) and provide over 50% of the insurance for all employees you may qualify for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. If you think you might qualify please forward the amount of net medical insurance premiums paid by employee (after deducting the amounts an employee paid) along with whether their medical coverage is Single or Family. To read more about the credit, click here. If after reviewing the general guidelines for determining the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit please complete the form (available at this link and forward it along with your corporate data. It would be advantageous to record the medical insurance premiums for employees versus owners in a separate P/L account.

Keeping your business legal in all states where your company transacts business is essential. There are several criteria to evaluate when considering where to originally incorporate/domicile your business. All the criteria should be looked at in aggregation to consider including where your business has its core business operations, employees and physical locations. To learn more read this article on our website.

Tax Deductions for Businesses

Finding (and Tracking) Business Tax Deductions
Whether you are a new business owner or have owned your company for years, missed business deductions are a consistent cause of concern. Discover new ways and methods to improve your business tracking skills.

Business Expense Documentation
Business expenses and their adequate documentation is key to running a successful business. Learning the ins and outs of what is required will both raise the efficiency of how you run your business and ensure that you always have proper documentation in the event of an audit. 

Handling Automobile Expenses
Vehicle expenses are perhaps the most discussed while still being the least understood of all the tax code sections. Read how this section of tax law can be made simple so that all might understand.

To complete your corporate return, please forward:

• Your year to date Balance sheet, Profit & loss
• Year end Bank Statements and Bank reconciliations
• Aged Accounts Receivable
• Year-end Inventory
• Aged Accounts Payable
• Year to Date Payroll Records by Employee
• Notes Receivable and Payable Balances at Year end
• Copies of new Notes
• The amount of medical insurance paid for each shareholder
• If your company is new, please forward copies of the incorporation papers. Please be sure to advise of all states where your corporation is transacting business and to forward for the state returns the below information by state (sales, inventory, fixed assets, rent and payroll)
• Please let me know if you issued all of the 1099's to Independent Contractors that are required.

Before you send your Year-End Financial please be sure that:

• You ensure that all of the business expenses of your business have been reimbursed and reflected on your year to date Profit and Loss.
• If you are using QuickBooks that you send the Standard Balance Sheet and Standard Profit and Loss.
• Shareholder Distributions reflects only current year distributions and that shareholder distributions for the prior year have been closed to Retained Earnings.
• Balances in an account called Opening Balance Equity (an account QuickBooks uses when setting up cash/checkbook balances) are zeroed out to Retained Earnings if for a prior year and to Due to Shareholder if for a current year.

• The general ledger balance agrees to your checkbook and your bank reconciliation.
• The Accounts Receivable balance agrees to your internal aging reports.
• The Accounts Payable balance agrees to your internal aging reports.
• You advise of any fixed assets that have been acquired or disposed of during the year.
• That ALL of the balance sheet and profit and loss accounts are correct.
• That you have only one retained earnings account.
• That as of January 1st of the prior year that you closed the shareholder distributions account to retained earnings.
• That the retained earnings account on your internal books equals or is reconcilable to the retained earnings to the last corporate tax return filed.

This is to confirm that you are aware are handling all of your payroll and independent contractor/1099 needs, of the need to have a business license, to pay the annual registration fee, to have your annual Board of Directors and Shareholders Meeting, and to file the county property tax report (please be sure to claim the Freeport Exemption on your inventory if you qualify as this can substantially reduce the amount owed).  Please note that if you have not yet set up a retirement plan or have a formal financial plan, that  I suggest that we sit down together soon to get the right plans in place to help ensure your long-term financial success!

This is to confirm that I suggest that you formally tax plan at least twice annually.

If you do not have an accounting package such as QuickBooks to recap your corporate/business data please use the form on the link below being sure to list your beginning and ending cash while ensuring that the schedule adds up, while adjusting the chart of accounts to your business needs. http://www.hiscpa.com/recap.pdf.

Multi-State Corporate & Personal Income Taxes

You should file corporate and personal income tax returns, business registrations and licenses in all states where you conduct business, have employees and/or a physical location. This includes tax law requirements that your reflect and show your wages and withholdings in the state where your/the W-2 wages were actually earned (i.e., if earned in AL, should show as AL wages and withholdings), where your business actually "transacts business" or has a physical location.

To prepare multi-state returns I will need salaries by state, revenue by state  and rent by state that equal the amount of the W-2's/W-3, total revenue  and rent respectively. Will also need the amount of fixed assets by state.

To process your personal income tax return, please forward:  

• Copies of all reported income forms, i.e. Forms W-2, 1099, brokerage statements, interest, dividends, capital gains, stock sales, normal or premature distributions from a 401K/Pension/IRA plan, Social Security etc.
• Summary of all medical expenses with copies of all individual items over $1,000.
• Summary of property taxes with copies of all individual items over $1,000.
• Summary of Ad valorem Taxes (property tax on vehicles) with copies of all individual items over $1,000.
• Summary of Mortgage Interest with copies of all individual items over $1,000.
• Summary of cash and property contributions with copies of all individual items over $1,000.
• Be sure to include any changes in address, dependents, filing status, or any other substantive changes from the prior year which would have impact on this year's return.
• Please forward student loan interest, child care expenses net of any dollars already reimbursed via a Dependent Care/Section 125 plan, and any other miscellaneous deductions/income.
• For all your family members in college, please forward the IRS Form 1098-T from the college, and be sure that your children in college do not also claim themselves if they do file a return
• Any dollars invested in a Georgia 529 Plan, dollars paid for Educator Expenses, or Other Tax Credits and Deductions.
• Please forward any Childcare Credit Expenses if this allowed you/both spouses to work being sure to exclude any amounts that you set aside pretax out of your company Section 125 Cafteria Plan at work.
• If you are a new client to us please bring along for both corporate and personal a copy of your prior year tax returns. If a personal return, make sure I have everyone in your family's birthdate. If a brand new corporation, please forward along a copy of your incorporation papers, Federal ID #, and your S Corporation acceptance.
• If you have had any independent contractor/proprietorship income you have earned, whether you have received a Form 1099 or not, please use this form (PDF) (Excel) or an accounting package such as QuickBooks to recap all revenue and expenses.
• All K-1s where you and an investment interest including an acknowledgment if you have sufficient basis to take the losses listed.
• If you lived in multiple states during the year or had income allocable to different states please be sure to denote that information for the varying state returns.
• If you have rental property I suggest you use this link to recap your rental income and expenses correctly while being sure to forward the two page settlement statement for any new purchases or current sales. If you are a new client please note that we will need the date you originally purchased the rental property, the original purchase price and how much was assigned to land and the accumulated depreciation recorded by property in prior years.
• If you have an HSA, please be sure to forward the year end IRS Form 1099-SA indicating the payouts/distributions of the plan, what you personally contributed to the plan, and the balance in the HSA at the end of the year.

The initial due date for personal returns is April 15. For returns not filed by that date both the IRS and GA allow for a six month extension. Please be reminded that there are no valid extensions after the October 18 final due date lapses. Please be reminded that an extension to file is not an extension to pay and that you are required by tax law to pay applicable taxes as the monies are earned or you will be subject to additional penalties and interest.

Please be reminded that the standard mileage rates for 2013 for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is 56.5 cents per mile for business miles driven. For 2012, the rate is 55.5 cents per mile. Please turn in an expense report monthly to get reimbursed for these and any other business expenses you might have paid personally. IRS tax rules require you to have a day by day log to support business miles. Please be reminded that extending the filing of a return does not delay the need to pay as you go as both the IRS & GA will bill you for penalties and interest if you do not pay your taxes during the tax year to which they relate.

After you get your return please be sure to review for both correctness and to ensure  you have a good understanding of its tax implications before it is filed. After you have completed this review please be sure to sign and date the IRS and GA/State E-File Authorization forms so I can E File the returns.

I  suggest that any time during the upcoming tax year that there are substantive changes in your business operations that you call so we might discuss the most prudent business and tax options and that we tax plan at least twice annually. I suggest we utilize this information so that we can adjust your federal and state withholdings accordingly so that you do not also have to make estimated tax payments.

After your return is filed and you want to check your refund you can do so directly on the IRS and Georgia web sites. You will need your social security number, filing status and amount of your refund.  Check the status of your IRS refund here and check on your Georgia refund here.

I am looking to grow my business by adding key accounts like you with goals and aspirations just like yours.  So if you know anyone looking for a Good CPA, please let me know and to check me out at www.HISCPA.com.

Please be sure to allow 10 days for me to complete your returns after I get all of the information needed.

HisCPA: A Christian CPA Firm in Duluth GA Proudly Serving Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Snellville, Lilburn, Duluth, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Atlanta, Gwinnett, Fulton, Johns Creek, Forsyth, Flowery Branch, Buford, Cumming, Hamilton Mill, Chateau Elan, Winder, Gainesville, Hart County, Dunwoody, Grayson, Alpharetta, Roswell, Sandy Springs and Tucker as an Award Winning CPA.