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Kay Bell

Guide to Tax Tools and Calculators for Small Business

Getting your tax numbers right will keep Uncle Sam off your back and save you money.

By Kay Bell, Owner, SKB Editorial Services

Taxes are a special challenge for the small enterprise. You must meet the rules the tax code has for business filers, but you don't have a large (or any) finance department to plow through the numbers for you.

You also have to consider taxes you must collect, such as payroll taxes on your employees or sales taxes on your merchandise.

You do, however, have several handy and accessible resources to help you get a handle on your business tax responsibilities. Basically, there are three main sources of tax help:

  1. The Internet
  2. Online calculators
  3. Business tax books

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Small business tax Web sites

Online tax resources come in two forms: free advice and tax guidance for a fee. Start with the freebies, as many of the tax programs available for purchase simply recreate documents already available as free downloads.
I recommend: For the official word on federal tax obligations, head to the IRS small business and self-employment section, where you'll find handy links to forms, documents and news for companies of any size. Plain-English tax help is also available at CCH's Business Owner's Toolkit tax section.

Find it Fast!

For fast tax answers to specific issues, the Find it Fast tool at the IRS site can help.
I recommend: Start at Find it Fast! Some of the main choices include: Business Types, Closing a business, Contractors, EINs, Employees, Expenses, Industries & Professions, Retirement Plans and Self-Employed.

Calculators you can count on

The Internet if chock full of tax calculators. Unfortunately, most of the free ones are designed for individual, not business, taxpayers.
I recommend: If you're operating a sole proprietorship, TurboTax offers free calculators to determine your self-employment taxes. So does H&R Block. If your business is bigger, to get computation assistance you'll have to pay $60 to $100 for TurboTax for Business software or around $80 for Block's TaxCut for Business. Payroll-Taxes.com offers several calculators to help you and your employees determine the tax costs of income and benefits.

Get W-2, 1099, 941 and other tax forms out fast

Online e-filing solutions can help any small business get 1099 and W2 tax forms out quickly and easily.
I recommend: FileTaxes.com – backed by over 50 years of experience in tax tool development – is used by thousands of small business owners nationwide. It's an easy solution to W-2 and 1099 form filing without the need for software.

Falling back on old-fashioned resources

Online resources are often lifesavers. But when it comes to taxes, sometimes you need a tome you can bookmark and come back to for repeated reference.
I recommend: Three long-time tax experts offer businesses advices on filing and reducing federal tax bills: "Small Business Taxes Made Easy" by California enrolled agent Eva Rosenberg; "Tax Savvy for Small Business: Year-Round Strategies to Save You Money" by Frederick W. Daily; and the annual J.K. Lasser small business tax-filing guide. All are available from online booksellers such as Amazon, Borders or Barnes & Noble.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • Do your research. A basic understanding of your tax obligations and saving options will help you meet and make the most out of your business tax situation.
  • Spend some time surfing tax Web sites.
  • Learn what your state and local taxing jurisdictions require. Mistakes here can be as costly as those on the federal level.
  • Don't try to cut corners when it comes to taxes. If you need the software upgrade, but it. It will be worth it in what you save in taxes or by not owing any penalties for filing mistakes.
  • Similarly, if your company needs personal professional tax help, hire an accountant to get your business taxes in order.

The official source of Tax Tools and Calculators for Small Business is
the Tax Calculators page at Business.com

IRS Approved Tax Forms
All tax forms meet IRS specifications. Deep discounts every day. Designed to work with accounting software programs.
1099 Forms | W2 Forms | Tax Envelopes | Tax Software
www.EveryOneGetsPaid.com
Bank of America ® Payroll
Easily Calculate Taxes, Issue W-2s, File Online, & More - Enroll Now & Get 3 Months Free.
www.BankofAmerica.com/Payroll
Tax Software Resources
Find tax software. Search listings and reviews of retailers, specialists and services in your local area now.
JustClickLocal.com
Tax Software
Provides enterprise tax software integrated with global tax research which automates all U.S. sales tax, use tax, and international value added tax.
www.sabrix.com

Recommended Solution Providers

CCH Incorporated
Links to individual and small business tax tools.

H&R Block: Tax Tools and Calculators
List of tax related tools and calculators.

TurboTax
Choose from several products designed especially for small business's income tax.

Vertex
Obtain products and services for calculating and filing all forms of taxes.

Best Sites to Learn More

About: Tax & Accounting: Small Business Tax
This site provides resources for small-business tax strategies and issues.

Inc.: Tax Strategies
These articles can help you meet and possibly reduce your tax obligations.

AllBusiness: Taxes
Get advice about all aspects of business taxes.

Business.gov: Taxes
Use this site to understand your tax responsibilities and plan for ways to pay only what you owe.

Best Blogs and Forums

The Small Business Community Forums: The Taxman
Read discussions of tax-related issues. Free registration is required to post.

AccountantsWorld: Business Taxation
Although this site is primarily for accountants, some questions and answers help the small-business owner.

AllBusiness: Business Tax Advisor Blog
Attorney, CPA and professor Barbara Lamar discusses business tax strategies.



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