As a business owner, you want to be armed with the preparation and knowledge to tackle your taxes before the season comes. Through early tax preparation in Troy, MI, you can save lots of headaches and relieve the feeling of submitting tax forms in the last minute. Taking your time and getting your books in order means less room for errors. Here are tips to organize your books and prepare for tax season:

Ensure All Business Transactions Are Properly Recorded

Are business transactions being recorded in the general ledger? Do you categorize every transaction accurately and consistently? As money comes in and out of your business, it is classified as credits and debits, journals and journal entries, accounts, revenue, and expenses. Usually, the pa transaction’s purpose can affect how it is classified. 

Balance Your Books

If double-entry accounting is used, the books must be balanced. This means that the sums of all credits and debits are the same. Software programs can do this automatically. If you outsource a reliable bookkeeping service, you also don’t need to worry about this part. 

Reconcile the Bank Accounts

To reconcile here means to ensure your books and bank records match. This can save you lots of time and trouble. Bookkeeping is only done once it has been checked against your bank account. 

Keep Business and Personal Expenses Separate

Mixing business and personal expenses can become serious headaches when tax season comes around. In general, sorting through mixed-up expenses takes more time, and you may miss deductions you qualify for. 

  Generally, as a business owner, you can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses. Ordinary expenses are commonly accepted in the industry while necessary expenses are only suitable for the business. To be deemed a business, an activity must be undertaken while expecting to make a profit.  

Speak with an Expert

While you can save money when you do things yourself, financial experts recommend hiring a skilled tax professional or CPA to check your books. This professional can ensure your business is set up properly and that you are making the most of year-end tax moves. 

When it comes to tax filing, bookkeeping is the long run that gets you to the finish line. Because of this, you need a team of professionals to run this distance for you. Your team automatically connects your bank accounts, payment processors, and credit cards to import data into their platform. They can answer any question you may have in mind and prepare your taxes successfully ahead of filing.