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Small Business Taxes: 5 Questions to Consider When Choosing to DIY or Hire a Professional

Tax season is slowly approaching, and as a small business owner, you’ve probably spent some time contemplating whether to do your business taxes yourself or hire a professional. It’s also likely you’ve wondered why it would be valuable to work with a professional when there’s plenty of tax software available. To help you decide, we’ve put together 5 questions to consider before choosing to do your taxes yourself or hire a professional. 1. Is your business structure simple or complex? Your business structure plays a big role in the complexity or simplicity of your tax filing. If you have a simple business structure, such as a Sole Proprietorship with one individual running the business, filing your own business taxes would be less problematic because your income and expenses from the business might be included on one schedule on your personal income tax return. However, if you have a more complex business structure, such as a partnership, S corporation, or a multi-member Limited Liability Company, or if you have employees or depreciable equipment, it may be a good idea to hire a professional. Businesses with these characteristics will have more complex tax reporting requirements. It’s also important to understand your state’s tax reporting obligations in relation to your business structure. If your state has more complex reporting requirements, be sure to consider that before filing your own taxes. Ultimately, your business and its needs are unique. It’s best to analyze your abilities, know where your knowledge lies and also know your limitations in terms of knowledge and time. If you’re unsure and want to lessen potential issues with the IRS...