Tax year 2026
Sole proprietorship, LLC or S corp: the key differences
How a sole proprietorship, an LLC and an S corporation differ in liability, federal tax treatment, setup steps and bookkeeping, plus questions to ask first.
Your Business Name CPA, PLLCYour books in order, your returns filed on time
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
- Hours
- Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Phone
- +1 (555) 010-0100
- License
- Full Name, CPA, license no. 00000
01Services
Accounting, tax and payroll in seven services
From formation to closing, your accounting and tax work runs on a written calendar and document list.
- 01Business formationChoosing between a sole proprietorship, LLC, S corporation or C corporation, EIN and state tax registration, and first-month setup.
- 02Bookkeeping and accountingMonthly bookkeeping, bank and credit card reconciliations, financial statements and year-end closing.
- 03Tax preparationFederal and state income tax returns for individuals, partnerships, S corporations and C corporations, plus extensions and estimated taxes.
- 04PayrollPayroll processing, federal and state withholding, quarterly payroll tax returns, new hire reporting and year-end W-2s.
- 05Sales tax complianceNexus review, state sales tax registration, exemption certificates and sales and use tax returns filed on your state's schedule.
- 06Tax planning and IRS noticesReviewing the tax effect of a decision before you make it, plus help responding to IRS and state notices and examinations.
- 07Closing or selling a businessFinal returns, payroll wind-down, reporting an asset or stock sale and closing federal and state tax accounts.
Not sure which service you need?
We work out the list together in the first meeting, based on your type of business.
Call to set up a meeting
02Monthly routine
The same order every month: documents, books, review, filing
01Month end
Documents come in
Invoices, bank statements and receipts are sent to us. If anything is missing, you get a list the same day.
02Early month
Transactions are recorded
Documents are recorded to the chart of accounts, bank and card activity is matched, and customer and vendor balances are checked.
03Review
Reconciliation
Every account is reconciled and unexpected balances are investigated. Errors are caught before anything is filed.
04File
Returns and deposits
Sales tax returns and payroll tax deposits are prepared, sent for your approval and filed on time.
05Report
Amounts due and summary
Amounts due and their due dates are sent in writing, along with a monthly summary of your numbers.
03Tax calendar
Upcoming federal deadlines
An example calendar for 2026 calendar-year filers; weekends, legal holidays and IRS disaster relief can move a due date. Confirm current dates on irs.gov.
October15
Extended individual returns
Form 1040 filed on extension
Tomorrow
October31
Form 941 payroll return
For the previous calendar quarter
In 17 days
January15
Estimated tax payment
Form 1040-ES quarterly installment
In 93 days
January31
Forms W-2 and 1099-NEC
Due to recipients and to the SSA or IRS
In 109 days
04Calculators
Quick math for sales tax, paychecks and estimated tax
They run in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Figures are 2026 examples you can change in the form; results are estimates.
All calculators- 01Sales tax calculatorEnter an amount and a rate to see the pre-tax amount, the sales tax and the total.Example: $1,000.00 + 7% sales tax = $1,070.00
- 02Paycheck and employer cost calculatorGo from monthly gross pay to take-home pay, or from net to gross, and see the employer's total cost.
- 03Quarterly estimated tax calculatorEnter your expected tax, withholding and last year's tax to see the safe-harbor amount and each quarterly payment.
05Guides
Short, plain guides on tax and bookkeeping
Tax year 2026
Quarterly estimated taxes: who pays, when, and how much
Who needs to make quarterly estimated tax payments, the four federal due dates, the safe harbor rules that help you avoid a penalty, and how corporations pay.
Tax year 2026
Who needs a 1099-NEC and when is it due
When a business files Form 1099-NEC for contractors, which payments are covered, how Form W-9 fits in, and the January 31 deadline for payees and the IRS.
06Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about meetings, documents, deadlines and the calculators.
All questionsHow does the first meeting work?
Call or send a WhatsApp message to set a time. In the meeting we listen to what your business does, how many employees you have and how the books are kept today, and we list together which services you need.
How are your fees set?
Fees depend on the type of business, monthly transaction volume and the number of employees, and they are set out in a written engagement letter. Because the scope differs from client to client, the fee is quoted after the first conversation, once the work is clear.
How do I send my documents?
You can drop off paper documents at the office or send them by email or through a secure shared folder. The delivery method and the monthly delivery date are agreed in the first meeting and confirmed in writing.
What happens if I miss a filing deadline?
Filing a return late or paying the tax late can lead to IRS penalties and interest, and states have their own. The amounts depend on the tax and how late it is, so check current IRS guidance and talk to your CPA about your case. Filing on time even when you cannot pay in full generally limits the penalties.
07Location and hours
Our Charlotte office
Your Business Name CPA, PLLC0000 Example Street, Suite 000Charlotte, NC 28202- Monday - Friday
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Saturday
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (by appointment only)
Meeting
Let's review your books together
Give us a call, or describe the topic in a sentence or two on WhatsApp.