Short answer: Tax-ready bookkeeping in the Inland Empire closes and reconciles your year, so your CPA gets a file they can file from. Every bank, card and loan account is reconciled through December, loans match lender statements, fixed assets are listed and owner activity is kept separate. Vendor totals and W-9s are ready for 1099s.
What your CPA actually needs
Every CPA sends some version of the same year-end request list. When the books are clean, it takes an afternoon to answer. When they are not, it turns into weeks of email and a bigger bill.
We are bookkeepers, not your tax preparer. Our job is to hand your CPA books they can trust, so their time goes to your return and your tax plan instead of fixing transactions.
What tax-ready means
- Every bank, card and loan account reconciled through December
- Income recorded once, with card processor fees split out
- Fixed asset purchases listed: trucks, trailers, equipment, improvements
- Loan balances matching lender statements, with interest split out
- Owner draws, distributions and contributions kept separate
- Payroll totals that tie to your payroll provider's year-end reports
- A list of vendors you paid who may need a 1099
The year-end steps
- Reconcile through December Every account ties to its December statement.
- Review the balance sheet Clear old balances in receivables, payables and suspense accounts.
- List assets and loans Big purchases and new loans get documented for your CPA.
- Prepare 1099 information Vendor totals and the W-9s on file, so 1099s can go out on time.
- Close and hand off Lock the year, then give your CPA access or export the reports they ask for.
What changes for your CPA
When books show up reconciled, the CPA's work changes. Instead of rebuilding your year from statements, they review it, ask a few pointed questions and spend their time on the return and on planning. That usually means fewer rounds of email, and a conversation about next year instead of last year.
It also means fewer surprises. When the books are current through the fall, your CPA can look at profit before December and talk about timing of equipment purchases or estimated payments while there is still time to act.
1099s are part of it
Inland Empire contractors, trucking companies and service businesses pay a lot of independent workers and small vendors. Owner-operators, subs, cleaners, mechanics. The IRS expects 1099s for many of them, and the deadline comes in January, right when everyone is busy.
If vendor payments are coded right all year and W-9s are collected up front, 1099 season takes a day instead of a week. We track it as we go.
Already on extension?
If last year's return is on extension because the books were not ready, that is a catch-up job with a deadline. Tell us the extension date on the call.
Where we work
We keep books for businesses across Riverside County and San Bernardino County.
- Chino
- Corona
- Fontana
- Moreno Valley
- Murrieta
- Ontario
- Rancho Cucamonga
- Redlands
- Riverside
- San Bernardino
- Temecula
- Upland
Questions
Do you file my taxes?
No. Your CPA or tax preparer files your return. We prepare the books they file from.
Can you work with my CPA directly?
Yes. With your OK, we answer their questions and give them access to the file.
When should I start for this year?
The earlier the better. Starting in the fall gives time to fix the year before January closes in.
What if my CPA uses a different checklist?
Send it to us. We work from your CPA's list so they get exactly what they asked for.
Do you send 1099s?
We prepare the vendor list and totals from the books. Who files the forms is agreed with you and your CPA.