CK Business Consulting & Tax

06/02/2026

If you've ever been on the receiving end of an IRS audit notice, you know this heart-sinking feeling all too well.

For me, it's another day at the office! I've seen my fair share of audits; sometimes, clients just randomly get selected.

For this small business owner, here's what we did:

We immediately gathered all documentation related to [audit topic]. We double-checked and cross-referenced each number to make sure our arguments were air-tight! 🧾

Then, when the auditor wanted to chat, my client was able to feel 100% confident answering their questions.

And that was all it took! 🤷

Evidence provided, audit closed, waaay less stress than navigating a whole IRS audit alone.

At CK Business Consulting & Tax, we back up our work. [Insert your policy on audit support for returns you've filed here.]

https://calendly.com/ckbus

05/28/2026

Planes, trains, and automobiles (and a whole bunch of receipts you need to keep) if you traveled for work this spring ↓

🧾 Flights, train tickets, ride shares, or rental cars

🧾 Hotels, AirBnbs, Vrbos

🧾 Parking + tolls

🧾 Meals (while traveling)

🧾 Conference fees or tickets

🧾 Plane WiFi

Basically, when in doubt, save your receipts, and I'll let you know which ones will help lower your tax bill.

05/27/2026

Here's the 4 things you need to do if you forgot to extend (and file) your tax return:

→ File your return ASAP.

This sounds kinda self-explanatory, but the sooner you file, the more you can minimize your late filing penalties.

→ Pay what you can, even if it's not the full amount.

Paying a portion of your tax bill is better than paying nothing at all from a penalties perspective.

→ Set up a payment plan (if needed).

If you're struggling to pay your tax bill, you might be able to work something out with the IRS if you're otherwise in good standing.

→ Ask about penalty relief.

If it's your first time running into penalties, you may qualify for a First Time abate. It could also be worth looking into a reasonable cause relief in the right situation.

A bonus 5th step? Call me, and I'll help you get your taxes sorted and navigate any IRS notices.

05/25/2026

Getting audited does NOT always mean you're doing something sketchy!

Sometimes, the IRS just wants more information on what you reported on your tax return. 🤷

But a few things that *will* flag in their system are when your income reported doesn't match the 1099s filed, claiming high deductions that don't align with those of other, similar taxpayers, and reporting business losses year after year.

These might be totally legit, but you want to make sure you have the receipts, records, and clean bookkeeping to prove it!

https://calendly.com/ckbus

05/23/2026

Stresstober is totally avoidable, btw.

If you extended your taxes, this is your reminder that you absolutely do not (and should not) have to wait until you're shopping for Halloween costumes to file. 🎃

This is also a very polite request from your tax accountant to avoid waiting until the fall craziness of last-minute filers.

🔗 Link in bio for help filing your taxes!

https://calendly.com/ckbus

05/21/2026

You've gotta keep more than just your tax return, according to the IRS!

🗂️ For most tax records, the rule of thumb is to keep them for at least 3 years (your W-2s, 1099s, etc.).

But in some cases, you might need to hold onto things for 4 years, 6 years, or even longer!

Keeping these documents helps you respond to notices, amend a return, or prove that you actually made a tax payment.

It doesn't have to be hard! Keep a folder for each tax year with your supporting docs and your tax return, and make sure you've got it backed up + secure. 🔐

05/19/2026

05/18/2026

Here's what made the difference in this small business owner's tax bill:

1️⃣ We adjusted their entity structure and compensation (distributions + salary).

2️⃣ They maxed out their contributions to their SEP IRA to reduce their taxable income and save for retirement.

3️⃣ They accelerated purchasing [common year-end purchase for small business owners] to increase their deductions for the year.

Tax planning throughout the year is the key to making sure you don't pay too much in April!

https://calendly.com/ckbus

05/16/2026

"Hey, quick admin thing! Could you send me your completed W-9 for my records? Thank you!"

That's it. That's the text! 📲

If you're paying contractors (like a virtual assistant or social media manager), you may need to issue them a 1099-NEC.

To do this, you need their legal name and taxpayer ID... which comes from their W-9.

Ideally, you should get a new contractor's W-9 as part of your onboarding process before you ever pay them (but trust me, as a small business owner's accountant, I know this isn't always how it works in practice).

If they hesitate or ask why, just let them know it's an IRS requirement for businesses with contractors!

05/14/2026

Bad news for small business owners: federal income tax isn't the only thing taking a cut out of your business...

Even when you've got your federal + state tax covered, *this* annoying tax is there to throw a loop in your plans. ⬇️

It's self-employment tax: a (generally) 15.3% tax on your earnings that goes towards Social Security + Medicare.

If you earned more than $400 in self-employment income, you've gotta keep this tax on your radar!

When we run a tax estimate for our small business owner clients, we consider ALL possible taxes to help you plan for the future.

https://calendly.com/ckbus