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Prepare the business return

A business tax preparation checklist for the entire entity.

Use this guide to organize the records and decisions that commonly affect a partnership, S corporation, C corporation, or LLC return before preparation begins.

Request a ConsultationUse the Guide
Who it is forBusiness owners and finance or operations staff
JurisdictionFederal and state overview
Last reviewedAugust 8, 2026
UseGeneral educational information, not individualized advice
Provide the prior return, finalized books, owner information, payroll-provider reports, asset and debt changes, state activity, estimates, notices, and explanations for unusual events in one organized package.

01

Entity and prior-year foundation

Start by identifying exactly which taxpayer and returns are in scope.

Legal name, EIN, entity type, tax classification, formation state, and current mailing address.
Prior federal and state returns, depreciation schedules, elections, carryovers, and workpapers if available.
Ownership percentages and any owner, partner, or shareholder changes during the year.
States where the business had property, payroll, sales, services, remote workers, registrations, or other activity.
Notices, missing returns, amended filings, extensions, estimates, and payments.
Do not upload EIN letters, notices, returns, or owner records through the consultation form. Use the secure workflow after the team requests them.

02

Books, cash, debt, and assets

Final books should reconcile to the accounts and supporting records that explain the balances.

Year-end profit and loss, balance sheet, general ledger, trial balance, and chart of accounts.
Reconciled bank, credit-card, loan, line-of-credit, merchant, and payment-processor statements.
Accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, customer deposits, deferred revenue, and bad-debt information if applicable.
Asset purchases, sales, trade-ins, financing, dispositions, improvements, and beginning/ending fixed-asset lists.
New loans, refinances, forgiven debt, owner loans, capital contributions, distributions, and personal expenses paid by the business.
If the balance sheet does not reconcile or owner activity is unclear, cleanup may be required before the return can be completed.

03

Payroll reports and people

Mehdiani does not run payroll, but provider-generated reports can be essential to tax preparation and owner-compensation review.

Year-end payroll register, Forms W-2/W-3, Forms 941, state payroll filings, and unemployment reports from the payroll provider.
Officer and owner compensation, health insurance, retirement contributions, fringe benefits, and reimbursements.
Contractor totals, Forms 1099/1096, vendor information, and unresolved worker-classification questions.
New states, remote workers, hiring, terminations, and benefit-plan changes.
Payroll notices, amended reports, tax balances, or provider changes.
Payroll processing remains with the selected provider. Our scope may include provider selection, reasonable compensation, frequency, and tax/accounting coordination.

04

Events and explanations

A short explanation of material changes can be more useful than an unlabeled document dump.

New products, services, locations, leases, acquisitions, sales, closures, or changes in operations.
Large or unusual income, expenses, refunds, settlements, grants, credits, insurance proceeds, or legal costs.
Related-party transactions, owner reimbursements, accountable-plan items, and home-office or vehicle arrangements when applicable.
Foreign owners, foreign accounts, foreign activity, digital assets, or cross-border transactions.
Expected transactions, elections, distributions, compensation, or structural changes for the next year.
Specialized, international, transaction, valuation, legal, or controversy work may require a separate scope.

Sources and limits

Verify current rules before acting.

This is a general organizing guide, not a complete list for every business, entity, industry, state, transaction, or reporting obligation. The engagement team will provide a tailored request list after scope is confirmed.

Related next steps

Services related to this guide.

The service scope depends on your records, entities, states, transactions, deadlines, and goals.

Business Tax Services

See how entity returns, owner reporting, states, and estimates are coordinated.

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Should I send every document at once?

Use the tailored request list and organize files by entity, year, and subject. Avoid duplicate or unlabeled uploads, and keep separate businesses in separate submissions when requested.

What if the books are not finished?

Tell the team which periods and accounts are complete, what remains unreconciled, and the deadline. Cleanup or bookkeeping may need to be scoped before tax preparation.

Do you need payroll reports if you do not run payroll?

Often, yes. Provider-generated reports support wage, payroll-tax, officer-compensation, benefit, and bookkeeping information used in the return.

What if ownership changed?

Provide the dates, percentages, legal documents, contributions, distributions, purchases, sales, and prior basis or capital information available. Ownership changes can affect tax reporting and scope.

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