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Puzzle
Tax season doesn't start in April. It starts with your December close. In 1-800Accountant's 2026 Small Business Tax Confidence Report (300 owners and managers, via Stacker on Oct 20), "nearly six in 10 (59.7%) said they had received an IRS notice or penalty at some point." The same piece makes the point we see most often: owners who close December with reconciled books "can hand a preparer a finished set of numbers rather than a pile of statements to sort through." Here's a tax-ready checklist for founders and operators to work through before Dec 31: 1. Every month closed, January through November 2. Bank and card accounts reconciled each month 3. Personal charges pulled off business cards 4. Accruals and prepaids booked, if you report on an accrual basis 5. Planned equipment placed in service (not just ordered) by Dec 31, and recorded 6. Year-to-date profit checked against estimated taxes paid. The final 2026 installment is due Jan 15, 2027 7. Contractor totals pulled. For 2026 payments, the 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000, and forms are due Feb 1, 2027 8. A P&L and balance sheet you'd be comfortable sending your preparer today Behind on 1 or 2? You don't have to fix it alone. Puzzle accountants, or a vetted firm from Puzzle's partner network, can catch up the months you never finished, run your monthly close going forward, and hand clean financials to a vetted partner firm that prepares and files your return. Every business is different, so confirm what applies to you with your tax preparer. Save this for your December close. puzzle.io/services #Taxes #TaxSeason #SmallBusiness #Bookkeeping #Accounting #YearEnd
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