Resources

What to Bring to Your Tax Appointment

A little preparation makes your appointment smoother and helps us get everything right the first time. Here’s a general list. Not every item will apply to you, and if you aren’t sure about something, bring it anyway.

• A government-issued photo ID for you (and your spouse, if filing jointly)
• Social Security numbers or ITINs and birth dates for everyone on the return
• Your prior-year federal and state returns
• W-2s from every employer
• 1099s (for example, 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B, 1099-R, 1099-G, SSA-1099)
• 1098s for mortgage interest, student loan interest (1098-E), and tuition (1098-T)
• Schedule K-1s from partnerships, S corporations, estates, or trusts
• Childcare costs, plus the provider’s name, address, and tax ID
• Education expenses and receipts
• Records of any estimated tax payments you made, with dates and amounts
• Health coverage forms (1095-A, 1095-B, or 1095-C)
• Records of any IRS or state letters you received this year
• Your bank routing and account numbers if you’d like your refund sent by direct deposit

Sending documents: Please share documents only through the secure method we provide after your engagement letter is signed. Never send tax documents by plain email.

Questions? Reach us at carter@svptax.com.

This guide is general information, not tax advice.

Bookkeeping Checklist

Good books don’t take a lot of time when you stay on top of them. These simple monthly and quarterly habits keep your records tidy, make tax season much easier, and give you a clearer picture of your business all year.

Every month

• Download your bank and credit card statements
• Match (reconcile) statements against your books
• Save receipts for business purchases, digitally or on paper, with a quick note on what each was for
• Keep payroll reports from your payroll provider
• File invoices you’ve sent and bills you’ve paid
• Track sales tax collected, if your business collects it
• Keep business and personal spending separate

Every quarter

• Review loan statements and note the interest and principal paid
• Review profit and loss and balance sheet reports for anything that looks off
• Confirm your sales tax filings and payments are up to date
• Note any estimated tax payments made, with dates and amounts
• Keep quarterly payroll filings
• Update records for any equipment or vehicles bought or sold

Sending documents: Please share documents only through the secure method we provide after your engagement letter is signed. Never send financial documents by plain email.

Questions? Reach us at carter@svptax.com.

This guide is general information, not tax advice.

Tax-Planning Calendar

These are well-known federal due dates for calendar-year individuals and small businesses. Your own dates may differ, especially if your business uses a fiscal year.

• January 15: Fourth-quarter estimated tax payment for the prior year (individuals)
• January 31: Employers furnish W-2s to employees; businesses furnish and file Form 1099-NEC; quarterly payroll Form 941 and annual Form 940 are due
• March 15: Partnership (Form 1065) and S corporation (Form 1120-S) returns due, and K-1s go to partners and shareholders
• April 15: Individual returns (Form 1040) due, or file an extension (Form 4868); calendar-year C corporation returns (Form 1120) due; first-quarter estimated payment due
• June 15: Second-quarter estimated payment due
• September 15: Third-quarter estimated payment due; extended partnership and S corporation returns due
• October 15: Extended individual returns due

North Carolina generally follows the federal individual deadline for state individual income tax returns.

Dates can shift for weekends, holidays, or disaster relief; we’ll confirm yours.

Sending documents: Please share documents only through the secure method we provide after your engagement letter is signed. Never send tax documents by plain email.

Questions? Reach us at carter@svptax.com.

This guide is general information, not tax advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?
Request a free 30-minute consultation through our online form, or email carter@svptax.com with a short note about what you need. We’ll follow up to talk through next steps.

How do I send documents securely?
Once your engagement letter is signed, we’ll provide a secure method for sharing documents. Please don’t send tax or financial documents by plain email.

When will my engagement letter come?
Once we’ve talked about your needs and agreed on the scope of work, we’ll send your engagement letter for review and signature. We begin work after it’s signed.

What if I get an IRS letter?
Don’t panic, and don’t ignore it. Many letters are routine. Note the response deadline, send us a copy using the secure method we provide, and let us know. Be wary of calls, texts, or emails claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS generally makes first contact by mail.

Do you do bookkeeping?
Yes. Along with tax preparation, we offer bookkeeping services for individuals and small businesses. Reach out and we’ll talk about what fits your situation.

How do your fees work?
Our fees are flat and simple, quoted upfront and confirmed in your engagement letter before work begins. We don’t charge for additional schedules or state returns, and we never bill for calls, emails, explanations or reviews.

How do I reach you?
Email carter@svptax.com. Our office is at 4505 Country Club Rd, STE 100, Winston-Salem, NC 27104.

Sending documents: Please share documents only through the secure method we provide after your engagement letter is signed. Never by plain email.

This guide is general information, not tax advice.