Do I need a bookkeeper, or just someone to do my taxes?

Most small businesses need both, but for different jobs. A tax preparer looks at your year once, after it is over. A bookkeeper keeps the year straight while it is still happening.

What does a tax preparer do?

They take the numbers you already have and turn them into a tax return. If the numbers are right, that works well. If the numbers are wrong, the return is wrong too, and nobody finds out until a letter arrives or a loan application stalls.

What does a bookkeeper do?

A bookkeeper records each sale, bill and payment as it happens. Then they match your books to your bank statement every month. That monthly match is the whole point. It catches a missed invoice in March, not the following February.

Good books also answer everyday questions. Which jobs made money? Which customers pay late? How much should you set aside for taxes as the year goes? A tax return cannot tell you any of that, because it only arrives once the year is over.

How do you know you need one?

A few signs come up again and again. You pay business bills from the account you use for groceries. You only find out how the year went when your return is done. You have put off a hire, a loan or a price change because you were not sure what the business could afford.

If any of those sound familiar, monthly books will help you more than a better tax preparer would. Clean books also make tax season cheaper, because there is nothing to untangle in April.

Can one firm do both?

Yes, and it is usually simpler. When the same people keep your books and prepare your return, nothing gets lost in the hand-off. We do both for small businesses around Cumming and Forsyth County. Call us and we will tell you which one you need first.