Home Business Taxes, Legalities,
Ask a Certified Public Accountant
If your serious about your home business taxes, a certified public accountant might be your answer to taxes and legalities. A certified public accountant (aka CPA) in your local area could advise you on the steps needed to be taken start a home business in your home.
A CPA has dealings with businesses on a daily basis. They are schooled on corporations and the types of taxes pertaining to the type of corporation formed. If you talk to a CPA in your local area, they would also have knowledge of county and state tax requirements and licenses for a business in your home.
In my dealings with CPAs, most are willing to help you with basic information if they believe you could be a potential client. If your going to pay taxes, and your are not an accountant already, talking with several CPAs could be to your advantage.
Here's my thinking, while talking to a CPA, you could discover several things about him or her as you work into the conversation your specific questions about your home business and taxes. You can check out if there is a business match-up or commonality between the two of you.
How do You find a CPA?
How about talking to local business persons in your area. Ask them who they use for their taxes and why. Some will have stories to tell to help you decide which potential CPAs you can add to your list.
If your local business person gives you a name of a CPA to talk to, referencing the business name and person that referred you to the CPA can help "break the ice" prior to discussing your potential relationship with the CPA. Be sure to pass on any compliments that were shared from the referring business.
A few words of advice, CPAs can be really busy from October through April doing what they do best - taxes. Pressing them to help you or to advise you during this time might not be a good idea, that is unless you are already paying them for their services.
One possible way to get the information you need is to ask them to accept an interview over lunch or dinner. Inexpensive advice for your home business is the way I would look at it!
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