What to Gather Before Requesting a Business Tax Quote

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Jessica Gonzalez, CPA | Published April 5, 2026 | Updated October 4, 2026

To get an accurate quote for a business tax return, a CPA needs to know three things: which return your business files, how many owners and states are involved, and whether your books are complete through year end. The records that answer those questions are last year’s returns and depreciation schedule, a year-end profit and loss statement and balance sheet built from reconciled accounts, payroll and 1099 reports, and a short list of big events like asset purchases, loans, or ownership changes.

You do not need to send all of that before we talk. Start with a high-level description. The specific records come later, through a secure link, once we both agree the work is a fit.

If your main question is what a CPA costs, my San Antonio CPA pricing page covers starting fees. This guide is about the business tax return documents that let me define the work and put a fixed fee in writing.

Start With the Business Tax Return You File

The return your business files sets the basic scope. An LLC label alone does not decide it. By default, the IRS treats a single-member LLC as disregarded from its owner and a multi-member LLC as a partnership, unless the LLC elected to be taxed as a corporation (IRS: Limited Liability Company). Tell me what you believe the election is and which return was filed last year. I confirm it once we are engaged.

Sole proprietor or single-member LLC: Schedule C

Business income and expenses go on Schedule C, which is part of your personal Form 1040. Have your Schedule C, Form 4562 (depreciation), and any Form 8829 (home office) from last year. See my small business tax preparation page for how I handle these returns.

S corporation: Form 1120-S and Schedule K-1s

The corporation files its own Form 1120-S and issues a Schedule K-1 to each shareholder. Each shareholder then reports those amounts on a personal return. Bring last year’s 1120-S, the K-1s, and each owner’s basis records. Shareholder-employees must receive reasonable compensation before non-wage distributions (IRS: S corporation compensation), so payroll records matter here too.

Partnership or multi-member LLC: Form 1065 and Schedule K-1s

The partnership files Form 1065 and furnishes a Schedule K-1 to each partner. Bring last year’s 1065, the K-1s, the partnership or operating agreement, and each partner’s capital account history. My S corporation and partnership tax preparation page explains how the entity and owner returns fit together.

Business Tax Return Documents That Define the Scope

Gather the items that apply to your business.

• Prior-year returns and depreciation schedules. These show carryovers, past elections, and remaining asset basis.
• Year-end bank and credit card reconciliations. Every business account should be reconciled through December 31 (or your fiscal year end).
• Profit and loss statement and balance sheet. Year-end reports from QuickBooks or your accounting system.
• Payroll reports. Forms W-2 and W-3, quarterly Forms 941, and the annual Form 940.
• Forms 1099 you issued and received. For payments made after December 31, 2025, the Form 1099-NEC filing threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 (IRS: Form 1099-NEC FAQs). Payment platforms generally issue Form 1099-K only above $20,000 and 200 transactions (IRS: Form 1099-K FAQs). Your return still reports all business income, with or without a form.
• Fixed asset purchases and sales. Invoices, closing statements, and the date each asset went into service. The IRS expects records of when and how you acquired an asset and what you paid (IRS: What records to keep).
• Loans. Year-end statements and any new loan documents.
• Owner draws, distributions, and basis. A list of owner contributions and withdrawals. S corporation shareholders may need Form 7203 to figure basis limits on deductions they can claim (IRS: About Form 7203).
• Vehicle mileage logs. A log kept at the time, showing date, destination, business purpose, and miles (IRS Publication 463).
• Home office details. Square footage of the space used regularly and exclusively for business, and total home square footage (IRS: Home office deduction).
• Texas filings, where relevant. Last year’s franchise tax report or information report, and your sales tax filings if you hold a sales tax permit (Texas Comptroller: Sales tax).

My free tax and bookkeeping checklists organize these categories. They are starting guides, not a request to upload everything.

What Changes a Business Tax Quote

In my experience, the biggest swing in a quote is the condition of the books. A return prepared from reconciled records is a different job from one that needs cleanup first.

• Books not reconciled. Missing months, mixed personal and business spending, or unexplained deposits mean cleanup comes before the return. That is a separate catch-up bookkeeping project, quoted on its own. I explain why in why your CPA should keep your books.
• More than one state. Each state where the business has employees, property, or sales may mean another return.
• Ownership changes. A new owner, a buyout, or a change in percentages during the year adds allocation and basis work.
• Prior-year corrections. If last year’s return or depreciation schedule has errors, fixing them may require amended returns or adjustments.
• Owners’ personal returns. Rental property, another business, or heavy investment activity adds schedules to each owner’s return.

Federal and Texas Due Dates for Business Returns

Standard dates for calendar-year businesses:

Return	Who files	Due date	Extension
Form 1120-S	S corporations	March 15	Form 7004, 6 months
Form 1065	Partnerships and multi-member LLCs	March 15	Form 7004, 6 months
Form 1040 with Schedule C	Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs	April 15	Form 4868, to October 15
Texas franchise tax report or information report	Taxable entities, including single-member LLCs	May 15	Timely extension request to the Comptroller

Form 1120-S and Form 1065 are due by the 15th day of the third month after the tax year ends, and Form 7004 gives an automatic 6-month extension (Form 1120-S instructions; Form 1065 instructions; About Form 7004). Late-filing penalties on these returns are figured per owner, per month. Form 4868 extends a personal return to October 15, but any tax owed is still due in April (IRS: Get an extension). When a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. For example, the 2027 Texas franchise tax report is due May 17, 2027, because May 15 is a Saturday.

For 2026 and 2027 reports, the Texas no-tax-due threshold is $2,650,000 in revenue (Texas Comptroller: Tax Policy News). Entities at or below it still file a Public Information Report or Ownership Information Report each year. Sole proprietorships are not subject to franchise tax, but single-member LLCs are (Texas Comptroller: Franchise Tax Overview).

How My Business Tax Quote Process Works

1. Complimentary 15-minute fit call. We talk in general terms: tax year, entity type, number of owners, states, the condition of the books, and your nearest deadline.
2. Limited secure document request. If it is a fit, I ask for only the records I need to quote the work, shared through SmartVault.
3. Written proposal with a fixed fee. It names the taxpayers, entities, tax years, returns, any cleanup, and the timing.
4. Engagement accepted in writing. Work begins only after the engagement is accepted in writing.

Please do not put tax returns, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, or IRS notices into a website contact form or email. A short description is all the fit call needs.

When to Get Help With Your Business Return

Reaching out in the fall or early winter gives time to find gaps in the books before the March and April deadlines. It also makes sense to talk before an extension deadline, after an ownership change, or when you are not sure which return your LLC should file. Sometimes the right next step is cleanup, and sometimes the records are ready now.

Business Tax Return Documents FAQ

What does a CPA need to quote a business tax return?

The return type, number of owners and states, and the condition of your books. Last year’s return and a year-end profit and loss statement and balance sheet usually answer most questions.

Do I need to send documents before the fit call?

No. The fit call uses general facts only. If we move forward, I send a secure SmartVault link for a limited set of records.

What if my books are not reconciled?

Reconciliation comes first. I quote catch-up bookkeeping separately so you know both costs before any work begins.

Does my LLC owe Texas franchise tax?

Possibly not, but it still files. An LLC at or below the no-tax-due threshold still files an information report each year.

I am Jessica Gonzalez, a Texas-licensed CPA and former IRS Revenue Agent. I prepare business returns for clients in North San Antonio, Stone Oak and Sonterra, Bulverde, and all of San Antonio, in English and Spanish. Schedule C returns start at $1,200. My S corporation and partnership package starts at $3,000 and includes the entity return, applicable K-1s, one or two owners’ complete federal returns, a strategy meeting outside tax season, and, for an applicable S corporation, a reasonable compensation report. Monthly bookkeeping starts at $500 per month. Every engagement has a fixed fee in writing before work begins. No outcome is guaranteed.

To start, book a complimentary 15-minute fit call or call (210) 441-1293. Please don’t email tax returns, Social Security numbers, or IRS notices; I’ll send a secure SmartVault link.

Sources

• IRS: Instructions for Form 1120-S
• IRS: Instructions for Form 1065
• IRS: About Form 7004
• IRS: Get an extension to file your tax return
• IRS: Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• IRS: S corporation compensation and medical insurance issues
• IRS: About Form 7203, S Corporation Shareholder Stock and Debt Basis Limitations
• IRS: What kind of records should I keep
• IRS: Form 1099-NEC and independent contractors FAQs
• IRS: FAQs on Form 1099-K threshold under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
• IRS Publication 463: Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses
• IRS: Home office deduction
• Texas Comptroller: Franchise Tax Overview
• Texas Comptroller: Tax Policy News, April 2026
• Texas Comptroller: Sales and use tax

Related: Small Business Tax Preparation · S Corporations and Partnerships · Pricing