S-Corp and partnership tax returns in Sacramento
Form 1120-S, 1065 and 1120 prepared from your books by a former federal auditor, with the owner's personal return done by the same hands. Prices published.
Business return plus the owner's personal return from $1,200. Business return alone from $1,000. $1 million audit defense included on the business return too. See every price
Business Tax Returns
For S-Corps, partnerships, LLCs and C-CorpsMost of our business clients are S-Corporations, and most of them came to us after a return that did not match their books, a salary the IRS would not call reasonable, or a preparer who never asked a question. A business return is prepared from the books, so that is where we start: we read your QuickBooks file or year-end statements the way an auditor would, fix what has to be fixed, and only then prepare the return.
Tony Pisarenko, a CTEC Registered Tax Preparer and former federal auditor, reviews and signs the federal and California returns, prepared in Intuit ProConnect, issues the K-1s, and handles the owners' personal returns so the two never disagree. You review everything on a call before it is filed.
Every business return includes
- A review of the year-end books before anything is filed, with a short list of what to fix if the numbers do not tie
- Federal return and the California return (Form 100S, 565 or 568, or 100), e-filed, with the $800 franchise tax and any 1.5 percent tax calculated
- Schedule K-1 for every owner, with basis tracked year to year
- A reasonable compensation check for S-Corp owners, and an answer on California's pass-through entity tax election
- Depreciation schedules, vehicle and home office deductions worked out, not guessed
- Next year's estimated payments for the business and each owner
- $1 Million Tax Audit Defense from Protection Plus on the business return itself and on every owner's return we prepare: notices and audits handled by their enrolled agents and CPAs for three years, at no charge to you. On a business return this protection runs $150 or more when you can buy it at all, and most firms do not offer it
What a business return costs
Federal and California together, from books that are reconciled through year-end. Anything extra is quoted before we continue.
| Return | Price |
|---|---|
| Business return plus the owner's personal returnForm 1120-S or 1065 with California, K-1s, and the owner's 1040, prepared together so they agree. Saves $200 versus separately. Each additional owner's personal return is $200. | $1,200from |
| S-CorporationForm 1120-S and California 100S, with K-1s for the shareholders. | $1,000from |
| Partnership or multi-member LLCForm 1065 and California 565 or 568, with K-1s for the partners. | $1,000from |
| C-CorporationForm 1120 and California 100. | $1,150from |
| Owner's personal return on its ownFor owners whose business return is prepared elsewhere. See the personal return prices. | $400from |
What "from" means here
Each price assumes books reconciled through December 31 in QuickBooks or a clean year-end statement, and one state. Several owners, more states, foreign owners or accounts, and a first-year return with a lot of setup add work, and we quote that first. Books that are behind are a separate catch-up project, priced after we look at the file; our cleanup guide explains how we tell the two apart.
Every price includes the $1 Million Tax Audit Defense program from Protection Plus, on the business return as well as the owners' returns. Bought separately, audit defense on a business return costs $150 or more, and most preparers do not offer it on S-Corp and partnership returns at all. Want the books, payroll and both returns handled by one firm all year? That is the monthly bundle, from $500 a month, and the year-end returns are included in it.
Books first, then the return
Book and share the books
Two minutes of intake below, then pick a time. We send a secure link for last year's return and read-only QuickBooks access or your year-end statements.
Review and prepare
We tie the books to the bank, flag anything that has to change, then prepare the business return, the K-1s and, if you want, the owners' personal returns.
Sign and e-file
A review call walks you through the return and next year's payments. You sign electronically and we e-file federal and California before the deadline.
Where this fits
Your first S-Corp return
You elected S-Corp status this year, or formed an LLC with a partner, and the first return sets up depreciation, basis and salary for every year after. Worth getting right once.
Changing preparers
Your CPA retired, the chain's "small business" desk changed hands again, or last year's return never matched your books. We review the prior return before we prepare the new one.
Owners who want it all in one place
Bookkeeping, payroll, quarterly check-ins and both returns from one firm, for one monthly price. Start with the return this season and move to the bundle after.
Business returns, answered
Do my books need to be clean before you can file?
Yes, and this is where most business returns go wrong. A return is only as good as the books behind it. We start by reviewing your QuickBooks file or year-end statements: bank and credit card accounts reconciled through December 31, loans and payroll agreeing to the statements, owner draws separated from expenses. If the books are behind, we tell you what it takes to bring them current and quote that catch-up separately before the return starts. The prices on this page assume books that are reconciled through year-end.
What is reasonable compensation, and why does it matter for my S-Corp?
If you work in your S-Corporation, the IRS expects you to pay yourself a reasonable W-2 salary before taking distributions. Paying yourself nothing and taking it all as distributions is the most common S-Corp problem the IRS looks for. We check your salary against your role and your profit when we prepare the return, and if it needs adjusting we tell you how to set it for next year so payroll and the return agree.
What is California's pass-through entity tax, and should my business elect it?
California lets an S-Corporation or partnership pay state income tax at the business level on behalf of its owners, at 9.3 percent of their share of the income. The owners then claim a California credit, and the business deducts the payment federally, which gets around the federal limit on deducting state and local taxes. It helps owners with meaningful income and a state tax bill above that limit, and it requires a prepayment by June 15 and an election on a timely filed return, so it is a planning decision made during the year. We run the numbers for each owner before recommending it.
When are business returns due, and what if we need more time?
S-Corporation and partnership returns are due March 15, or the next business day. For the 2026 tax year that is Monday, March 15, 2027. C-Corporations on a calendar year are due April 15. An extension gives six more months to file, but not to pay: any tax still owed, including the $800 minimum franchise tax if it was not paid during the year, is still due by the original date. We file the extension and calculate the payment when the books will not be ready in time, and the owners' personal returns usually wait for their K-1s.
Should I even be an S-Corp?
Not everyone should. The S-Corp election saves self-employment tax once profit is comfortably above what a reasonable salary would be, and it adds payroll, a separate return, and California's 1.5 percent franchise tax on net income. Below that line it costs more than it saves. If you are a sole proprietor or single-member LLC wondering about it, we run the comparison on your actual numbers at the review call, and we will tell you if the answer is no.
Book your business tax appointment
Two minutes. Your answers go to Tony directly, then you pick a time right below. Statements and QuickBooks access come later, through a secure link.
Pick a time
A 45-minute call or in-person meeting to go through the business, the books and what the return needs.
Calendar not loading? Book on cal.com instead.
Not sure what the books need first?
Take the free ten-point health check. It grades your books and tells you what to fix before the return.