Quick Summary: What Smart Accounting For Small Businesses Looks Like In 2025
- Call your tax advisor before making financial moves to avoid missed deductions or costly surprises.
- You need modern, integrated tools to stay compliant (and audit-ready) in 2025.
- The smartest small business owners outsource to advisors who stay on top of shifting tax law.
You’ve likely felt the effects in your business this year from changes like the year-end expiration of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA), the new OBBBA, international tariffs, and tighter IRS enforcement.
Big businesses have felt them, too. In fact, 90% percent of tax leaders at billion-dollar companies are now considered strategic advisors, not just compliance officers.
You might not run a billion-dollar operation, but the lesson still applies: Tax planning is crucial for protecting your profits and planning for what’s next in your Oakland County business.
There are a few more lessons you should learn from the business bigwigs about proactive tax planning in 2025…
Lesson 1: When should I actually call my tax advisor?
One of the biggest mistakes I see small business owners make? Calling me in after the deal is done.
According to the study cited above, 60% of large firms involve tax leaders in strategic transactions. Why? Because once you sign the dotted line on a lease, buy equipment, or restructure debt, your tax options narrow dramatically.
A few scenarios where this could apply to you:
- Thinking about buying that new piece of equipment? You might be able to leverage 100% bonus depreciation or higher Section 179 limits. But only if you structure the purchase correctly.
- Restructuring debt? Certain changes can trigger unexpected taxable gains.
- Expanding into a new product line? That could shift your eligibility for the Qualified Business Income Deduction if rules change post-TCJA.
The principle is simple: Call before you act. You could save yourself thousands in “after the fact” clean-up and protect your Bloomfield Hills business from tax snags you didn’t know were there.
Lesson 2: Is tax tech really worth it for my small business?
Big companies think so: 67% are ramping up tax technology spending to mitigate risk from outdated systems and increased IRS scrutiny.
Because outdated tech leads to mistakes… which are exactly what IRS audit AI is now trained to find.
If you haven’t yet, start using cloud-based accounting systems that sync across your bank, payroll, and invoicing. Automate tedious compliance tasks. And keep digital audit trails. Every expense, invoice, and deposit needs to be time-stamped and categorized.
This isn’t just about “being modern.” It’s about protection. Clean records = fewer audit problems. And with the IRS ramping up enforcement in 2025, that’s not optional.
Lesson 3: How do I keep up with constantly changing tax laws?
Take a deep breath – you don’t have to. Big corporations aren’t expecting CEOs to memorize tax code either. They’re investing in training and advisory talent (58% increases in upskilling budgets).
What’s the small business translation? Hire an advisor you can trust who lives and breathes this stuff. Ahem.
Your job isn’t keeping up with tax law. Which is why you need a partner who does. That’s how you spur your business toward greater growth without getting bogged down by nuances.
FAQs
“What business decisions should I check with my tax advisor first?”
Call your tax advisor before you commit to spending or signing anything significant. We need to assess the tax, cash flow, and legal implications of major actions like buying equipment, signing a lease, hiring your first employees, or restructuring debt. And bringing us into the process early means we can structure the decision to minimize tax liability and maximize deductions before it’s too late to adjust course.
“Do I need both a tax advisor and a bookkeeper for my small business?”
Yes. A bookkeeper records what already happened. A tax advisor helps you plan what should happen next. You need the advisor’s financial foresight to make the most profitable next move.
“How do I know if my current tax advisor is proactive enough?”
If you only hear from them at tax time, that’s not ideal. A strategic advisor reaches out during the year, anticipates law changes, and brings planning ideas to the table.
“Is ‘tax planning’ worth the extra cost over just ‘tax prep’?”
Yes. Tax prep is a mandatory expense for compliance (reporting past data). Tax planning is an investment in growth that saves you money by positioning you to legally reduce future tax liability. Both matter, but only strategy positions you to save money before it’s too late.
“What’s the risk of not involving my tax pro in strategic decisions?”
The risk is paying the IRS more than you legally have to. You miss critical deductions, walk into major business decisions blind to the tax consequences, and lose the opportunity to shelter income inside (totally legal and ethical) tax-advantaged vehicles.
Proactive planning isn’t a “nice to have” in your business. It’s essential. That’s a huge reason why I’m in your corner. My role is to file your return, yes, and also to help you see what’s coming and plan for it.
Whether that means running numbers on an equipment purchase, weighing the risks of expansion, or simply making sure you’re not overpaying the IRS, I’m here to help you make those calls with confidence. So let’s sit down together for a strategy session before year-end to build a plan that supports the future you want for your business.
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