The reason I ask is..........

TYPICALLY........typically........the cost to actually do the tax return by itself is nominal. If a person gives me the data, and says do not worry about putting a balance sheet in with the corporate return, I will live with the numbers I give you, and the number of new purchases of depreciable items are few, say, 5 or fewer........

then putting the data into the forms, with current level of preparation software, is just not a big deal........maybe 2 hours........ 300.00--400.  Add another hour for dicking around with efiling and administrative matters........say 400--500 should buy the return.

However..........the real kicker is the quality of the bookkeeping-------- that sets the level of the entire quality of the tax return and knowing for sure whether or not the tax is the minimum allowable.

We have had all too many times incidences of things like loan deposits getting into the sales columns/accounts........equipment that is 100% financed not being presented for depreciation, ........etc etc.etc etc.

Those kinds of oops can only be highlighted if a good, balanced set of books is presented.

If I know---reasonably certain--- the numbers are solid........I can do all kinds of "miracles"......... and the overall time is extremely short for the tax prep side.

If I am not sure about the quality of the numbers.........then, frankly, we typically refuse to do the return with those numbers.

Too much chance of blowback.......from IRS, from a client who eventually finds out his taxes are overstated..........lots of possibilities.

And.......the "set of books" does not have to be some sophisticated electronic result......just an organized spread sheet that can be tied to the bank balance/statements.

I have one farmer........in his mid-70's........who typically pays tax on about 200,000 taxable........and his wife merely puts all the transactions in his "farm" account on a set of manual spreadsheets.

I scan each sheet, each year, ask questions about transactions that are not clear to me, keep copies.........and accumulate the data in our own spreadsheets.

We don't need a balance sheet.........but I always ask whether or not the transactions are all of the transactions that hit the bank account-------- and she tells me how she reconciles the spreadsheets with the statements.

And.......this guy is a sharp dude, and takes responsibility..........but I still keep copies of those spreadsheets.

As I recall, his annual bill is about 1200--1500.........and that includes the periodic questions during the year, and sometimes some tax planning..........so, it is not a huge amount.