What Can Accountants in Sarasota, FL Do for Small Businesses?

Running a business in Sarasota means balancing seasonality, staffing, and growth—while staying compliant and tax-smart. The right Sarasota accountant delivers a reliable monthly close, proactive tax planning, and clear dashboards so you can make better decisions. Henriquez Accounting & Tax Services supports Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice—locally or fully remote. Explore Bookkeeping, Outsourced Controller/CFO, and Tax Preparation.

Core Services Sarasota Businesses Rely On

• Monthly Bookkeeping & Close: reconciliations (bank/credit/merchant), clean coding, and on-time P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow.
• Tax Preparation & Planning: business returns (1120S/1065/1120), owner 1040/Schedules C & E, quarterly estimates, and year-end strategy.
• Payroll: setup, processing, filings (941/940/state), and reasonable compensation guidance for S-Corps.
• Sales & Use Tax: registrations and filings where required; e-commerce nexus and marketplace facilitator rules.
• Cleanup & Catch-Up: fix prior-year books, reclassify, tie loan/depreciation schedules, and prepare for diligence or lending.
• Entity Setup & S-Corp Election: structure selection, salary vs. distributions modeling, and documentation.
• Controller/CFO Advisory: pricing/margins, 13-week cash forecasts, KPI dashboards, budgets, and bank packages.
• IRS/State Notices & Representation: handled by an Enrolled Agent with clear next steps and timelines.

Who We Serve Around Sarasota

• Restaurants & hospitality: seasonality planning, sales/tourist tax coordination, labor KPIs.
• Trades & contractors: job costing, W-9/1099 workflow, equipment capitalization.
• Real estate investors & agents: rentals/STRs, depreciation schedules, cost seg coordination.
• Health & professional services: S-Corp planning, accountable plans, subscription invoicing/AR cadence.
• E-commerce: SKU mapping, merchant fee reconciliation, multistate sales tax review.

Local Considerations (Sarasota • Manatee • Florida)

• No state income tax: federal planning drives most savings; get quarterly estimates and compensation right.
• Tourism-driven seasonality: build cash reserves and staffing plans around peak/shoulder seasons.
• Short-Term Rentals (STRs): some jurisdictions assess tourist/bed taxes; align registrations and filings where required.

Our Cadence (Month–Quarter–Year)

Monthly

• Reconcile accounts; classify with audit-ready notes; deliver P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow.
• AR/AP aging with actions; update 13-week cash forecast; enforce bank rules.
• Sales tax filings (where applicable); W-9 collection for contractors.

Quarterly

• Estimated tax projections & vouchers; payroll and compliance checkups.
• KPI dashboard review: margins, runway/DSCR, DSO/DPO/DIO; pricing tune-ups.

Annually

• 1099-NEC/1099-MISC e-filing; fixed-asset roll-forward & depreciation.
• Entity/comp review; return prep with next-year planning.

Tip: A documented monthly close checklist and set due dates are the difference between reactive books and decision-ready financials.

Common (Costly) Mistakes We Fix

• Mixing personal & business spend; unreconciled months; suspense balances.
• Ignoring sales/tourist tax registration or filing obligations for STRs/e-commerce.
• Owner draws coded as expenses; loan principal recorded as income.
• No quarterly estimates → penalties and cash crunches.
• Overbuilt or messy chart of accounts; hard-to-read financials.

What You’ll Get When You Work With Us

• Clean, reconciled books every month and a reliable close cadence.
• Quarterly tax projections with due dates and vouchers.
• Payroll, sales/possible tourist tax help, and notice handling—done correctly.
• Owner dashboard: margins, cash runway, DSO/DPO/DIO, and red-flag alerts.
• Local knowledge with modern remote convenience.

 Book a 30-Minute Consultation

FAQs

Do I need a local Sarasota accountant or is remote fine?

Both work. We can meet locally around Sarasota/Manatee or operate fully remote with secure tools. Many clients start hybrid, then go remote.

How quickly can you start?

Access & checklist in week 0–1, cleanup weeks 2–4, then into a steady monthly close cadence with quarterly planning.

Can you help with S-Corp setup and reasonable salary?

Yes—entity choice, S-Corp timing, compensation modeling, payroll setup, and documentation to support reasonable comp.

Do you fix prior returns and messy QuickBooks files?

Absolutely—cleanup, reclassifications, prior-period adjustments, amended returns when needed, and a forward-looking process so you stay clean.

Do you work with my industry?

Yes—restaurants/hospitality, trades, e-commerce, real estate, and professional services. We tailor workflows and KPIs by industry.

Ready to work with a Sarasota accountant who keeps you proactive?

From monthly books to tax planning and payroll, we’ll implement a system that’s simple, accurate, and on time—every month. Talk to an Enrolled Agent today. Schedule Consultation