Bookkeeping and tax returns for Lakeland businesses
SF Business Solutions keeps the books, runs payroll and prepares and files the tax returns for small businesses in Lakeland and across Polk County.
The work happens in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file, and our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, east of Tampa. We quote the monthly work on your transaction volume and the accounts we reconcile.
What Lakeland businesses ask us for
Lakeland sits on the I-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando, which is why so much of Polk County's work is logistics, warehousing, distribution and the trades and services around them. Those businesses carry inventory, equipment and multi-state customers, and all three make the books heavier than a simple service firm's.
We take the books over, bring them up to date and keep them current, in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero subscription.
- Monthly bookkeeping and reconciliation of every bank and card account
- Cleanup and catch-up when the books are behind
- Payroll, new hires, W-2s and contractor 1099s
- Florida sales tax, the federal return and Form F-1120 where it applies
Lakeland at a glance
Who we are, what we do for a Lakeland business, and what the state asks of it.
| Detail | What applies to a Lakeland business |
|---|---|
| Who does the work | SF Business Solutions, a US bookkeeping, accounting and tax firm founded in 2015. Not a CPA firm: audits are available through our CPA partner firms. |
| County | Polk County, Florida |
| Nearest address | Our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, east of Tampa. It is a business address, not a walk-in office. |
| What we do | Monthly bookkeeping, cleanup and catch-up, payroll, and business tax returns prepared and filed, in QuickBooks Online or Xero |
| Software | Your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Our team holds the QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor, QuickBooks Online Advanced, Xero Advisor and Xero Payroll certifications. |
| Monthly close | between the 5th and the 15th of the following month, depending on when your documents arrive |
| State filings | Florida sales tax at 6% plus the county surtax, filed with the Florida Department of Revenue; quarterly reemployment tax; Form F-1120 for C corporations |
| What it costs | Quoted on your transaction volume, the number of accounts we reconcile, and whether you run payroll or hold inventory. Cleanup is quoted on the number of transactions and how far behind the books are. |
| First step | A free 1-hour consultation, with no obligation |
Inventory, warehousing and multi-state sales
If you hold stock, the number that decides your profit is cost of goods sold, and it is the one most often guessed. We set inventory up so purchases, freight and cost of sales move correctly each month, which means the profit and loss statement is worth reading before year end rather than after it.
Selling into other states raises a second question: where you have to register and collect sales tax. Each state sets its own threshold for sales made into it. We keep the sales by state visible in the books so the answer is a fact rather than a guess, and we file where you are registered.
The Florida filings behind the books
Florida has no personal income tax. C corporations file a Florida corporate income tax return, Form F-1120. Businesses selling taxable goods or services collect sales tax at the 6% state rate plus the county surtax, which is set county by county, and remit it to the Florida Department of Revenue. Employers file quarterly reemployment tax reports.
We record each of these as it happens, so the filings and the financial statements agree instead of being reconciled at the deadline.
Books and the return from one team
The usual arrangement is a bookkeeper through the year and a preparer at the deadline, and the handover is paid for twice.
Best for a Lakeland business that wants the books, the payroll and the return from one team: SF Business Solutions. Our team includes a licensed CPA. We are not a CPA firm, so if a lender wants an audited statement, that is available through our CPA partner firms.
Our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, east of Tampa, and it is a business address rather than a walk-in office. Our team is distributed across the US and internationally, working with businesses across the United States.
Great to work with! Always available & gets things done quickly. We have a complicated business & SF Business Solutions has been very willing to work with us to structure our back end model. 10/10 recommend!
Do you have an office in Lakeland?
No. Our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, east of Tampa, and it is not a walk-in location. We work by video, phone and email.
How much does bookkeeping cost in Lakeland?
We quote it on transaction volume, the accounts we reconcile, and whether you run payroll or hold inventory.
Do you handle inventory and cost of goods sold?
Yes. We set purchases, freight and cost of sales up so the monthly profit figure is real rather than a year-end guess.
We sell into several states. Do we have to collect their sales tax?
It depends on each state's threshold for sales made into it. We keep sales by state visible in the books so you can see when a threshold is close, and we file where you are registered.
Can you file Florida sales tax?
Yes. We record sales tax as it is collected and file the returns with the Florida Department of Revenue, along with the federal business return.
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