Bookkeeping and tax returns for St. Petersburg businesses
SF Business Solutions keeps the books, runs payroll and prepares and files the tax returns for small businesses in St.
Petersburg and across Pinellas County. The work happens in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file, and our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, across the bay. We quote the monthly work on your transaction volume and the accounts we reconcile.
What St. Petersburg businesses ask us for
St. Petersburg runs on independent restaurants and bars, hotels and short-term rentals, marine and boating businesses, studios, agencies and a growing set of small technology firms. Most come to us because the books have fallen behind the growth, or because the person who kept them has left.
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, tips, W-2s and contractor 1099s
- Florida sales tax, the federal return and Form F-1120 where it applies
St. Petersburg at a glance
Who we are, what we do for a St. Petersburg business, and what the state asks of it.
| Detail | What applies to a St. Petersburg 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 | Pinellas County, Florida |
| Nearest address | Our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, across the bay. 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 |
Hospitality, rentals and agencies
Hospitality books live or die on three reconciliations: the point-of-sale total, the card processor deposit and the bank. Tips and sales tax sit inside the first and must come out before anything means what it says. We do that monthly, which is also what makes the sales tax return match the books.
Short-term rental owners have a different problem. Airbnb and Vrbo report gross booking value, deduct their fee and often collect and remit some of the tax themselves, so the payout is not revenue. Recording the payout as income overstates the fee deduction and understates the revenue. We record the gross, the fee and the tax separately.
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
Most owners pay a bookkeeper through the year and a preparer in the spring, and the handover between them is charged for twice.
Best for a St. Petersburg 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 asks for an audited statement, that is available through our CPA partner firms.
Our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, across the bay, 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.
SF Business Solutions is very diligent and responsive. I can tell they are passionate about their work, which I particularly appreciate about them. My project was rather complex but they managed to get it done according to my needs.
Do you have an office in St. Petersburg?
No. Our Florida business address is in Gibsonton, across the bay, and it is not a walk-in location. We work by video, phone and email.
How much does bookkeeping cost in St. Petersburg?
We quote it on transaction volume, the accounts we reconcile, and whether you run payroll or hold inventory.
Do you work with restaurants and bars?
Yes. We reconcile the point-of-sale system, the card processor and the bank each month, and separate tips and sales tax so the returns match the books.
How should Airbnb payouts be recorded?
As gross booking value, platform fee and tax, recorded separately. Booking the payout as income understates revenue and overstates the deduction.
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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