E-file Form 7004 with ExpressExtension

We’re nearly a full month into the new year, and less than a month and a half away from the business tax deadline. Even if you have the smallest inkling that you’re not yet prepared to file, you can benefit greatly from e-filing a Form 7004 through ExpressExtension.

IRS Form 7004
If your business is classified as a Multi-Member LLC, C-Corporation, S-Corporation, Partnership, Trust, or Estate, then you’re eligible to e-file a business tax extension for an automatic 6-month extension of time. For certain Partnerships, Trusts, and Estates, you may only be qualified for an extension of up to five months.

Important: Tax extensions of any kind are only meant to extend the time you have to file - not the time you have to pay. Any taxes owed are required to be paid before the original due date.

E-filing Made Simple
Transmitting your extension forms to the IRS couldn’t be made any easier. All you need to do is create your FREE account, start a new extension form, enter the required information, then authorize and transmit to the IRS.

The required information may include an estimate of the total income tax payment for the filing year. If you don’t know the exact amount, you can make an educated guess or you can use the same amount that was due from your previous year filing. Either way, you’ll want to give the most accurate account possible.

When You E-file Form 7004
We’ll automatically check over your extension form and make sure it’s free of any errors. Afterwards, your form will be electronically sent to the IRS. You’ll receive an email notification that your extension has been transmitted along with access to your completed form from the Dashboard.

You’ll get another email notification once the IRS has either accepted or rejected your form. If it is rejected, our program will point out the reason and where you can edit the form. After you’ve made your corrections, you can re-transmit the form at no extra cost.

While our goal is to provide you with an effortless e-file experience, we also understand that taxes are something that shouldn’t be taken too lightly. So if you have any questions or need more assistance with the e-filing process, give our live expert team in Rock Hill, South Carolina a call at (803) 514-5155. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Or reach us 24/7 at support@expressextension.com.

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Building Better Relationships

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you do more than just crunch numbers for your clients. You’re seen as a tax advisor. Many financial decisions require your professional input - decisions that can affect individuals well into their foreseeable futures. What clients really want is a CPA that they can trust beyond the regular tax forms.

To obtain this trust, a devoted relationship has to be established with the client. And it doesn’t just come from the work you do for the client. Think about it - you can have the same cashier ring up your items every time, for the past few years. And you still wouldn’t know much about them. The work is establishing the relationship, and with these steps, you can start building momentous relationships with your clients.

Step 1 - Identification
You first need to identify who your best clients are - who they really are. Who fits the mold as the “best client?” If you have so many, then you obviously can’t dig deep with each of them all at once. Decide who would be most receptive to a deeper commitment from you - go with that client.

Step 2 - Effort & Time
Nothing happens overnight - anything worth having follows a process. With everything you probably have going on with B and C clients, it’s imperative you make a priority to give time to your A clients - the best clients.

Step 3 - Communication
You hear it time and time again, the worst deal breaker in relationships is lack of communication. As you spend more time with your client, your communication skill should be developing better. You’re not talking for the sake of talking, but speaking with a purpose. Speak beyond just the balance sheet and watch how the conversation becomes deeper, impactful, and valuable.

Step 4 - Trust Beyond a Tax Return
As the communication deepens with the client, so will the trust. With trust - an essential aspect of any real relationship - you’ll begin to understand the expectations of your client. Once you know what your client expects, you can become proactive about their needs instead of reactive.

Step 5 - Become What They Value
When communication is better, the trust deepens - and this changes the view from anticipated value to acquired value. The appreciation will no longer be expressed toward the solutions, but toward you as the CPA. Solutions can be obtained from anyone, anywhere, but a CPA that’s in sync with the client is difficult to find.

Step 6 - Aim For a Goal
The main goal is a genuine relationship with your client. But what are some smaller goals that can lead to the main goal? What can you achieve right now - in small doses - that can inch you ever closer to the ultimate prize? Everything you do for the client should be to strengthen the relationship; you should let them know it as well. Each action is done with a purpose, and not just for the sake of completing work.

Step 7 - Authenticity
“It’s just business, never personal.” The sooner you get rid of that sentiment, the better off you’ll be. In any situation, we’re taught not to “wear your heart on your sleeve.” But here’s the underlining fact, all relationships require some sort of personal investment, and business is possible in all relationships. At times, trust comes from being real and having heart. Remember the main goal - can you achieve that being heartless?

You may think this goes far beyond the scope of a normal CPA - that’s the point. You’re not the average CPA in a long search engine results list. To be the exception, you must first be exceptional.

And it starts by making time for the client. So get yourself more time for federal returns with ExpressExtension. With our service you can e-file a business, personal, or exempt organization tax return and get approved within minutes. After you transmit to the IRS, you can receive access to your completed extension form and approval letter.

For questions or assistance with e-filing any of our tax extensions, call our live support team in Rock Hill, South Carolina at (803) 514-5155. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. You can also get in touch with us 24/7 at support@expressextension.com.

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For All The Wrong Reasons…

After some serious thought, you want to go into business for yourself - that’s a huge step. Even people with experience, financial backing, and a business plan the size of an encyclopedia claim that it’s still very difficult. Not to deter you from your dream, but have you sat down and discovered why you honestly want to start your own business?

It’s a known fact that 8 out of 10 start-up businesses fail within the first two years of operation. The reason that they failed could be a combination of many things, but are you ready to risk significant amounts of time and money in a half-hearted attempt? If your reasons are similar to what’s listed below, you might want to re-think your decision.

Sucky Job / Superfluous Complex
You have a seething hatred for your current job. Everything about it ticks you off - from the co-workers to the customers, the assignments, and let’s not even mention the boss. You can never perform well because you’re assigned unfavorable tasks and others are either messing up or not meeting your expectations. If you had your own company, you’d be set.

You might be set for failure. Running a company means being responsible for everything, not just the duties you like. And you’ll quickly find out that customers and sales don’t necessarily follow expectations - no matter how perfect you think you did things. You’ll probably feel better with just new employment.

Crazy Cash Flow / Personal-Business Partner
You’ve got dollar signs for eyes and a business partner that’s either a family member, significant other, or childhood friend. Owning a business does not guarantee instant wealth. It may happen, but visit your neighborhood “ma & pa” shop and ask how often.

Your business/buddy may have the greatest venture idea ever. But if you both have never worked together, or have a history of working poorly with each other, you probably should decline. A failed business relationship often preludes to a failing personal relationship - is it worth the risk?

Rockstar Mentality / Loan Fisherman
All the entrepreneurs and business moguls that you admire, or hate, are constantly the hottest buzz in the media. You see yourself as a witty, charismatic person; if only you had your own company, you could become the next media sensation. Or your fail-safe plan is to get a loan to support you while building your business.

Let’s entertain the fact your small business is successful. It still takes years of being in operation and hard-work before you become a blimp on any media radar - including social media. Even if you had an amazing marketing team, the point would be to market the brand - not the person behind it. And banks are extremely hesitant to hand out loans to a refutable business; let’s leave it at that.

More Free Time / True Calling
By owning your own business, there’s a misconception that you’ll have more free time to do whatever you want. That could be true - if you have employees working for you - but as a start-up, everything will be your responsibility. And yes, you can still regulate how many hours you would actually work. But you should also understand that less hours means less revenue.

It’s not all about the money though. For you, it’s the deep sense of fulfillment doing what you do. This was made for you - turning it into a profitable business is just a bonus. But you don’t know how to run or market a business. Besides, you can’t be bothered with that while working on heartfelt projects. What about the filing obligations that come with owning a business? You’ll quickly find yourself doing less of what you love and more of what is required.

These are just a few examples from a multitude of bad reasons to start a business. As mentioned before, the intention isn’t to scare you from doing what you want. The goal is to reinforce that whatever your reason is, it’s worth the constant disruption, income reduction, and stress. Because when your reason is strong, your business is strong, and the industry becomes strong. When the industry becomes strong, we all can win.

And speaking of filing obligations, don’t forget about the business returns required by the IRS. If you need more time to e-file, you can receive a 6-month business tax extension with ExpressExtension.com. All you need is your business name, address, and tax-ID or EIN to have your extension form transmitted in minutes.

The deadline for business extensions is March 15, but you can complete your extension form today and only pay when you’re ready to transmit. Our live team of e-filing experts from Rock Hill, South Carolina are ready to help when needed. Contact us at (803) 514-5155, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. You can also get in touch with us 24/7 at support@expressextension.com.

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The Balance of Work and Life

It’s been a couple of weeks now since the holidays. For some of us, the only difference between now and then were the festive decorations. You still had business calls and emails pouring in, there were unfinished assignments that you wanted to complete or catch up on, or you were just ambitious enough to stay ahead of your workload. Whatever the case had been, you found yourself missing out on relaxation time you deserved.

Now two weeks into the new year - the work is still there. However, the time meant to relax and be with family and friends is long gone. It’s easy to get lost in your work when there’s a constant need to get it done; however, it is possible to find a comfortable center between work and home.

Create a Task Arrangement
Priority is key - what needs to be done at this very moment, and what can be pushed aside? If you’re trying to get everything done before resting, you’ll soon realize that will always be something that needs to get completed. There are moments when you have to create your own down time; you should decide what can accomplished today, and what can wait until tomorrow.

Time Management
In the grand scheme of things, this entire situation is a lesson in time management. But we’re talking about actual numerical increments of time. Give yourself an hour or two to work an assignment. The keywords here are “work an assignment” - not “complete an assignment.” Once that hour or so is done, move on to something else. Don’t come back to that assignment until the next day and then work another hour or two on it.

It can even be reversed; you can schedule hourly blocks in which you won’t do any work at all. It may seem like you’re “penciling-in” free time, but it’s not as farfetched as you think. Don’t you already schedule for movie times, or when traveling someplace far? It’s the same concept for miniscule things like resting, watching television, or having dinner.

Importance on Health
Nothing will stop your work progress quicker than falling ill. Now you have no choice but to take time off; however, if you took the sufficient time away from work, you could’ve reduced stress and the risk of being a worse condition. Too much work leads to stress, and stress can lead to health problems. If nothing else motivates you to actually take some time off, your health should.

Just Say “No!”
Sometimes it isn’t your choice to be overloaded with work, but you have clients or a boss constantly requesting you to do something. And while a steady stream of work is a good thing, it’s never ok to be regularly pressured to work during weekends or on personal days. You have to establish clear boundaries and expectations of your free time.

If you’re choosing to be overloaded with work, then establish some boundaries for yourself. There’s only so much that can be accomplished at one time. And if all else fails, please remember your health.

“Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
It might seem like a trivial saying, especially if you mentally keep track of things. But think about it - you can’t answer a phone if you never hear it ring, or answer an email if you never see it. At times you just have to turn things off - shutdown the laptop, turn off the cellphone, unplug the business line, shut your eyes even. As mentioned earlier, the work will still be there, even after you turn everything back on.

Daily Goals
You have daily work goals to achieve every day, right? Why should daily personal goals be any different? Contrary to popular consensus, there’s nothing wrong with making an effort to enjoy life. It can be as small as a short nap, a dessert, or an extra hour of your favorite show. Make a list of personal things to accomplish everyday for yourself and stick with it like any other task sheet.

Taking some needed personal time away from the job is not only good for your sanity - and probably the sanity of others - but it’s also necessary for your health. The healthier you are, the more productive you’ll be in the long run. And with that being said, why not extend your tax deadlines to enjoy more “me time?”

You can quickly and easily e-file a business tax extension with ExpressExtension and receive an automatic extension for up to six months! And get this - even if you’re caught up with work, you can still e-file in minutes with our FREE mobile for iOS and Android devices.

Our forms are simplified for easy filing, but if you need more help, don’t hesitate to call our super helpful team of live experts, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to assist during your e-file experience. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST at (803) 514-5155, or send us an email message 24/7 at support@expressextension.com.

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Run a Business in 6 Steps

You have a great idea for a small business; it’s something you can provide to a massive number of people, and you can manage it quite well. So you search the internet for ways to get started, but you find yourself bombarded by lists of requirements that you have to fulfill before you can even offer your services or products. It can be overwhelming to figure out just where to start!

But like reaching any big accomplishment, you have to break the work down into simplified steps and reach small goals that lead to the bigger reward. With starting a small business, here are few easy steps to get yourself going without being too stressed.

Create a Business Plan
Before you can do anything, you need to have a plan of attack. It doesn’t have to map out the entire timeline of your business - matter of fact, it can be just a page long if you want. Just make sure it defines your vision, mission, objectives, basic strategies, and plan of action.

If any of your objectives seem overpowering, you can also break those down into more manageable steps. Your goal is to keep tasks simple and costs, both money and time, as low as possible.

Choose your Budget
Even though you’re aiming for low costs, you still need to set how much cash you’re spending on a monthly basis - this called your “burn rate.” Be realistic about your set budget, especially if funds are coming out-of-pocket, and use it to calculate how long you can be in business before making profits.

Ideally, you should build your business to turn-a-profit within the first three months. But a budget can help if things become a little tight.

Establish a Legal Entity
Do the necessary homework to become familiar with the filing fees for your city, county, and state. You have to file the required paperwork for your business, and it costs money. To be responsible for less advanced expenses and paperwork, you can file as a sole proprietor - doing so can save quite a bit of money while ascertaining the strength of your business.

Be sure to consult with a legal advisor or professional before signing any legal paperwork - what sounds good in the short run, may be detrimental long-term.

Financial Responsibility
You already got your budget set, now keep it away from any other budgets you may have. A big mistake most new small business owners make is keeping business and personal funds under one account. Not only will it make your tax season unnecessarily frustrating, but it’ll also question your validity as a business owner.

Case in point - have a separate checking account strictly for business. All you need is enough for filing paperwork, licensing information, and an initial deposit; most banks and credit unions let you open accounts for free.

Go Worldwide
Even if your small business has a physical location, an online location is just as important. Getting a website means you’ll also need a recognizable URL address along with a server provider to host your site. There are literally pages upon pages of online resources that further explain the process of getting your site set up.

If your small business was conceived online, you can link your products or services to an online storefront like Squarespace, Shopify, or other ecommerce sites.

Strength of Sales
With the groundwork laid out, you can build up some sales. Businesses geared towards a service can get in contact with other small, local businesses or the local Chamber of Commerce for available resources. For products, you can possibly test them at local swap meets, community markets, or even public events.

Draw people to your business through social media, or you can set aside some money for online advertisements. There are virtually endless possibilities to drive customers to your product or service.

With these easy steps, you test the waters of your business within the market without wasting a bunch of time or money - especially if your venture unfortunately fizzles out. And with owning a business, there comes the responsibility of IRS compliance. If you need more time to file your business taxes, you can e-file for an automatic extension, up to six months, with ExpressExtension. You don’t even have to take a break from your business - download our FREE Express7004 app for iOS/Android devices and e-file your extension on-the-go!

Feel free to contact our helpful live team of professionals, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for any questions or assistance with your e-filing experience. We’re available by phone at (803) 514-5155, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, or by 24/7 email at support@expressextension.com.

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CPA of the New Year

It’s official - the first full business week of the new year is written in the books. How are those resolutions holding up? For some of us, we have realized we bit off more than we can chew. But that’s okay, your resolutions are written on paper and not stone. And remember, you have the entire year - no need to get everything accomplished at once.

Take baby steps and have goals that are tangible and can be achieved without any drastic means. It’ll all add up, and when you look back from the end, you’ll see just how much you’ve really accomplished. So for all the certified public accountants (CPAs), here are some easy steps to get a bit more out of the year.

Make a Plan/Live the Plan
Within a structure, the foundation is everything. And once you plan out what needs to be done, you can pinpoint any strengths, weaknesses, chances, and possible threats towards completing what you need. But you can’t just talk about it, you also have to be about it. Make the necessary moves and take accountability for the success of failure of each step.

Consistency is Key!
You can’t fall on and off based on a whim. Results come from the same amount of effort - day in and day out.

Be Resourceful
Too tied up throughout the day? You have to eat, right? It may take some getting use to, but try scheduling around breakfast or dinner to meet with clients or colleagues. You can even do basic outreach during some down time. Nothing too tedious - a simple “How have you been?” can lead to some surprising results.

Identification/Participation
Acknowledge your “A” and “B” clients and invite them to take part in a one-on-one, non-payable meeting, at least once a month, where you can be proactive and learn more of their needs. Investing the extra hour off the record adds value to the relationship - plus there’s nothing a client likes more than extra attention.

Play the Matchmaker
No, we aren’t talking about being cupid, but rather connecting your clients with other essential and relevant business owners, influentials, and professionals. By helping your clients meet like-minded individuals, it demonstrates your genuine interest and repertoire of resources. A formal introduction of both parties should suffice.

Read, Read, Read!
Find out what is trending within the industry by checking your local newspaper, journals, articles, or internet sources. You can even take it a step further and reach out to those who are locally reporting these trends. Find out how you can assist in their research of the industry, or give them practical insight on a relative topic. As you reach out to help them, they’ll begin to see you as a valuable source of information. A mutually beneficial relationship can bloom as they return to you for more info and your name gets put out there through them.

Social Media
Nothing screams out “relevant” more than a commanding social media presence. Whenever you’re publically speaking, writing an article, or hosting an event, be sure to post and update through your social media channels. Don’t just post and leave - engage in some conversation. Be able to answer questions as well as ask some questions.

Welcome all Newcomers
You should make an effort to meet someone new at least every other week. Let your current contacts and clients know you’re willing to meet new people so you can add your level of expertise to their situations and they add value to your services. In return, you can offer new connections to those who have helped.

And that’s about it - a few small resolutions you can make and keep without giving up something entirely or taking on extra tasks. Of course, the best resolution for 2016 would be to have all your clients’ returns filed on time; unfortunately, the world itself isn’t that perfect. Give yourself more filing time with ExpressExtension. In minutes, you can receive an automatic extension of up to six months for business, personal, and tax-exempt returns. You can even store all your clients under one account.

2016 is also the first official year in which the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting is required from insurance companies, employers with 50+ full-time employees, and some government entities. Set up a FREE account with our friends over at ExpressIRSForms and e-file your ACA, 1099, and W-2 forms all from one service.

For any questions or assistance with e-filing our available tax extensions, feel free to give our helpful live support team, in Rock Hill, South Carolina a call at (803) 514-5155. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, or send us an email 24/7 at support@expressextension.com.

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Over The Horizon: Business Tax Returns

It’s a new year! And like a clock striking midnight, everything resets including the calendar tax year. Now we all know that taxes can be about as exciting as a stubbed toe, but you can’t take taxes too lightly - especially deadlines. One of the major tax deadlines that shows up early within the year is for businesses. But there’s no need to stress if you’re not yet ready. ExpressExtension has you covered with our simplified and quick tax extensions.

Business Extension Form 7004
Form 7004 is a business tax extension that can automatically extend your business tax deadline to either 5 or 6 months; it can be e-filed by Multi-Member LLCs, C-Corporations, S-Corporations, Partnerships, Trusts, and Estates.

Important: Depending on which tax return form you’re filing, certain Partnerships, Trusts, and Estates are only able to apply for a 5 month tax extension.

To successfully e-file your business extensions, all you need is your business name, address, and Tax-ID/EIN; however, this information has to be same as what the IRS has on record. You can double-check your information with the IRS by calling 1-800-829-4933.

Steps to E-file
It couldn’t be made more simple. Just follow these small steps and you’ll be set for the next five or six months.

• Step 1 - Create a FREE account
• Step 2 - Select Create New Extension
• Step 3 - Enter the required information 
• Step 4 - Transmit to IRS

E-file Here, There, or Anywhere
With our Express7004 app, you have the added convenience of quickly e-filing your business tax extension wherever you are. Once you’ve downloaded the FREE app for either your iOS or Android device, you can follow the same four steps mentioned earlier to successfully transmit your business extension.

The Year of the Business Forms
Don’t forget - this year also implements the required Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting, which requires health insurance companies, employers, and some government entities to provide additional tax information under IRS Section 6055 and 6056. With our affiliate site, ExpressIRSForms.com, you can complete and e-file your ACA forms along with 1099s and W-2s all in one account. Create a FREE account and get started today!

Complete your extension form right now and only pay when you’re ready to transmit. For questions or further assistance, our live support team is more than happy to help you through the e-filing process. Give us a call at (803) 514-5155, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, or send us a message 24/7 at support@expressextension.com.

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New Year, New Business

A new year often means new beginnings, and with a new beginning comes new approaches to accomplish things. For small business owners, these approaches can be geared towards getting more organized, increasing revenue, decreasing expenses, or whatever is needed to make your business more productive and successful.

With achieving any goal, you must first set them, and there isn’t a more perfect time than New Year’s to set forth attainable goals. To get your business ready for a competitive new year, here are a few resolutions to start with:

Plan in Advance
A huge step towards getting your business right is to have a formal, written plan. If you already have one, you can still make changes or update to coincide with your needs and goals for the new year. For those of you who don’t yet have a written plan, use this time to get it set up.

A written business plan can help budget your time and money as well as anticipate any hurdles throughout the year, preventing any unnecessary risks.

Check Out the Competition
It’s so important to research and recognize the competitive playing field of your market. By doing so, you can clearly grasp an understanding of the market, key competitors, and possibly establish new customers, partners, or campaigns.

Contrasting your business with the competition is a common step during the business planning process. You can also find intuitive resources online that offer awareness into the market landscape and competitors.

Evaluate your Payment Options
Now would be a great time to re-examine payment methods that you offer your customers. With the recent technological advances, accepting cards with embedded chips can strengthen security and greatly reduce the risk of fraud.

Look through the options you offer to see which can be updated, discarded, or what options can be implemented. You could increase your business by offering more convenient ways to pay such as mobile payments.

Maintain the Cash Flow
No business wants to end up paying more than they can in any given month. By developing a cash flow projection chart, you can foresee and prepare for any potential shortcomings. You can have your chart cover 12 months and update it at the end of every month, while also coming up with ideas to increase revenue and decrease expenses along the way.

With a cash flow projection chart, you can gain a sense of control over the money spent and received as well as an accurate view of the financial status of your business.

Another resolution should be to remain compliant with your annual tax filings. If you need an extension of time, you can quickly and easily e-file a business tax extension with ExpressExtension and receive an automatic 5 or 6-month extension - depending on your type of business. If you have any employees, or hired any contractors throughout the year, you can e-file 1099s or W2s with our affiliate site, ExpressIRSForms.

Our extensions are made easy, but you’ll always have the back-up support from our team of live professionals located in Rock Hill, SC. We are happy to assist with your e-filing experience or answer any questions you may have. Give us a call at (803) 514-5155, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, or send us a message 24/7 at support@expressextenion.com.

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