Client Guides practical steps, in order.

Getting started in the TaxDome portal

Your first visit, step by step

1. 01 Accept your invitation

   When we open your account, you receive an email invitation to set up portal access. Use it to create your login.

2. 02 Secure your login

   Choose a strong password you do not use anywhere else, and turn on any added sign-in protection the portal offers.

3. 03 Review and sign

   Your engagement letter and any other documents that need your signature appear in the portal for e-signature.

4. 04 Upload your documents

   Upload files to your account instead of attaching them to email. Complete, readable scans with descriptive file names help us find what we need.

5. 05 Message us there

   Send questions about your account through portal messages, so the conversation stays with your documents.

A year-end checklist for business owners

Work through these as the year closes. Each one makes the books, payroll filings, and returns that follow more accurate.

• Reconcile every bank, credit card, and loan account through the last day of the year.
• Review open invoices and unpaid bills, and follow up on anything past due or no longer collectible.
• If you carry inventory, count it at year-end and keep the count sheets.
• Collect a Form W-9 from every contractor you paid, and confirm their payment totals for Forms 1099.
• Confirm payroll records, including owner wages, bonuses, and benefits paid through payroll.
• Gather invoices and closing documents for equipment, vehicles, and other major purchases or sales.
• Identify personal expenses paid from business accounts, and record owner contributions and draws.
• Bring mileage logs and travel records up to date.
• Schedule a planning conversation with us before the year ends, while there is still time to act.

What to gather for your individual return

Upload what applies to you through the portal. If you are new to TreeStar, include your prior-year federal and state returns.

• Wages: Forms W-2 from every employer.
• Other income: Forms 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-K, and 1099-G, and Schedules K-1 from partnerships, S corporations, estates, or trusts.
• Investments: Forms 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, and 1099-B, plus records of any digital asset sales.
• Retirement and Social Security: Forms 1099-R and SSA-1099.
• Estimated tax payments: dates and amounts paid to the IRS and to your state.
• Home and property: Form 1098 for mortgage interest, property tax bills, and closing statements for any purchase or sale.
• Education and health: Forms 1098-T and 1098-E, Form 1095-A if you had Marketplace coverage, and Forms 1099-SA and 5498-SA for a health savings account.
• Deductions and credits: charitable contribution receipts, and child and dependent care provider details and amounts paid.
• Rental or business activity: income and expense summaries, or access to your books.
• Agency letters: any notices from the IRS or a state tax agency received during the year.
• Life changes: a short note on anything new this year, such as a marriage, a new dependent, a move, or a new business.

First steps when you receive an IRS or state notice

1. 01 Do not ignore it

   Open every letter from the IRS, the Franchise Tax Board, CDTFA, or EDD when it arrives. Notices carry response dates, and letting one sit can narrow your options and allow penalties and interest to grow.

2. 02 Read every page before you call

   Read the full notice before you contact anyone. Note the notice or letter number, the tax year or period, and any amount shown.

3. 03 Note the deadline

   Find the response date and put it on your calendar. It is often the most important line on the page.

4. 04 Confirm it is genuine

   Tax agencies generally make first contact by mail. Be wary of unexpected calls, texts, or emails that demand immediate payment, and use contact details from the agency's official website, not from a message you are unsure about.

5. 05 Send it to us through the portal

   Upload every page through TaxDome and tell us anything you have already done in response. We will help you understand your options before you sign or agree to anything and, with your authorization, can respond for you.

Keeping records your bookkeeper can use

Good books start with records that are complete, consistent, and easy to match to a transaction. These habits make that possible.

• Keep business and personal spending in separate bank and credit card accounts.
• Capture receipts when you spend, with a short note on the business purpose for meals, travel, and gifts.
• Get a Form W-9 from each contractor before you pay them.
• Keep loan statements, leases, and financing agreements, not just a record of the payments.
• Record owner contributions and draws as they happen, not at year-end.
• Keep a mileage log as you drive if you use a vehicle for business.
• Save sales reports and deposit details that show what each deposit includes.
• Tell us about new accounts, loans, or major purchases when they happen, not at tax time.

How long to keep records

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