Schedule C for sole proprietors. Self-employment tax. Quarterly estimated payments. Home-office deduction. K-1 income from your S-Corp or partnership. Personal Form 1040 with proactive guidance for self-employed professionals — not just data entry, but actual tax planning.
TurboTax handles a W-2 employee with a few investments fine. It handles a self-employed business owner less fine. The home-office deduction is wrong half the time. The Schedule C category mappings don't match how you actually run your business. The quarterly estimated tax suggestions are based on last year's numbers, not this year's. And there's no one to ask when you hit a judgment call.
For DMV small business owners with mixed W-2 + self-employment income, K-1 distributions, multi-state filings, and home-office considerations, having a real preparer pays for itself. We coordinate your personal return with your business return so the K-1 income flows correctly. We document a defensible home-office calculation. We project quarterly estimated taxes off actual YTD income, not stale prior-year numbers.
We also catch the things software misses. The pass-through entity tax credit on your state return when your S-Corp elected PTET. The qualified business income (QBI) deduction limitations when your specified service trade crosses the income threshold. The mortgage interest tracking when you use a home office. The vehicle log requirement when you take a business mileage deduction. Software won't flag any of these. A real preparer will.
Should I take the regular home-office deduction or the simplified method?
Whichever produces the bigger deduction. The simplified method is $5 per square foot up to a max of $1,500 (300 sq ft). The regular method takes the percentage of your home used for business and applies it to mortgage interest or rent, utilities, insurance, depreciation, and other home costs. For DMV housing costs (where rent and utilities are high), the regular method usually wins for offices over ~150 sq ft. We calculate both and use whichever is higher, and we keep the substantiation in case of audit.
How do you coordinate my personal and business returns?
They're prepared together. Your S-Corp's Form 1120-S generates K-1 distributions that flow into your personal Form 1040 Schedule E. Your reasonable W-2 compensation flows through Schedule SE. Any state tax credits from PTET elections at the entity level get claimed on your personal state return. Doing both returns under one preparer eliminates the data-handoff errors that happen when business is at one firm and personal is at another.
How much does personal tax preparation cost?
Simple W-2 + 1099 + investment income returns are $250-400. Schedule C self-employment with home office and quarterly estimates is $400-650. Multi-state, multiple K-1s, or rental properties run $650-1,200. We quote a flat fee at the consultation, not hourly. If you're a business client (weekly bookkeeping or business tax prep), the personal return is discounted because the data overlap is significant.
Every Personal Tax Preparation client across the DMV gets the complete service. Plus a free business CRM that replaces tools costing $260–$880/month.
If any of these hit home, we should talk. Free 15-minute consultation, no pressure.
Book a free call →From government contractors to restaurants, our bookkeeping clients span every corner of the DMV economy. We understand the unique financial pressures of your industry.
Serving businesses in Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, Columbia Heights, Shaw, Logan Circle and surrounding areas including Chevy Chase DC, Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Brookland. Zip codes served: 20001, 20002, 20003, 20004, 20005, 20006, 20007, 20008, 20009, 20010, 20011, 20012.
We're not a national chain. We understand DC, Maryland, and Virginia tax rules, industry mix,and what government contractors owners in Washington actually need from their bookkeeper.
We serve small businesses across the DMV, Maryland, and Virginia.
All services designed for Washington DC small businesses.
Free 15-minute call. No pressure. We'll tell you exactly what you need and what it costs — no mystery pricing.