The last three months of the year decide how calm your tax season will be. By January, the year is closed and most of what shapes your return is already set. Here is the short answer. Year-end tax planning comes down to three things: get your books current, know what you will owe, [...]

Whether a worker is a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor is not a business preference call — the IRS decides by control. Get it wrong and you risk back taxes, penalties, and lawsuits.