Business Tax · S-Corp
S-Corp Tax Preparation in Raleigh, NC
1120-S filing, reasonable compensation, and owner 1040 coordination — from the CPA who already manages your books, not a preparer meeting you for the first time in March.
An S-Corp election is a tax decision layered on top of an LLC or corporation — it changes how the IRS taxes your profit, not what kind of legal entity you are. Done right, it can meaningfully reduce self-employment tax. Done wrong — bad salary number, missed election deadline, distributions that don't match basis — it creates an audit risk instead of savings. This is where we spend most of our tax-side attention.
What's Involved
What we actually do for an S-Corp client
1120-S Preparation
The S-Corp return itself, plus K-1s for every shareholder, prepared by the CPA who already has your books.
Election Mechanics & Timing (Form 2553)
Filed correctly and on time. Miss the window and you're taxed as something else for a year you didn't plan for.
Reasonable Compensation Analysis
The salary the IRS actually expects you to pay yourself, documented — not a guess that invites an audit.
Owner 1040 Coordination
Your individual return, prepared alongside the entity return by the same CPA, so K-1 income lands correctly the first time.
Basis Tracking
What you can actually deduct and distribute tax-free depends on a number almost nobody tracks correctly. We do.
Distributions vs. Payroll
Getting the split right is the entire point of the election. Getting it wrong is the most common way owners lose the benefit.
An S-Corp election isn't permanent, and it isn't always right
The election trades a simpler return for potential savings — but only above a certain profit level, and only if you're willing to run payroll and file a separate return every year. Below that level, or in a year where profit drops, the paperwork can cost more than it saves.
We'll tell you when that's the case instead of leaving an election running because it's always been running. For the fuller breakdown of how the decision actually works in North Carolina, see S-Corp vs. LLC Taxes in North Carolina.
S-Corp Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What owners ask before making — or reconsidering — the election.
Get a fixed-fee quote for your S-Corp return
Answer a few questions about your business. You'll have a tailored, fixed-fee quote from Andrew within one business day.