If you're a small business owner, you know that financial management is a time-consuming job. Chances are, you already need to wear multiple hats, and it can get pretty overwhelming. The last thing you need is burnout, which is why you need to have a professional on your side. But one question you may have is whether or not you need an accountant. 

So, do you need an accountant? Absolutely! An accountant can ease that burden and make running your business easier by helping you manage finances more effectively. But how can they do that? Well, here are some ways that an accountant can help your business!

Tax Preparation

If you’re self-employed or own a small business, you may benefit from the tax preparation services offered by an accountant. Getting your taxes prepared by them rather than you yourself is strongly recommended. You’ll be subjected to audits, fines, and more if you do anything wrong. So instead, why not get an accountant who can easily handle all this?

They can help you file your taxes correctly, save you money on tax preparation fees and ensure that you’re following relevant tax laws for business owners. Plus, if you do it yourself, you may not get tax credits. Some, like the R&D Tax Credits can easily be gotten, but you need to make sure an accountant helps you out.

Financial Reporting

Financial reporting is so confusing, and there are so many steps to it. Since you’re a business owner, you must specialise in what you do best. So, why not let the accountant handle all of this financial reporting for you? An accountant can offer several financial reporting services to make things easier. 

This includes preparing profit and loss statements, cash flow overviews, balance sheets, and other documents to help you make better business decisions. While there is accountant software out there, even those can be confusing to deal with. So instead of risking getting something wrong, let them handle it.

Payroll

So, some accountants will do this regarding payroll but don’t count on the same accountant to do taxes and payroll. Payroll is a crucial part of running any business. It ensures that your employees are paid the correct amount of money each payday and that any tax deductions and payments go to the right places. 

Many accounting firms offer payroll services to their clients. This is especially helpful for growing businesses and taking on new staff. You can at least look into hiring a firm, so you get all the accountant specialists you need under one roof.

Business Planning

Accountants aren't just for filing taxes and bookkeeping--they can also help you with business planning. A well-written plan will set milestones and goals that your business can reach and will keep you on track to achieve them. A business plan will include financial projections and estimates, which will show the cash flow your business needs to succeed.

It will also include a break-even analysis, showing the sales needed to cover all costs and expenses. Usually, it’s managerial accountants that will do this for you.