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Is your CPA going to get clean books this year, or a scavenger hunt?

Tax season feels far away in November. It isn’t. The trades owner who waits until March ends up digging through truck consoles for receipts while the CPA sends a third email asking about the same transfer.

The shoebox is a classic. It has never once balanced.

The time your CPA spends untangling your books is time they can’t spend on the work you actually hired them for. Here’s what they need, and how to have it ready weeks early.

What Belongs on Your CPA’s Desk

Every CPA has their own list, so ask for yours. Most of it comes down to four things.

1. Final numbers they can trust. A year-end P&L and balance sheet, with every bank and credit card account reconciled through December 31.
2. Big purchases and debt. Purchase paperwork for trucks and equipment bought this year, plus year-end statements for every loan and line of credit.
3. Payroll and subcontractor records. Your year-end payroll reports, W-2s, 1099s, and a W-9 on file for every sub.
4. Your open jobs. Contracts still in progress, retainage you’re owed, and retainage you’re holding.

That last one gets missed a lot. If you’re running commercial jobs across the calendar year, your CPA can’t see what’s still open just by looking at your bank account.

Also flag anything unusual. Owner draws, a personal expense on the company card, a loan from a family member. Your CPA decides how those get treated. They just can’t decide on something they don’t know about.

The Deadline That Comes First

Form 1099-NEC is due February 1, 2027, to both the IRS and your subs. That’s weeks ahead of the rest of tax season, and it’s the one that catches trades owners off guard.

The threshold also changed this year. For payments made in 2026, you generally file a 1099-NEC when you’ve paid a sub $2,000 or more, up from $600. So don’t rely on last year’s list. Run the totals by sub.

The real headache is chasing W-9s in January from a sub who finished your job in April. Collect the missing ones now, while everyone still answers your calls.

Not sure who needs one? That’s a question for your CPA, and a much better one to ask in November than in January.

How to Get Ahead of It

You don’t need a big year-end push. You need three short months.

1. November: Reconcile your accounts through October. Ask your CPA for their list. Chase missing W-9s.
2. December: Pull your equipment paperwork and loan statements. List your open jobs and retainage. Clear out anything still sitting uncategorized.
3. January: Close December. Get your 1099s out by February 1. Send your CPA the full package.

Do that, and your CPA gets clean numbers weeks before everyone else’s shoebox shows up.

This is the part I handle. I keep the books clean and tax-ready every month, and I work directly with your CPA, so nothing gets lost between us. You’ll work with me, Laura, every time.

If your books aren’t where they need to be for year-end, let’s talk.