Tax Consulting Firm & NATP Member
Business Taxes, Filed by the Team That Already Knows Your Books
Tax compliance isn't a once-a-year event — it's a year-round responsibility that can make or break a small business's bottom line. Certum Solutions handles business tax preparation and planning for S-Corps, LLCs, partnerships, C-Corps, and nonprofits across North Carolina and South Carolina, coordinated with the same team that already knows your books.
A+ BBB
BBB Accredited, Woman-owned business
Award Winning
National accounting firm
USA
Nationwide, All 50 states, remote-first
QuickBooks Solution Provider
Intuit-authorized, multi-award-winning partner
4.6/5 Google Rating
Trusted by businesses nationwide
NATP Member
National Association of Tax Professionals
Why Certum Handles Your Taxes Differently
Most CPA firms hand you off to a tax season contractor who's never seen your books. We don't. Your return is prepared by the same team doing your monthly bookkeeping, reviewed by a senior accountant, not whoever's free in April. That means fewer surprises and a return that actually reconciles with your financials because we built them.
Tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll, and fractional CFO support all live under one roof — no handoffs between vendors, no re-explaining your business each engagement. And unlike firms with a revenue floor, we work with businesses from early-stage to $30M+.
Client Types
Who We Work With
01
S-Corporations & LLCs
Form 1120-S, Schedule K-1s, officer compensation, state returns
02
Partnerships
Form 1065, partner capital accounts, multi-state allocations
03
C-Corporations
Form 1120, retained earnings, tax liability planning
04
Nonprofits & Tax-Exempt Organizations
full 990 series, SC state filings
05
Individuals with Business Interests
personal returns for owners whose business filings we already handle
06
Estates, Trusts & Gift Tax
for clients with these needs alongside their business filings
What We Do
Business Tax Preparation & Filing
We prepare and file IRS-compliant returns for every common entity structure, reviewed against your bookkeeping before anything goes out the door.
For-Profit Entities
S-Corp (Form 1120-S): officer compensation, K-1s, shareholder basis, state return
Partnership (Form 1065): capital accounts, allocations, multi-state apportionment
C-Corp (Form 1120): income, deductions, retained earnings, tax liability calculation
Late S-Corp election (Form 2553): for LLCs that should have elected earlier
S-Corp international disclosures (Forms K-2/K-3): required foreign-activity reporting, even where no direct foreign income exists
Depreciation & amortization (Form 4562): Section 179/bonus depreciation elections
Extension filing (Form 7004): Buys time on paperwork, not on payment
Estates, Trusts & Gift Tax
For clients who need it alongside their business filings, we also prepare:
Estate & Trust Returns (Form 1041): fiduciary accounting income, deductible expenses, beneficiary distributions
Estate Tax Return (Form 706): asset valuation, deductions, credits, estate tax calculation
Gift Tax Return (Form 709): annual exclusion gifts, gift-splitting elections, lifetime exemption tracking
Nonprofit Tax Compliance (Form 990 Series)
Tax-exempt status still comes with paperwork; miss three consecutive years & the IRS automatically revokes it. We file the full 990 series (990-N, 990-EZ, 990 Full, 990-T/UBIT) for the current tax year, plus SC's Annual Financial Report & Annual Registration for organizations soliciting in SC.
Individual Returns — For Business Owners We Already Serve
We prepare personal returns (Schedule C, D, E; Form 8995/8995-A for QBI; FBAR/Form 8938 for foreign accounts and assets) only for owners whose business we already file for; that's what lets us coordinate the QBI deduction and K-1 pass-through correctly instead of guessing. See our accounting software implementation services.
Filing Taxes in the Carolinas
State Filing — NC & SC, With Room to Cover More
Business and individual state returns are filed alongside your federal return as part of the standard process. Based in Monroe, NC and serving both Carolinas, we handle the state-specific detail national firms tend to skip.
For established bookkeeping or tax clients who've expanded into other states, we can take on the additional state return as part of that relationship — but North Carolina and South Carolina remain where we focus, and where we know the landscape best.
Tax Planning
Tax Planning — Where the Real Savings Happen
Filing is the end of the process. Planning is what actually lowers the bill.
Entity structure review: is LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp still the right fit at your current size?
S-Corp election timing: do self-employment tax savings outweigh the administrative cost?
Reasonable officer compensation: a defensible salary figure that balances payroll tax against distributions
Quarterly estimated payments: calculated so you're never caught off guard at year-end
Depreciation elections: Section 179/bonus timing on equipment purchases
Year-end close coordination: clean, tax-ready books before December 31
Sales Tax Compliance
Since South Dakota v. Wayfair (2018), selling across state lines; including through e-commerce — can create sales tax obligations in states where you have no physical presence. We manage this through Avalara, integrated directly into your bookkeeping.
See our full Avalara sales tax setup and compliance services →
Process
How Our Tax Process Works
Document Collection: a personalized checklist based on your entity type and prior return
Bookkeeping Review: we check your records before touching the return; flag or fix cleanup needs
Preparation & Review: return prepared, checked for missed elections; complex returns get extra scrutiny
Client Approval: a plain-English summary walkthrough before you sign
Filing & Confirmation: e-filed with IRS and state agencies, copies retained in your client portal
Let's Get Your Business Up To Date
You don't need more recommendations from someone who doesn't know your business. You need a straight answer from someone who does. Tell us where you're at; we'll tell you exactly what makes sense next. No pressure, no obligation, just clarity.
Prefer to call? (980) 210-6946
Bookkeeping Cleanup
When Cleanup Comes First
If records are incomplete, we flag or handle bookkeeping cleanup, prior-year reconciliation, and correction of misclassified income before we file — so the return is defensible, not just filed.
We also handle:
Tax extension filing (Form 7004 for businesses, Form 4868 for individuals) with coordinated estimated payments
IRS notice support: we help you understand notices and coordinate with legal counsel when representation is needed (we don't provide legal representation ourselves)
Amended returns
Records organized with Shoeboxed feed straight into this process. Learn more about our Shoeboxed integration →
Common Situations We Handle
Business owners: first-time filers, sole prop → S-Corp/LLC transitions, multi-state operations, 1099 contractor income, depreciation planning, quarterly estimates
Nonprofits: first-year 990 filings, functional expense allocation, grant reporting, UBIT, charitable registration
Individuals (existing clients): rental income, capital gains, self-employment alongside W-2, trust/estate administration, foreign account reporting, multi-state residency
Recognized in the Industry
Top QuickBooks Partner in the U.S. and 2022 Trailblazer of the Year (Intuit) · 2025 Top Clutch Financial Advising & Planning Company, NC · 2025 Top Clutch Financial Consulting, Charlotte · NATP Member · 4.6/5.0 average client rating on Google
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Only for business owners whose business returns we also handle — we don't take individual-only clients. Coordinating both usually lowers your overall tax bill.
-
Form 1120-S, K-1s for every shareholder, officer compensation reporting, state returns, plus late S-Corp elections and international disclosures (K-2/K-3) when required.
-
Yes, for clients who need it alongside business filings — Form 1041 for estates and trusts, Form 706 for estate tax, and Form 709 for gift tax.
-
Yes — the full 990 series federally, plus SC's Annual Financial Report and Annual Registration for organizations soliciting in South Carolina.
-
If you're profitable with no planning conversation happening, you're likely overpaying — especially around S-Corp election timing, equipment depreciation, or a high-revenue year. We recommend at least one planning conversation before year-end.
-
We work directly in your file. Bookkeeping clients get this built into year-end close automatically; everyone else gets a checklist and a books review before we start.
-
2–3 weeks from complete documentation. Multi-state, international, or estate/trust returns can take longer — ask about rush filing if you're against a deadline.
-
Yes — quarterly filings, W-2/1099 prep, and year-end reconciliation are part of our payroll services. Tax clients can bundle both.
Related from Certum
Related Services
Ready to Get Your Business Taxes Done Right?
Talk to our team about your filing requirements and what a full-year tax relationship looks
Based in Monroe, NC · Serving businesses throughout North Carolina and South Carolina