IRS Official Tax Guides & Resources for Small Businesses and Employers

This reference library brings together official federal and California resources for small-business owners, self-employed individuals, and employers offering employee health benefits.

You do not need to read every publication listed below. Start with the section that describes your situation, and use the links when you need definitions, forms, recordkeeping rules, or additional documentation.

• Sole proprietors and independent contractors: Start with IRS Publication 334 — Tax Guide for Small Business. You can then review our Schedule C and self-employment resources and the IRS page for the current Schedule C form and instructions.
• Employers with employees: Start with IRS Publication 15 — Employer’s Tax Guide and the employment-tax resources below.
• Employers offering health benefits: Review the employee-benefit, fringe-benefit, and Affordable Care Act sections below.
• California businesses: Also review the California EDD, Franchise Tax Board, and CDTFA resources below.

Important: Steve Shorr Insurance provides insurance information and assistance, not tax-return preparation, legal advice, or accounting services. Consult your tax professional regarding how these rules apply to your particular business.

IRS Small-Business Resources

• Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center — The main IRS starting point for business taxes, employment taxes, deductions, recordkeeping, forms, and payment information.
• Recommended Reading for Small Businesses — The IRS list of publications commonly needed by business owners.
• Guide to Business Expense Resources — Current IRS links replacing the discontinued Publication 535.
• IRS Forms, Instructions and Publications — Search for a particular federal form or publication.
• Publication 509 — Tax Calendars — Federal filing, deposit, and payment dates for employers and business owners.
• Taxpayer Bill of Rights — An explanation of taxpayer rights when dealing with the IRS.

Sole Proprietors, Independent Contractors and Schedule C

• Publication 334 — Tax Guide for Small Business — The primary IRS guide for sole proprietors and individuals reporting business income and expenses on Schedule C.
• Schedule C — Profit or Loss From Business — The official IRS page containing the current Schedule C form, instructions, and prior revisions.
• Our Schedule C and Self-Employment Resources — Plain-English explanations concerning Schedule C income, business expenses, health-insurance deductions, hobbies, home offices, and related subjects.
• Schedule SE — Self-Employment Tax — Used to calculate Social Security and Medicare taxes on net self-employment earnings.
• Form 1040-ES — Estimated Tax for Individuals — Worksheets and payment information for income not subject to sufficient withholding.
• Publication 505 — Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax — Additional guidance on withholding, estimated payments, and avoiding underpayment penalties.
• Publication 583 — Starting a Business and Keeping Records — Business setup, accounting methods, and recordkeeping guidance.
• IRS Recordkeeping Guidance — What business records should be retained and why.
• Publication 463 — Travel, Gift and Car Expenses — Business travel, mileage, meals, gifts, substantiation, and recordkeeping.
• Current IRS Standard Mileage Rates — The current business, medical, moving, and charitable mileage rates.
• Publication 587 — Business Use of Your Home — Requirements and calculation methods for a qualifying self-employed home office.
• Publication 946 — How to Depreciate Property — Depreciation, Section 179, listed property, equipment, and other business assets.
• Form 7206 — Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction — Used to calculate the allowable deduction for qualifying self-employed health-insurance premiums.
• Qualified Business Income Deduction — IRS information concerning the deduction that may apply to qualifying pass-through business income.
• Is the Activity a Business or a Hobby? — Factors the IRS considers when deciding whether an activity is operated for profit.

Employers, Payroll and Worker Classification

• Publication 15 — Employer’s Tax Guide — Federal payroll-tax responsibilities, withholding, deposits, and reporting.
• Publication 15-A — Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide — Worker classification, third-party payers, sick pay, and other specialized employment-tax subjects.
• Publication 15-B — Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits — Tax treatment of employer-provided benefits, including health benefits and other fringe benefits.
• Publication 15-T — Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Worksheets and tables for calculating payroll withholding.
• IRS Employment Taxes Center — Federal income-tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and federal unemployment-tax resources.
• Employer Identification Numbers — Information about applying for and using an EIN.
• Independent Contractor or Employee? — IRS federal worker-classification guidance.
• Publication 1779 — Independent Contractor or Employee — A shorter IRS overview of the classification factors.

Business Entities, Retirement Plans and Special Situations

• IRS Business Structures — An introduction to sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, S corporations, and limited liability companies.
• Publication 541 — Partnerships — Federal tax guidance for partnerships and partners.
• Publication 542 — Corporations — Federal tax guidance for corporations and shareholders.
• IRS S Corporation Resources — Election, filing, compensation, and shareholder information.
• Limited Liability Companies — How the IRS may treat an LLC for federal tax purposes.
• Publication 560 — Retirement Plans for Small Business — SEP, SIMPLE, and qualified retirement-plan information for self-employed individuals and small employers.
• Publication 525 — Taxable and Nontaxable Income — General guidance about different forms of income.
• Publication 531 — Reporting Tip Income — Particularly relevant to restaurants and other businesses with tipped employees.
• Publication 547 — Casualties, Disasters and Thefts — Tax treatment of qualifying losses and reimbursements.

Health Insurance, Employee Benefits and ACA Tax References

• Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions for Employers — The main IRS employer ACA information center.
• ACA Tax Provisions for Small Employers — Information aimed specifically at smaller employers.
• Small Business Health Care Tax Credit and SHOP — Official information concerning the limited Section 45R credit.
• Form 8941 — Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums — The form used to calculate a qualifying Section 45R credit.
• Publication 15-B — Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits — Tax treatment of employer-provided benefits.
• Publication 969 — HSAs and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans — Health Savings Accounts, HRAs, FSAs, and related arrangements.
• Form 7206 — Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction — Calculation of qualifying health-insurance deductions for self-employed taxpayers.
• Publication 502 — Medical and Dental Expenses — Medical-expense definitions and individual deduction rules.
• Publication 974 — Premium Tax Credit — Individual-market Premium Tax Credit and Form 8962 guidance.

California Small-Business and Employer Resources

• California EDD Employer’s Guide — California payroll-tax registration, withholding, reporting, deposits, and employer responsibilities.
• EDD Payroll Tax Forms and Publications — Current California employment-tax forms, instructions, and guides.
• California Franchise Tax Board — Small Businesses — State income-tax information for California businesses.
• California Business Filing Requirements — Filing information organized by business entity.
• CDTFA Publication 51 — Doing Business in California — Sales-and-use-tax and CDTFA registration information.
• CDTFA Industry Guides — Specialized guidance for restaurants, retailers, construction, service businesses, and other industries.
• Covered California for Small Business — Financial Help — Information about the federal small-employer health-insurance tax credit and SHOP requirements.
• Covered California for Small Business — Employer eligibility, enrollment, plans, participation, and contribution information.

Federal Employee-Benefit Compliance Resources

• U.S. Department of Labor — Health Plans — Federal health-plan administration and compliance resources for employers and advisers.
• Health Benefits Coverage Under Federal Law — Department of Labor compliance-assistance guide addressing ERISA and other federal health-benefit requirements.
• Reporting and Disclosure Guide for Employee Benefit Plans — Summary of common federal notices, reports, and disclosure obligations.
• An Employer’s Guide to Group Health Continuation Coverage Under COBRA — Federal COBRA administration and notice guidance.
• Health Benefits Advisor for Employers — An interactive Department of Labor resource for identifying federal health-plan requirements.

Our Small-Business Health Insurance and Tax Information

The official resources above provide the underlying rules. The following Steve Shorr Insurance pages explain how those rules may relate to health insurance for California employers and self-employed business owners.

• Small-Business Health Insurance Tax Credits and Deductions
• IRC Section 106 — Employer-Paid Health Insurance
• IRC Section 105 — Health Reimbursement Arrangements
• Section 125 Premium-Only Plans and Employee Contributions
• Schedule C, Self-Employment Income and Business Expense Resources
• Is It a Business or a Hobby?
• Home-Office Deduction
• Schedule 1 — Additional Income and Adjustments
• Business Meals, Gifts, Travel and Vehicle Expenses

Considering health coverage for your California business?

Compare California Small-Group Health Plans and Rates