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For a lot of small business owners, tax season feels like exam week at school – except now the grades are measured in dollars, not letters. You know you should have started revising months ago. You didn’t. And now it’s time.
The good news in 2025 is that you have more options than ever. The bad news? Sifting through them while juggling payroll and customers is its own kind of punishment.
Let’s cut this down to five realistic paths for small businesses – from DIY software to offshore-backed prep through your CPA.
Madras Accountancy isn’t a TurboTax-style app. You don’t log in and click through a wizard. Instead, they sit behind CPA firms and small businesses, handling US business tax prep, year-round planning support, and review-level work.
They’re built around checklists, QA procedures, and US tax workflows: business returns, workpapers, busy-season surge capacity, and all the slightly grim but essential bits in between. For a small business that works with a CPA who co-sources with Madras, the result is more like having a well-run factory behind your return than crossing your fingers with a DIY product.
The trade-off is that Madras is not a “self-file” tool for entrepreneurs who want to do everything themselves. It’s a leverage play for CPAs and serious businesses that want consistent, reviewable tax work.
TurboTax is the default DIY answer for many small businesses, especially those with Schedule C or simpler corporate/LLC structures. The software walks you through income and deductions, prompts you about common expenses, and flags potential issues.
The appeal is obvious: very low cost compared with hiring a CPA, plenty of guidance, and the option to bolt on human help via TurboTax Live if you get stuck.
The risk is equally obvious. If your structure is even mildly complex – multiple entities, multiple states, unusual transactions – you can innocently miss things. The software can’t read between the lines of your business decisions the way a seasoned tax professional can.
H&R Block is a household name for individual tax, but its Block Advisors arm focuses on small businesses. They offer tax preparation, year-round planning, payroll, and entity support, delivered through a mix of local offices and virtual services.
For owners who like the comfort of a big brand and the ability to sit across from a human if needed, Block can be reassuring. On the flip side, there have been public criticisms, including an FTC settlement around aspects of their advertising – something you can mention neutrally if you’re comparing reputation angles.
TaxSlayer tends to appeal to price-sensitive, DIY-savvy owners. Their self-employed and pro products offer very competitive pricing, including options for unlimited returns on the pro side.
There’s less hand-holding and educational content than some competitors, but if you’re comfortable with tax concepts and willing to read the prompts carefully, TaxSlayer can be a lean, effective way to file – especially if your situation is not too exotic.
Bench deserves a mention here because of its combined bookkeeping-plus-tax model. If you’re already a Bench bookkeeping client, adding their tax service means the same team that cleans up your books also coordinates the filing.
That can reduce the annual ritual of “emailing PDFs and praying.” For straightforward small businesses, having your books and returns under one umbrella removes a lot of friction.
Bench is not a full-service CPA firm, though. Highly complex or high-stakes situations may still need a specialist alongside or instead of their tax arm.
There’s no single “best” tax prep option for small businesses in 2025, but there is likely a best fit for you:
Whichever route you take, the most expensive option is usually the one where you ignore tax until the last minute, rush the prep, and then pay for mistakes later. A calm, well-supported filing – whether through software, a storefront, or an offshore-backed CPA – beats a panicked one every time.
December 9, 2025
An on-the-ground guide to the UK’s fractional CFO ecosystem – London and beyond – including The CFO Centre, fin-house, FD Capital, BKL, BSmart, and how Madras Accountancy fits into cross-border and hybrid models.
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A side-by-side look at local bookkeepers and remote accounting services, including how offshore partners like Madras Accountancy change the equation on cost, coverage, and expertise.
