Aurora tax preparation and accounting

Choose the scope before choosing the professional

Describe the work you want completed: an annual business return, your owner’s individual return, overdue bookkeeping, payroll review, or recurring city filings. For each task, name the period, records available, and result you expect. Ask whether the professional will prepare the work, review it, file it, or advise you while you file.

If you sell goods or provide taxable services, ask about Aurora sales-tax experience. The city taxes retail sales and rentals of tangible personal property and certain listed services. Give the accountant a description of what you sell and where you deliver it, rather than asking them to infer your obligations from an industry label. [1]

For ongoing accounting, request a monthly work plan that names who reconciles bank accounts, reviews purchases for use tax, prepares city returns, and authorizes payments. Keep annual income-tax preparation as an explicit item in the agreement. This gives you a way to compare offers with different service bundles.

Check credentials and notice support

The IRS requires anyone preparing a federal tax return for compensation to have a PTIN and enter it on the return filed with the IRS. A PTIN alone does not establish a preparer’s education or business-tax expertise. Ask about their training and experience with your entity type and accounting records. [4]

Enrolled agents, CPAs, and attorneys have unlimited representation rights before the IRS, including audits, collection matters, and appeals. A preparer with only a PTIN and no other qualifying credential or Annual Filing Season Program participation has no IRS representation authority for current returns. Some other preparers have limited rights. Match the professional’s authority to any unresolved notice. [4]

Ask who will answer questions after filing and whether notice responses require a separate fee. If you already have a notice, provide the complete document and response date when requesting help. Confirm whether the engagement covers federal, Colorado, or Aurora matters; do not assume IRS representation includes city-tax work.

Compare fees against the same records and deliverables

Request a written quote after sharing your entity type, number of accounts, outstanding filing periods, and record condition. Ask the professional to separate bookkeeping cleanup, return preparation, recurring accounting, and notice work. For hourly work, request an estimate and a point at which they must obtain your approval for additional charges.

Confirm whether the quote includes the owner’s return, state returns, city filings, amendments, and a review meeting. Ask about charges for missing documents or changes after preparation begins. The official sources used here do not establish local accounting fees, so compare written offers rather than treating an unsupported price range as an Aurora benchmark.

Agree on a document handoff date and a review date before engaging the professional. Ask how they handle incomplete records and who confirms filing acceptance. Keep copies of the engagement, submitted records, finished returns, and payment confirmations.

Prepare a useful first appointment

Gather prior returns, bank and credit-card statements, income records, expense receipts, payroll reports, and any tax notices. Include your bookkeeping export and explain which accounts you have reconciled. Flag personal transactions in business accounts and unresolved balances so the accountant can scope cleanup.

Add your Aurora filing-status information and purchase invoices for equipment, furniture, and supplies. The city assigns monthly, quarterly, or annual sales and use tax filing periods and directs businesses to contact its Tax Section if they do not know their assigned status. Ask the accountant to confirm that status before planning recurring work. [1] [2]

For construction work, bring permit documents, material invoices, deposit records, and the final inspection or certificate-of-occupancy date. Aurora requires a project report detailing actual tax liability within 90 days of the final certificate of occupancy or final inspection. Ask who will prepare that reconciliation and remit any additional amount due. [2]

Published combined sales tax rates by Aurora county portion

Match the engagement to your business task

Your hiring checklist

1. List each return, accounting task, and filing period you want covered.
2. Confirm the preparer’s PTIN, credentials, and experience with your entity type.
3. Identify your business address and ask for a local-tax applicability review.
4. Gather prior returns, notices, statements, payroll reports, and bookkeeping exports.
5. Flag equipment and supply invoices for a use-tax review.
6. Request separate prices for cleanup, annual returns, recurring filings, and notice work.
7. Agree on document deadlines, review dates, payment authorization, and post-filing support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a CPA to prepare my business taxes?

The IRS allows tax professionals with a PTIN to prepare federal returns. CPAs, enrolled agents, and attorneys have unlimited IRS representation rights. Choose based on the work you need, relevant experience, and whether you need representation. The IRS notes that some CPAs specialize in tax preparation and planning, so ask about the individual’s practice. [4]

Does an annual business return cover Aurora sales and use tax?

Ask for separate scope confirmation. Aurora requires sales and use tax returns according to an assigned monthly, quarterly, or annual filing status. Have the agreement name those city filings and identify who prepares them, submits them, and approves payment. [1]

Can I owe use tax when an outside vendor charged sales tax?

Aurora says that paying sales tax to a vendor without authority to collect Aurora tax does not pay the city tax. The purchaser remains responsible for Aurora use tax. Ask your accountant to review the invoice and collection authority before deciding whether you owe additional tax. [2]

Should my payroll still withhold Aurora OPT?

Aurora repealed OPT effective January 1, 2025. Ask your payroll professional to review any continuing Aurora OPT deductions and determine the correction needed. The city still accepts earlier-period returns, amendments, and refund claims, so retain historical payroll records. [3]