Schwartz & Co

Texas business owners don’t let this deadline sneak up on you. 👀

The Texas Franchise Tax report is due May 15, 2026 - Need help filing? We can guide you!

Filing an extension is step one. 👏

Step two is the part most people overlook. And no, it’s not pretending October is forever away and hoping your tax return somehow becomes easier to file on its own. Your tax documents are not going to gather themselves.

If you filed an extension because you didn’t have everything ready, here’s what needs to happen next:

→ Make a list of every missing tax document
→ Start following up now with anyone you’re waiting on
→ If bookkeeping is what held things up, make a plan to get it cleaned up and caught up

That might mean setting aside a few weekends to tackle it.

That might mean bringing in a bookkeeper.

Either way, do not wait until October to think about it again.

The sooner you get organized, the less stressful tax season will be later.

Balance sheets are almost always overlooked by trade business owners

And that’s kind of a big deal, because your balance sheet can hide a whole lot of BS when your books aren’t right.

Within the first five minutes of reviewing a company’s balance sheet, we can usually spot issues like:

→ Cash balances that don’t match the bank
→ Missing sales tax liabilities
→ Loan payments recorded incorrectly
→ Credit cards showing negative balances
→ Old numbers sitting there that should have been cleared months ago

Most owners stay focused on the P&L, and yes, that matters. But ignoring your balance sheet is where small errors turn into big problems.

Your balance sheet tells you what you actually own, what you actually owe, and whether your books are truly clean.

A good P&L with a messy balance sheet is not clean bookkeeping.

Okay let’s clear this up real quick 😅

Nope, I don’t file tax returns. But I am a huge part of your tax season!

Here’s why:

Your CPA can only file an accurate return if your books are accurate. Period.

• They need clean expense categories so deductions go in the right place
• They need your income reported correctly (not under, not over)
• They need reconciled accounts so nothing is missing

If your income is underreported? Penalties + interest.
If it’s overstated? Congrats, you just volunteered to pay extra taxes.

My job is to make sure your numbers are clean, organized, and actually make sense before they ever hit your accountant’s desk.

So no, I’m not the one filing the return…

But I make sure tax season isn’t a disaster!!

Two ways I support trades businesses who actually want to know their numbers 👇

Monthly Bookkeeping

→ We handle the transaction entry, categorization, reconciliations + send clear monthly reports
→ You get accurate, up-to-date financials without living inside QuickBooks

Best for contractors who want clean books and clarity… without doing it themselves.

Bookkeeping Clean-Up

→ Catching up months (or years) of messy books
→ Fixing mis-categorized transactions, unreconciled accounts, and “what even happened here?” moments

Best for trade businesses who fell behind or just aren’t confident their books are right.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding your numbers, hit the link in my bio and schedule a call

I see it all the time.

Growing HVAC companies
Busy plumbing companies
Electrical teams booked out weeks in advance

And their books? Months behind.

You cannot scale what you cannot see.

No trades books left behind means:
✔️ Clean monthly reports
✔️ Clear cash flow visibility
✔️ Accurate job costing
✔️ No scrambling at year end

You work too hard in the field to be guessing in the office.

If your books are behind… how far? Be honest 👇

If you’re starting an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business… read this twice:

1️⃣ Don’t wait to “get big” to get your books right
2️⃣ Separate business and personal from day one
3️⃣ Know your numbers before you hire
4️⃣ Price for profit...not just to win the job
5️⃣ Track job costs early...Future you will thank you

Most trades business owners are AMAZING technicians…
but no one taught them how to read a P&L.

And that’s okay. You can learn or you can outsource it.

If you could go back to year one of your business, what would you do differently? 👇

Everyone says “tax-ready” but what does that actually mean? 👀

It’s not a shoebox of receipts.
It’s not guessing at mileage in April.
It’s not asking your CPA to “just figure it out.”

Tax-ready books look like:
✔️ Clean, reconciled accounts
✔️ Properly categorized expenses
✔️ Job costing that actually makes sense
✔️ No surprise “owner draws” chaos
✔️ Financials you can hand to your CPA with confidence

And the best part?
When your books are done right all year… tax season feels boring. (The good kind of boring.)

If you’re in the trades HVAC, plumbing, electric, tell me:
Do you feel confident going into tax season… or stressed every year? 👇

You don’t need another bookkeeper.
You need a partner who understands your business.

We help turn numbers into decisions and decisions into growth.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all bookkeeping.

We work best with service-based businesses and contractors who want clean numbers, better processes, and support as they grow.

And if now isn’t the right time? We’re still here as a resource.