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Do you own a small business and are wondering when to file your federal income tax returns? This article will give you the information you need to keep the IRS happy.

The due dates for federal business tax returns depend on the type of business entity. Here are the possibilities, assuming that your business has a the normal calendar year-end of December 31:

1. Sole Proprietorships. If you are an unincorporated business, the IRS classifies you as a sole proprietor. This means you are not a corporation or a partnership or limited liability company treated as a corporation or a partnership. Sole proprietorships file their business tax return as part of their personal income tax return on Schedule C. Other forms may also be required, such as Schedule SE (if you have profit of at least $400), Form 4562 (if you purchase business assets such as computers or other equipment), and Form 8829 (if you take the home office deduction).

Have you started a small business and need to know when to file your tax returns? Perhaps you've heard about filing quarterly returns and are wondering if that requirement applies to you? Read on to get answers to these important questions.

Annual Income Tax Returns. All small businesses must file a return annually. Generally speaking, if your business has a calendar year-end, you must file one of the following business income tax forms by the due date listed below:

If you own an S Corporation, you must file Form 1120S every year to report income and expenses to the IRS. Part of Form 1120S is a balance sheet. Read on to find out whether you have to complete this report in order for the tax return to be complete.

First, let's review the purpose of a balance sheet - it is a financial report that lists the asset, liability and shareholder's equity accounts. It is found on page 4 of Form 1120S and is known as Schedule L.

Do you own an S Corporation and are wondering if you must make federal quarterly estimated tax payments? Read on to find out.

Generally speaking, an S Corporation usually does not incur any federal income tax. This is because it is what is called a "pass-through entity" for tax purposes. In other words, even though corporate profit does get reported on the federal corporate tax return, this return (Form 1120S) is really for information purposes only. Rather than have the S Corporation pay the income tax on its profits, those profits are passed on to the shareholders via a form called Schedule K-1. The shareholders must then report the corporate profits from Schedule K-1 on their personal tax returns, and that's where any income tax is reported and paid.

Sharing has a whole new meaning for anyone conducting a tax preparer job in California for same-sex couples. The recognition of domestic partnerships - when combined with community property laws - results in equal sharing of all income. Therefore, each individual shares in half the income regardless of who earned it.

A California tax preparer is familiar with how this situation affects state and federal reporting of income. The community property states of Nevada and Washington have created the same circumstances with their domestic partnership laws.

The income tax preparation for state returns must divide the income equally according to the community property laws of the state. But federal income tax returns still report only separately earned income. The individuals in these cases use a filing status of single since that's the only option for domestic partners under IRS rules.

Do you own a limited liability company (LLC) and need to know how your income from the business will be taxed? Read on to find out.

A limited liability company is the chameleon of business entities. Believe it or not, there is no LLC-specific federal income tax return. But that does not mean your business is exempt from federal income taxes.

A LLC can choose how it wants to be taxed. If you are the only owner (or "member") of the LLC, your business can be taxed as a sole proprietorship, a C corporation, or an S corporation. If your LLC has two or more owners, it can be taxed like a partnership, a C Corporation, or an S corporation.