Bookkeeping and Accounting Setup
Assess whether your new business has a bookkeeping system, chart of accounts, and process to keep clean records from the start.
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For founders, new owners, and anyone starting out
Startup Costs and Capitalization Plan
Estimate startup and organizational costs, how the business will be funded, and what to track for tax and accounting from day one.
4 guided steps
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Official guidance links
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Your free guided checker
Answer a few quick questions below. It is private - nothing is submitted or stored - and takes about a minute.
Informational business-formation diagnostic only; not legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice. Confirm entity, tax, and state decisions with a qualified attorney and CPA.
The questions this tool walks you through
Here is what the checker asks and why each step matters. Prefer to talk it through? Contact us and we will help directly.
Are you still spending money on the business before it has opened for customers - legal setup, licenses, market research, or early payroll?
Costs incurred before your doors open are treated differently from ongoing expenses, and the receipts are only useful for tax if you capture them now.
Tag pre-launch spend now so you can claim the Section 195 startup deduction.
Official guidance: IRS starting a business
Will you buy equipment, vehicles, machinery, or other assets that last more than a year to get the business running?
Long-lived assets are handled through capitalization and depreciation, not expensed like supplies - and Section 179 or bonus depreciation can change the timing of the write-off.
Plan capitalization versus expensing before you buy the assets.
Official guidance: IRS starting a business
After your total startup and first-year spend, will the business hold at least a few months of operating cash in reserve at launch?
Most new businesses spend more and earn less than planned early on; a thin cash cushion is the most common reason a viable idea stalls before it gains traction.
Build a funding and runway plan before you commit more spend.
Official guidance: IRS starting a business
Does the business already run through its own bank account and books, fully separate from your personal money?
A separate account from day one keeps the liability shield intact and makes the startup, asset, and operating costs cleanly identifiable when it is time to file.
Keep clean, separate books and confirm the capitalization plan with a CPA. Open a separate account and set up books before more money moves.
Official guidance: IRS starting a business
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