Home/Services/Tax Services/C-Corp Returns (Form 1120)
Make The Big Tax Decisions Before Year End.
We prepare Form 1120 from books that are already closed and reconciled, and we work through the timing and deduction decisions with you before the year ends, while they can still change the number.
C-Corp Tax Return Preparation For Michigan Companies
A C corporation pays its own income tax, separate from its owners, and the owners can then be taxed again on what it pays out as dividends. That structure makes year-end decisions matter more than almost anywhere else. When a bonus is paid, when equipment goes into service and which year income lands in can all move the final number.
We handle Form 1120 preparation for Michigan corporations as part of our tax services, and we start from books that are already closed. The return reflects what really happened, and the decisions behind it were made on purpose rather than discovered while filling in a line.
From Closed Books To A Filed Form 1120
The work runs in the same order every year, so nothing gets decided under deadline pressure.
Close And Reconcile The Year
We finish the year-end close first: bank and card accounts reconciled, fixed assets and depreciation reviewed, accruals booked and inventory adjusted. If we keep your books monthly, most of this is done by January.
Work Through The Decisions
Before anything is drafted, we sit down with you on the choices that change the tax: bonuses and accrued compensation, equipment purchases and depreciation elections, charitable gifts, and whether income or expenses belong in this year or the next.
Prepare And Review The Return
We prepare Form 1120 and its supporting schedules, then walk you through the result: what the corporation owes, why it owes it, and what to expect for next year's estimated payments.
File Federal And Michigan
The federal return is e-filed by April 15 for a calendar-year corporation, or extended with Form 7004 when the books need more time. The Michigan Corporate Income Tax return is handled alongside it whenever the corporation is required to file one.
An Extension Is Not A Payment Plan
Form 7004 gives a corporation six more months to file its return. It does not give more time to pay. When we extend a calendar-year Form 1120, we estimate the tax and make sure you know what to pay by April 15, so the extension does not bring avoidable interest and penalties with it.
Why A Corporation Belongs In A Year-Round Conversation
C corporations generally make quarterly estimated tax payments through the year, and those estimates should come from the books, not from last year's return. When we see the numbers every month, we can tell you in September that the fourth quarter looks strong, and you can decide what to do about it while there is still time. That is what our tax planning and strategy work looks like in practice.
It matters just as much when an owner is choosing between leaving profit in the company and paying it out. Reasonable wages are deductible to the corporation and dividends are not, so the mix between them changes the total tax you and the company pay together. If you are still deciding whether a C corporation is the right entity at all, our C-Corporation formation conversation is a good place to start.
C-Corp Filing Questions From Michigan Owners
When is a C corporation tax return due?
For a corporation on a calendar year, Form 1120 is due April 15. Fiscal-year corporations have their own due date, which we track for you. Form 7004 extends the filing deadline by six months, but any tax owed is still due on the original date.
Does my corporation have to file a Michigan return too?
Many do. Michigan's Corporate Income Tax applies to C corporations doing business in the state, and whether a return is required depends on the corporation's activity and receipts. We check where your corporation stands each year and handle the Michigan filing alongside the federal one.
Can you prepare our 1120 if someone else keeps the books?
Yes. We review the books before we start, make the adjusting entries the year needs and tell you what we changed and why. If the file needs heavier cleanup, we say so up front and scope that work in writing before it begins.
Is the corporate return part of your monthly packages?
Yes. Every monthly package includes the business return, whether that is Form 1120, 1120-S or 1065, plus one shareholder 1040 and two tax planning meetings a year. Corporations that only need an annual return can work with us once a year instead.
Other Services C-Corp Owners Pair With This
Year-end timing, compensation and equipment decisions worked through while they can still change what the corporation owes.
Tax planning and strategy in detail Quarterly Estimated Tax PaymentsCorporate estimates calculated from real year-to-date numbers, so the April payment is never a surprise.
Quarterly estimated Tax payments in detail S-Corp Returns (Form 1120-S)For corporations that have elected S status, returns built around shareholder basis and reasonable compensation.
S-Corp returns in detail Tax Services OverviewEvery return we prepare, from Schedule C to Form 1120, plus planning, estimates, amended returns and sales tax.
Return to Tax ServicesSettle This Year's Corporate Tax Before The Year Ends
Tell us about the corporation and how the books are kept today. A free first consultation is the time to map out what needs deciding before the year closes.