A Texas deadline looming and the books not ready? Call us.
A franchise tax report due May 15, a lender or buyer asking for statements, a quarter’s wage report to TWC: we work back from the date, reconcile the period it needs first, and hand your CPA books that tie. All 254 counties.
If your file needs our paid diagnostic first, its fee is credited in full against the cleanup. Either way, you get a fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
Texas rule: sales-tax reports are due the 20th of the month after the period, with a $50 penalty for a late report and 5% of the tax if paid late (10% after 30 days); taxable sales must tie to deposits by then. Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Texas urgent bookkeeping works back from your date: a sales-tax report due the 20th, the franchise tax report due May 15, a TWC wage report, or a lender, buyer or board deadline. We reconcile the period that date needs first, name in writing what cannot be ready in time, and hand your CPA books that tie.
They took something that felt overwhelming to me as a first-year business owner and made it simple.
What stood out the most was TechBrot Inc’s attention to detail.
The Texas dates a catch-up works back from.
Each row is the published rule and what the books must show before the date. A catch-up starts with the earliest row that applies to you.
| Filing | Due | If it is late (official rule) | What the books must show by then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and use tax report | 20th of the month after the month or quarter; yearly filers January 20 | $50 for each report filed late; 5% of the tax if paid 1–30 days late, 10% after 30 days; interest from day 61. Comptroller | Sales by Texas place of business, taxable and exempt apart; Sales Tax Payable tied to the Sales Tax Liability report; gross sales tied to deposits |
| Franchise tax report | May 15 (next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday) | $50 for each report filed late; 5% of the tax if paid 1–30 days late, 10% after 30 days. Comptroller | Total revenue, cost of goods sold and compensation in separate accounts for the report year, checked against the $2,650,000 no-tax-due threshold |
| TWC unemployment tax wage report | April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31 | “Penalties and interest are assessed on late reports and tax payments.” TWC | The quarter’s payroll register tied to wages expense and to the unemployment-tax liability, with taxable wages capped at the first $9,000 per employee per year (TWC) |
| Lender, buyer or board date | The date in the term sheet, letter of intent or notice | No published penalty; the other party sets the date and makes the decision | Closed months, bank and card reconciliations, a profit and loss and a balance sheet for the periods requested |
Figures as published by the Texas Comptroller and the Texas Workforce Commission. Whether to request an extension or amend an earlier report is your CPA’s decision.
Three Texas deadlines that can’t slip.
Two carry the Comptroller’s published dates and penalties; the third is set by your lender or buyer. All three need books that tie.
When the franchise-tax deadline is days away
The franchise tax report is due May 15; the no-tax-due threshold for 2026 and 2027 reports is $2,650,000, and a late report carries a $50 penalty plus 5% or 10% of the tax paid late. Margin is computed from total revenue less cost of goods sold, compensation or $1 million, or as 70% of revenue (Publication 98-806), so we reconcile revenue, cost of goods sold and compensation first; your CPA computes, files and decides on any extension. Source: Texas Comptroller, franchise tax.When a lender or buyer needs statements now
Loan applications, SBA financing, and business sales need clean financials on a deadline. We turn around CPA-ready statements quickly — reconciled, not rushed-and-wrong.When a sales-tax period ends
Reports are due the 20th of the month after the period, with a $50 penalty for a late report and 5% of the tax paid 1–30 days late, 10% after that (Comptroller). The state rate is 6.25% plus up to 2% local, and “in general, local sales tax is based on the seller’s place of business” (Publication 94-105), so we code each sale to the Texas location that took it before the period ties.Reconciled fast, for the deadline in front of you.
We do the dated period first and keep the reconciliation in — skipping it is what makes rushed books wrong.
Franchise-tax deadline rescue
Loan- & sale-ready statements
Sales-tax period closing
Catch-up, prioritized
Reconciled, not rushed
Stays current after
Three months behind, with a sales-tax report due on the 20th.
An illustrative example, not a client record. A Texas retailer with two locations files sales tax monthly. QuickBooks stops at June 30. It is early October and the September report is due October 20. July and August were filed from the point-of-sale totals and never posted to the books.
Working back from October 20, September is done first because it is the report with a date on it; July and August follow so the earlier filings can be compared with the books. The franchise tax figures for the next May 15 report come from the same reconciled file.
What the catch-up produces before the 20th
- Bank and card accounts reconciled through September 30, with the reconciliation reports saved
- Sales posted by day and by the location that received or fulfilled each order, taxable and exempt apart
- A September Sales Tax Liability report that ties to the Sales Tax Payable balance
- Gross sales tied to deposits, with card fees and refunds shown on their own lines
- A one-page variance note for July and August: the amounts filed against the amounts the books now show
How it is checked before it reaches you
- The close is reviewed by a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor against TechBrot’s written close standard before it reaches you
- Every adjusting entry carries a memo and the source document it came from
- The variance note shows amounts only; whether to amend July or August is your CPA’s decision
- Anything that cannot be ready by the 20th is listed in the written scope before work starts
The penalties that apply if a report is late are the Comptroller’s, quoted in the table above; this example promises no outcome.
What we do — and what we don’t.
What TechBrot does
- Work back from your date and state in writing what can be ready by then
- Reconcile bank, card and sales-tax accounts for the periods the date needs
- Post sales by Texas place of business, taxable and exempt apart
- Reconcile revenue, cost of goods sold and compensation for the franchise tax report
- Tie the quarter’s payroll to the TWC wage report
- Hand reconciled, CPA-ready books and a variance note to your CPA
What your CPA does
- Prepares and files the sales-tax and franchise tax reports
- Decides on any extension request or amended report
- Answers Comptroller and TWC notices and represents you
- Gives tax and legal advice
- Step 1
Fast file review
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor reviews the file and the deadline and tells you if it’s reachable. - Step 2
Written fixed-fee scope
A written scope and fixed fee fast — with the deliverable and the date stated in writing. - Step 3
Prioritized turnaround
Your senior bookkeeper reconciles the dated period first, then the rest, with every close reviewed by a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor before it reaches you. - Step 4
Handoff & stay current
Reconciled books handed to your CPA — then optional monthly bookkeeping so the next deadline isn’t a scramble.
Automation handles the data entry. We handle the judgment.
A date does not change what the books must prove. A Texas sales-tax report has to agree with the Sales Tax Liability report and the deposits; a franchise tax report needs revenue, cost of goods sold and compensation your CPA can trace. Speed comes from doing the dated period first, not from skipping the reconciliation, and we tell you up front whether the date is reachable.
TechBrot does not prepare or file tax returns; we work with your CPA or EA. TechBrot is not the Comptroller, TWC or Intuit and does not represent you before them. Once the date has passed, your senior bookkeeper can keep the file current in monthly bookkeeping — so the next deadline is a non-event.
Around Texas.
Texas QuickBooks ProAdvisor & bookkeeping
The state page: services, industries, cities and the Texas tax terms in one place.Also in Texas
Texas cities
Not sure where your file stands? Start with the free QuickBooks file review · how Texas compares: state-by-state tax quirks.
Texas urgent bookkeeping questions.
What does Texas urgent bookkeeping cover?
Fast-turnaround bookkeeping when a date is close — a sales-tax report due the 20th, the franchise tax report due May 15, a TWC wage report, or a lender or buyer waiting on statements. The period the date needs is reconciled first, and the books go to your CPA ready to file from.
How quickly can you turn my Texas books around?
It depends on how far behind the file is and what the deadline is, but we prioritize urgent work and move quickly. At the fast file review we’ll tell you whether the deadline is realistic — we won’t commit to a date we can’t hit while keeping the books accurate.
Will rushing cause errors in my books?
No — fast doesn’t mean sloppy. We reconcile properly even under deadline, because rushed-and-wrong books fail the loan, sale, or filing you need them for. Our rule is reconciled, not rushed: if accuracy and the deadline genuinely conflict, we tell you rather than hand you numbers that don’t tie.
Can you get me ready for my franchise-tax deadline?
If the deadline is realistic, yes — we prioritize reconciling revenue, cost of goods sold and compensation so your CPA can prepare the report due May 15. The Comptroller’s no-tax-due threshold for 2026 and 2027 reports is $2,650,000. If the date genuinely isn’t reachable, we’ll say so and help you and your CPA plan around it, including any extension your CPA may request.
How much does urgent bookkeeping cost?
Fixed-fee against a written scope, set after a fast file review and scoped to the transaction volume and the deadline. You get the exact fee in writing before we start — there are no hidden rush surcharges beyond the scoped fee.
Do you file my taxes or guarantee the loan?
No. TechBrot does not prepare or file tax returns; we work with your CPA or EA. We get the books reconciled and CPA-ready; we don’t guarantee filing, loan, or sale outcomes, don’t represent you before the Comptroller or a lender, and are not affiliated with Intuit Inc.
What does a late Texas sales-tax report cost?
The Comptroller assesses a $50 penalty on each report filed after the due date. Tax paid 1–30 days late carries a 5% penalty, more than 30 days late 10%, and interest starts 61 days after the due date. A permitted seller who reports and pays on time can claim a 0.5% discount. Source: Texas Comptroller.
Two Texas dates are close together. Which do you do first?
The earliest date that carries a published penalty comes first; a sales-tax report filed after the 20th is assessed $50 at once. A lender or buyer date comes next unless it is earlier. The written scope lists the order and what each date gets, so nothing is assumed.
Checked against the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Texas Workforce Commission.