It’s hard to believe we are two-thirds of the way through 2016 already. Seems like just yesterday you were gathering all of your tax documents and filing your 2015 return (or maybe you still are if it was extended). I know for a lot of individuals and business owners taxes are the last thing on their mind right now, but if you are willing to spend a little time in September it might save you some heartburn come next tax season.

For most business owners and self-employed individuals, September 15th marks the due date for your third round of 2016 estimated tax payments. Most simply rely on the vouchers printed out with their 2015 tax return. There is nothing wrong with this, but these figures are based on your 2015 income. If you have experienced changes in 2016, whether good or bad, the amount you are planning on paying on September 15 may require some tweaking.

We are far enough in to the year to put together a good picture of where you will be at the end of the year. Doing some quick forecasting now could save you from a big cash hit on January’s estimated payment (if you tax plan at year end) or on April 15th. If you take a look at your books and notice some big changes from 2015 now is a good time to adjust your payment.

Keep in mind that as long as you make the payment amounts on your current vouchers you will have met the withholding requirements and will not be subject to estimated tax penalties, but the consequence of withholding too little or too much hits the pocketbook down the line, and we all know the lifeblood of small business is cash.

If you have any questions or would like a qualified professional to take a quick look at your numbers to make sure you aren’t going to be forking out extraordinary amounts of cash come spring, give your CPA a call. It may be well worth it.