One of the biggest headaches that anyone is likely to suffer is the headache that's generated by government required paperwork. For a small businessman, this can be the filing of the W2 forms for employees and 1099 forms for the work that was contracted out.
The relief for these kinds of headaches won't come from the aspirin bottle. It comes from being organized, planning for the deadlines, and choosing the filing options that are right for your business. These options are filing by paper yourself, filing electronically, purchasing software to assist your filing, paying your bookkeeper to do it for you, subscribing to an online filing service, or contracting with a professional employer organization (PEO) with the experience to handle it.
Filing paper forms might be a good option if you are a hands-on owner and your business is very small in the personnel department. Schedule ample time for working on them and be sure the form that you use meets the specifications required. Filing electronically has the additional benefit of a later due date, no federal form requirements to worry about, and confirmation of your submission status, e.g. Received, Not Yet Processed, Complete.
Purchasing software to assist your filing can help contain costs; some formats are available for less than $50. Choose a program that is designed especially for your size of business, that is easy to install and use, and that is capable of generating 2-sided forms that meet the current specifications.
Paying your own in-house clerk may not be an alternative that is available to every small business, but if you already have a bookkeeper skilled in papyrocracy, ruling by paperwork, that is a good option.
Subscribing to an online filing service may cost a little more than DIY filing, but they will also have a help desk, off-site back-up of your filing for up to three years, and they will be up-to-date on changes and current regulations.
If none of these seem right for you, you probably need a PEO company that can relieve the headache by filing all your W-2 and 1099 forms for you.
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