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Small Business Tax Workshops  10/16/08
last reviewed: 02/01/11
The information contained in this presentation is current as of the date it was presented.
It should not be considered official IRS guidance.
TRANSCRIPT

This is Jean Wetzler. I'm talking with Rob Wilkerson from the Small Business/Self-Employed division about Small Business Tax Workshops.

Rob, what's the program about and how does it work?

We've designed our Small Business Tax Workshop program to help small business owners understand and fulfill their federal tax responsibilities. The IRS provides workshop materials, guidance, support and assistance to partner organizations such as the small business development centers, chambers of commerce, and SCORE. Partner organizations sponsor the workshops which are instructed by volunteers who specialize in federal taxes.

What's included in a typical workshop and is there a fee to attend?

Materials we provide cover a wide range of topics from a general overview of taxes to specifics, such as recordkeeping and retirement plans. The instructors will generally tailor their presentation to the needs of the audience. Most workshops are free but some may have fees associated with them. Any fees charged by a workshop are paid to the sponsoring organization, not the IRS.

How can a small business owner find a workshop and are there any educational alternatives?

You can find workshop listings for your area on our Website. Go to IRS.gov and type "workshop" in the search box. We're working hard to make workshops available in all 50 states, but if there are none scheduled yet in your commuting area, there are some alternatives. Searching for workshop will also produce a link to our online classroom where you can play streaming video of the lessons using your computer's media player. You can also order a free DVD, which is called a "Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop," online.

Are you encouraging small business organizations to host workshops and how can they get in touch?

We welcome organizations that serve small businesses to contact us and express interest in hosting small business tax workshops. We can even help them find qualified instructors. The organization can search IRS.gov for SL, and that stands for Stakeholder Liaison, local contacts. That's SL local contacts. A liaison in their area will supply them with everything they need; instructor guides, PowerPoint presentations and handouts, including the complete workshop on DVD.

Thank you, Rob. I've been talking with Rob Wilkerson of the IRS. This is Jean Wetzler.