Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying that “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” He was a small businessman, so he knew firsthand about taxes.  According to a National Federation of Independent Business poll, small business owners today still rank it as one of their top concerns. But help is available. Here are some free tax resources to assist small businesses with their tax questions.

The IRS’s Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center is designed for those who file Form 1040, Schedules C, E, F or Form 2106, as well as small businesses with assets under $10 million.

Here’s a sample of the free resources available on their website:

• Small Business Forms and Publications – You can find and download a number of small business forms all in one place. Not sure which forms apply to you?  They offer a “Starting a Business” section that provides an overview of your federal tax responsibilities.
• IRS Video Portal – Learn better by watching or listening? Here’s a collection of videos, webinars and audio presentations for small businesses. A recent addition is “Small Business Owners: Get the Tax Benefits You Deserve.”
• Starting, Operating or Closing a Business – Tax information related to the stage of your business. The operating section includes topics like business expenses and tax credits, filing and paying taxes, record-keeping and choosing an accounting method.
• Employment Taxes – Information on the various types of taxes you need to deposit and report, due dates for reporting taxes and how to claim a refund if you’ve overpaid employment taxes.
• Employer ID Numbers (EIN) – A free online service to obtain a Federal tax identification number. You’ll be virtually interviewed with a series of questions as you complete the application. Once everything is verified, you can download your confirmation notice immediately.

Taxes may be inevitable, but there are free resources to help small business owners answer their tax questions.