--- title: How Do You Avoid a Surprise Tax Bill? description: Surprise tax bill, or a huge refund you didn't expect? Marcus Mire, CPA explains how year-round planning sets the right expectations before April 15. image: https://www.mire.group/hubfs/MireGroup-Hero-Avoid-Surprise-Tax-Bill.png --- [Skip to the main content.](https://www.mire.group/blog/how-do-you-avoid-a-surprise-tax-bill#main-content) [![Mire Group CPAs](https://www.mire.group/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/MireGroup%20CPAs%20White%20Logo.png?width=1003&height=497&name=MireGroup%20CPAs%20White%20Logo.png "Mire Group CPAs")](https://www.mire.group) [![Mire Group CPAs](https://www.mire.group/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/1.png?width=1021&height=488&name=1.png "Mire Group CPAs")](https://www.mire.group) - [About Us](https://www.mire.group/about) - [Plans](https://www.mire.group/accounting-and-tax-plans) - [Articles](https://www.mire.group/blog) - [Podcast](https://www.mire.group/make-it-count-podcast/) Search *Search* [Work With Us](https://www.mire.group/work-with-us) Toggle Menu Search *Search* Toggle Menu [Work With Us](https://www.mire.group/work-with-us) - [About Us](https://www.mire.group/about) - [Plans](https://www.mire.group/accounting-and-tax-plans) - [Articles](https://www.mire.group/blog) - [Podcast](https://www.mire.group/make-it-count-podcast/) [*Facebook*](https://www.facebook.com/miregroupcpa) [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/miregroup_cpas/) [*LinkedIn*](https://www.linkedin.com/company/miregroupcpas/) [*Youtube*](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4dTVwJh9xStWdKY1bPn5Q) 3 min read # How Do You Avoid a Surprise Tax Bill? [![Picture of Mire Group Marketing](https://www.mire.group/hs-fs/hubfs/MireIconOnly.png?width=30&name=MireIconOnly.png) Mire Group Marketing](https://www.mire.group/blog/author/mire-group-marketing) : Oct 8, 2026, 12:03:11 PM ![surprise tax bill](https://www.mire.group/hubfs/MireGroup-Hero-Avoid-Surprise-Tax-Bill.png) You avoid a surprise tax bill by working with a CPA throughout the year, or at the very least a couple of times a year, so you know what you'll owe well before April 15. That means planning, strategizing, and setting money aside or paying quarterly as you go. The same planning protects you from the opposite surprise: a huge refund you could have been using all year. I'm Marcus Mire, CPA and founder of MireGroup CPAs in Lafayette. Expectations around taxes come up a lot in our due diligence phase with new clients. A lot of them come to us frustrated, and it usually traces back to the same thing. ## **Why do business owners get surprised at tax time?** If you own a business, you most likely have a flow-through or pass-through entity. The entity doesn't pay the tax. You pay it on your personal tax return. People who get really frustrated with their CPA, or with taxes in general, usually have the wrong expectations. Nobody is working with them during the year to give them a reality check on what to expect. So we pick up new clients who say things like, "My business income really took off and I didn't know I was going to owe $50,000." ## **Is a big tax refund a good thing?** It's the same problem in the other direction. We hear this one too: "I withheld a lot from my paycheck, or paid in a lot of estimates, and my business went down. I got this huge refund I wasn't expecting." While that's great, you could have planned properly and had that money in your bank account throughout the year. A surprise in either direction tells you nobody was planning. ## **What do the right expectations look like?** Having the right expectations takes more than somebody telling you, "This is your tax bill, pay it." It means you're working with somebody throughout the year who is planning and strategizing with you, and then getting you prepared for whatever your tax bill will be. When you get to April 15, you have a reasonable expectation of the number. When a CPA and a firm are working with you all year, you get a lot of peace of mind that things are being done properly. You set the money aside, or [pay quarterly](https://www.mire.group/blog/how-to-pay-quarterly-taxes-as-a-business-owner). You pay the taxes when they're due. And you go on with your life. That year-round rhythm is what [our advisory meetings](https://www.mire.group/blog/accounting-advisory-meetings) are built for. ## **Should you make a move just to lower your tax bill?** At MireGroup we talk a lot with our clients about what we call return on hassle. We see so many people wanting to lead with taxes. They want to do things that don't make sense economically, just to save money on taxes. What we say is this: make tax moves that are also good business moves. We don't do things strictly for taxes, especially things that create other things you have to do, monitor and check. That's a hassle, and sometimes the return isn't worth it. It's one of the [tax planning mistakes that cost small business owners the most](https://www.mire.group/blog/2-tax-planning-mistakes-that-cost-small-business-owners). ## **What should you expect from your CPA during the year?** If you're working with somebody throughout the year, make sure they are doing three things: - Planning and strategizing with you. - Giving you the right expectation of what your tax bill will ultimately be. - Helping you set that money aside or pay it quarterly. Then there are no surprises. You'll feel much better about it, and you'll sleep good at night. ## **Frequently asked questions** ### **How often should I talk to my CPA about taxes?** Throughout the year. At the very least, a couple of times a year with some touch points. You want somebody who can give you a reality check on what to expect before the bill shows up. ### **Why did I owe so much more than last year?** Often it's because your business income took off and nobody updated the plan. With a pass-through entity, that income lands on your personal return. If nobody is projecting it during the year, the bill is a surprise. ### **Why did I get a huge tax refund?** You paid in more than you owed. Usually that means you withheld a lot from your paycheck or paid large estimates, and then your income came in lower. It feels good, but that money could have been in your bank account all year. ### **What is return on hassle?** It's how we weigh a tax move at MireGroup. Some strategies create extra things you have to do, monitor and check. If the tax savings don't justify that hassle, or the move doesn't make sense for the business, we don't recommend it. Change your expectations around taxes, or work with somebody who can set reasonable ones. You'll feel much better when it comes to tax time. [We'd love to help.](https://www.mire.group/work-with-us) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![surprise tax bill](https://www.mire.group/hubfs/MireGroup-Hero-Avoid-Surprise-Tax-Bill.png)](https://www.mire.group/blog/how-do-you-avoid-a-surprise-tax-bill) 3 min read #### [How Do You Avoid a Surprise Tax Bill?](https://www.mire.group/blog/how-do-you-avoid-a-surprise-tax-bill) ![Picture of Mire Group Marketing](https://www.mire.group/hs-fs/hubfs/MireIconOnly.png?width=30&name=MireIconOnly.png) [Mire Group Marketing](https://www.mire.group/blog/author/mire-group-marketing): Oct 8, 2026, 12:03:11 PM You avoid a surprise tax bill by working with a CPA throughout the year, or at the very least a couple of times a year, so you know what you'll owe... 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[Newsletter](https://www.mire.group/blog/tag/newsletter) [Read More](https://www.mire.group/blog/the-year-end-playbook-13-questions-to-answer-before-december-31) [![paid on time](https://www.mire.group/hubfs/MireGroup-Hero-Getting-Paid-On-Time.png)](https://www.mire.group/blog/why-isnt-my-business-getting-paid-on-time) 4 min read #### [Why Isn't My Business Getting Paid on Time?](https://www.mire.group/blog/why-isnt-my-business-getting-paid-on-time) ![Picture of Mire Group Marketing](https://www.mire.group/hs-fs/hubfs/MireIconOnly.png?width=30&name=MireIconOnly.png) [Mire Group Marketing](https://www.mire.group/blog/author/mire-group-marketing): Sep 23, 2026, 10:28:07 AM Most of the time it traces back to how hard you make it to pay you. Every step you put between your customer and their payment is another chance for... 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