THE COLORADO BUSINESS RESOURCE GUIDE
Available in print at the Lafayette Public Library [658 Col] reference desk and nonfiction area, and online from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.    (Choose Business, then Colorado Business)

The U.S. Small Business Administration in co-sponsorship with the Colorado Small Business Development Center produced this publication. It provides an overview of taxes in three sections: "Income and Property Tax," "Colorado Sales Tax," and in "Employer Responsibilities." The section Income and Property Tax discusses income tax in terms of your business's; legal structure in addition to self-employment taxes and property taxes. A "Calendar of Taxes" charts both state and federal tax due dates according to legal structure. The section Colorado Sales Tax explains the various types of sales tax licenses, collecting sales tax, sales tax fraud, filing returns and payment of taxes, sales tax classes, and a summary. The section Employer Responsibilities discusses employer/payroll filing requirements, payroll taxes, and other issues such as Workers’ Compensation.

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
1375 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80261

Telephone numbers:
Automated Forms Ordering System (by mail or by FAX) : (303) 232-2414
Governor's Advocate Hotline: (303) 866-4622
Director's Office: (303) 866-3091
Income, Severance and Withholding Tax Information: (303) 232-2446
Income Tax Refund Inquiries: (303) 232-2438
Agreement to Pay/Balance Due Protests: (303) 232-2431
Sales and Withholding Tax: (303) 232-2416
Trade Name Registration and Information: (303) 232-2434
Tax Auditing and Compliance: (303) 866-3711

The Colorado Department of Revenue maintains an extensive web site with links to:

"FYI" Tax Publications
More than 130 tax topics available on general tax information, sales tax, special regulations (sales tax), income tax, withholding tax, excise tax, and other subjects.

Colorado Tax Forms
Allows viewing and printing of all forms in PDF format. In addition to "Colorado Income Tax Forms," there is a separate section and links for "Colorado Business Tax Forms" including:
Business Registration Forms
Sales Tax Forms
Wage Withholding Forms (for employers)
Other Tax Forms for Businesses

Colorado Tax Information
Includes a link for "Information for New and Existing Businesses"

Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Service Centers
Offices are open for walk-in service Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Services include assistance with tax forms, registration of a new business, tax publications, fuel tax services, and monthly sales tax classes and/or outreach to communities where no service center is available.

Taxpayer Service Centers closest to Lafayette:

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
IRS Web Site:"Tax Info for Business"
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/index.html
In the "Small Business One Stop Resource" the section "Starting Your Business" offers you an online copy of Publication 583, Starting a Business & Keeping Records, and a link to the most frequently requested business publications from the IRS including:
Publication 334 Tax Guide for Small Business (For Individuals Who Use Schedule C or C-EZ)
Publication 535 Business Expenses
Publication 547 Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts (Business and Non-business)
Publication 560 Retirement Plans for Small Business (SEP, Keogh, and SIMPLE Plans)
Publication 583 Starting a Business and Keeping Records
Publication 587 Business Use of Your Home (Including Use by Day-Care Providers)
Publication 598 Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations
Publication 1635 Understanding Your EIN - Employer Identification Numbers. This publication is designed to educate the public about the Employer Identification Number (EIN) . It explains what an EIN is and how to know if you need one for your business and provides application criteria.

In the Small Business One Stop Resource section, Operating Your Business offers  Frequently Asked Tax Questions, and Small Business Forms and Publications which includes a chart of forms to use arranged by legal structure and categories of taxes.

Forms and Publications
A section of the IRS Web site is devoted to forms and publications both to download and browse online. Forms and publications are presented in numerous arrangements for easy finding including the number and date of most recently modified forms. A keyword or partial filename search is also possible. This Web site also provides fill-in, on-line forms and ordering on-line.

IRS: Phone Help
IRS "Live Telephone Assistance " 1-800-829-1040
Order forms or publications by telephone for delivery via US Postal Service 1-800-TAXFORM (1-800-829-3676)

IRS Walk-In Assistance Offices
The IRS walk-in offices provide several kinds of free taxpayer assistance including tax information, forms, instructions, publications, and individual taxpayer and business account assistance. The walk-in offices closest to Lafayette are:

CLASSES/TRAINING PROGRAMS
State
Colorado Department of Revenue
Public Information /Education Section
1375 Sherman St., Rm. 226
Denver, CO 80261
T (303) 866-2421 or T (303) 866-5758
Taxpayer Education Specialist
Business Tax Seminars are offered for both the business owner and the tax practitioner. The topic varies each year but usually targets a specific industry. In 1999 the industry focus was "Contractor and Retailer/Contractor." ® See "Colorado Department of Revenue Business Tax Seminar Series" brochure in the "Small Business Guide" notebook at the Lafayette Public Library [Call Number 658.022 Laf].

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Administers Business and Economic Development programs
1625 Broadway, Suite 1710
Denver, CO 80202
T (303) 892-3840
F (303) 892-3839

Although the Colorado Office of Economic Development does not offer tax seminars, its Web site posts links to the various state small business development centers where you can search the centers individually to look for the training classes related to taxes.  From the main site, click on Business Support in the top navigation and then on Small Business Development Centers.

Tax classes held in conjunction with the Denver Small Business Development Center are posted in the Denver SBDC's Web page at http://www.denversbdc.org. 

At the Center's Web site at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce web server, first click on Classes, to arrive at tax seminar titles and dates.  

WEB SITES
Nolo.com Self-Help Law Center
http://www.nolo.com/
For a discussion of small business tax issues, with links to topics such as deductions, writing off a home office, and the self-employed as audit target go to http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tax-deductions/.

CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit: Total Know-how for Small Business
http://www.toolkit.cch.com/
Controlling Your Taxes will take you to links to topics such as payroll tax, federal income tax, sales tax, and state tax obligations. Within the section Your state tax obligations is a state chart with a link to Colorado for discussion of Colorado’s initial formation fees, taxes and fees on business income, and sales and use taxes.

Essential Links EL.com Taxes
http://www.EL.com/elinks/taxes/
Although not focused specifically on the small businessperson, this directory site offers many links helpful to the small and start-up business. Links are categorized by topics such as Essential Links, Major Tax Sites, Tax Information, Tax Forms, State Taxes, International Taxes, Tax Code, Tax Law, Tax Tips, Tax Software, Tax Preparation, Associations, Publications, Commercial Tax Sites, Tax Professionals, News, Discussion, Link Lists, Calculators, and more.

Small Business Taxes & Management
http://www.smbiz.com/
Updated every weekday, this site discusses business tax issues such as vehicle use and provides recent tax news, tax tips, a glossary, and small business links. The site is both searchable and browsable and recommended by the "Dow Jones Business Directory."