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How to Avoid the Biggest Mistake on Your First Tax Return as an Entrepreneur Accountant Mark Kohler says business owners need to keep track of this particular expense when starting up.

By Mark J. Kohler

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Starting a successful business is hard enough. Having to remember details for your first tax return adds to that stress. Accountant Mark Kohler says one of the most important things to do is to keep track of your startup costs. These include any expenses incurred before you start generating revenue. You'll have to declare those expenses on your first return. If not, you lose the opportunity.

Mark J. Kohler

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® VIP

Author, Attorney, and CPA

Mark J. Kohler, a certified public accountant in Irvine, Calif., is a partner in the accounting firm Kohler & Eyre, and the law firm Kyler, Kohler, Ostermiller, & Sorensen LLP, specializing in business, estate and tax. He is the author of The Tax & Legal Playbook and What Your CPA Isn't Telling You from Entrepreneur Press.

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