Of interest to the IRS

[cowboygourmet]

Looking for a go to person that has experience with the IRS as it pertains to expenses that might be a " Red Flag" when reporting
I have enough bees now and sell enough honey that the income will have to be reported and I don't want to make any mistakes if possible

[Acebird]

A red flag would be  not creating a business.  If you create business you should get an  accountant.

[Dallasbeek]

Texas Agriculture Code, Chapter 131, is your first place to look.  Standard business practices and the Internal Revenue Code spell out the details.  I don't think there are any "red flags" any more.  The IRS is spread so thin that agents are not checking whether you actually use part of your home as an office, for example, but the computers at IRS are very efficient.

[JackMar]

I really have no experience with the IRS and I do not sell my honey in large quantities, but it seems to me that you should talk to a tax specialist if you want to open your own business and sell honey officially, then you will have to pay taxes and if you do not have experience in this, then you will have to hire a tax specialist because you will not figure it out yourself.   I think that most likely you will have to open your own LLC, I can't imagine how else you can be the head of your own company and at the same time pay all taxes. As I understand it, this is very important for you. Perhaps you need to officially register your apiary. I work at the apiary myself, but I get a W2 form because I am not the owner. Recently I calculated online how much taxes are deducted from my salary on the W2 form on https://www.thepaystubs.com/w2-form-generator and as for me, this area is not subject to such large taxes. I think if you are not engaged in bees as the main business, then you better not worry so much about taxes.

[BeeMaster2]

Jackmar,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller

[Acebird]

I really have no experience with the IRS and I do not sell my honey in large quantities,

As a small fry liabilities are probably more of a concern than the IRS.  The IRS can only take a percentage of what you earn.  Lawyers can take everything you own.

[JurassicApiary]

I am not an accountant nor should this be considered tax advice, but from my perspective, it mainly comes down to if you want to expense (write-off) your bee purchases as a business expense.  There comes a point where becoming a businesses does have tax benefits, such as being able to expense all of your equipment, feed, supplies, bees, home use for business, etc. etc.  If that interests you, then you need to be a business and I would highly recommend using an accountant to prepare your taxes. (A good accountant is worth their cost as they will usually be able to deduct more than cookie-cutter software--in this case, especially if they are familiar with farming expenses.  If the business aspect is not of interest, and you're just wanting to cover your bum with regard to reporting the income that you're deriving from honey sales, then you *may* be able to simply report it as miscellaneous income--consult a tax specialist to confirm.

[Acebird]

I recently read an article about QuickBooks and Freshbooks, what should I choose for my business?

How big is the business? 
A simple check register will do.  A spread sheet if you like digital.  I used quickbooks for an antique business with 50-60 vendors.  I used a spread sheet for a snow plow business.  Same accountant for my wife & I and the two businesses.  We also were landlords.

[BeeMaster2]

Porijendel,
Welcome to Beemaster. 
Please update your profile with your location. The US has a wide range of climates and beekeeping is very local. This helps to answer your questions properly.
Jim Altmiller