Yuma small businesses get back-to-back forums, resource fair in May

Yuma small-business owners will have two back-to-back chances in early May to get answers on taxes, online accounts and compliance, starting with an Arizona Small Business Forum on May 5 and followed by a Small Business Resource Fair on May 6.

The forum is set for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 1351 S. Redondo Center Drive, Room 164. It will cover the Business Tax Account, the Individual Online Account, provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill and Executive Order 14247, which deals with the discontinuation of checks. For a family-run restaurant, a contractor trying to stay current on filings or a startup owner juggling payroll and permits, those are not abstract topics. They are the kinds of rules and systems that shape whether a business can keep cash flowing, qualify for financing and expand without costly delays.

The next day’s resource fair will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Career Center in Yuma. KYMA says the fair will connect attendees with local business organizations, government agencies and resource partners ready to answer questions and connect businesses with services that can help them start, grow and thrive. That makes the event especially useful for owners who do not have a bookkeeper, attorney or outside advisor on hand when tax rules or licensing questions come up.

The Arizona Department of Revenue says its business mission is to help owners maintain tax and licensing compliance, and it directs businesses to AZTaxes.gov to file taxes, apply for a license and make most tax payments online. That digital shift matters at a time when paper is being pushed out of more financial transactions. Executive Order 14247 was signed on March 25, 2025, and the Internal Revenue Service said on Sept. 23, 2025, that paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers would be phased out beginning Sept. 30, 2025, to the extent permitted by law. The IRS also issued FAQs on Jan. 27, 2026, and says direct deposit remains the fastest and most secure refund method.

For Yuma entrepreneurs, the practical value of the two events is clear: one stop can help clean up tax and account issues, and the next can point owners toward the people and programs that may help them hire, finance equipment or move into a larger space. In a region where many small firms run lean, that kind of hands-on access can make the difference between staying stuck and planning the next step.