#compliance
Compliance
Navigate regulatory compliance and maintain audit-ready financial records
The White House's 2026 Fintech Executive Order: A Small Business Banking Guide
A May 19, 2026 executive order pushes banks and fintechs closer together, reviving the layered-partnership risks the 2024 Synapse collapse exposed — here's what small business owners should watch and do before the 90- and 180-day regulatory deadlines hit in August and November 2026.
2026 State Minimum Wage Increases: A Small Employer's Budgeting Guide
Nineteen states raised their minimum wage on January 1, 2026, and Florida steps up to $15.00 on September 30. This guide covers which rate applies when federal, state, and local minimums overlap, how tipped-wage and exempt-threshold rules shift alongside the headline number, and how to budget for the pay-compression ripple effect across your wage ladder.
Customs Broker and Freight Forwarder Bookkeeping: Duty Trust Funds, Drawback Recordkeeping, and Why an Import Duty Isn't Your Expense
Under 19 CFR 111.29, customs brokers must book client duty payments as liabilities, remit funds to CBP within five working days, and furnish a written accounting statement within 60 calendar days — a discipline that also protects duty drawback claims, which can recover up to 99% of duties paid on later-exported goods.
DOL Overtime Rule Reversal: What the $684 Salary Threshold Means for Small Employers
The DOL formally vacated the 2024 overtime rule on May 14, 2026, reverting the federal exempt salary threshold to $684/week ($35,568/year); small employers who reclassified staff in 2024 should re-check duties tests and state thresholds before undoing anything.
E-Invoicing 2026 Mandates: A Guide for US Exporters and SaaS Sellers
Belgium requires structured B2B e-invoices via Peppol from January 1, 2026; France follows September 1, 2026; Poland's KSeF phases in February–April 2026; Germany mandates issuing in 2027–2028. What US exporters and SaaS sellers must do — required formats (UBL, Factur-X, XRechnung), network access, and penalties up to 100% of the invoice's VAT.
Earned Wage Access Laws by State: A 2026 Guide for Small Employers
A dozen states now have earned wage access laws as of 2026, and the CFPB reversed its own TILA guidance in December 2025 — employer-sponsored EWA tied to verified wages is currently the lower-risk path, while California classifies direct-to-consumer EWA as a loan outright.
Etsy's 2026 Fee Hike and AI-Disclosure Rules: What Handmade Sellers Must Fix Before August 11
Etsy raised its UK Regulatory Operating Fee from 0.32% to 0.48% on June 22, 2026, and starting August 11, 2026 requires AI-content and production-partner disclosure plus original designs for laser-cut, sublimation, and CNC products — here's the pricing formula and compliance checklist to handle both.
The FTC Abandoned Its Noncompete Ban — What Small Employers Need to Know in 2026
The FTC formally withdrew its nationwide noncompete ban from the Code of Federal Regulations on February 12, 2026, and pivoted to case-by-case Section 5 enforcement — its April 2026 order against Rollins, Inc. covered more than 18,000 employees — while state law, from outright bans in California and Minnesota to salary thresholds in Washington and Colorado, remains the primary source of risk for small employers.
Independent Flight School Bookkeeping (Part 141 and Part 61): Block-Time Deferred Revenue, Aircraft Leaseback and Dry/Wet Rental Accounting, Fuel Reserves, CFI Classification, and the KPIs That Matter
Flight schools are utilization businesses — track block-time deferred revenue per student, leaseback per tail, fuel and overhaul reserves per hour, CFI classification, and revenue per aircraft hour to clear break-even.
How Nonprofits Should Value and Record Gifts-in-Kind Under ASC 958-605
ASU 2020-07 requires nonprofits to present contributed nonfinancial assets as a separate line item, disaggregated by category, with disclosed valuation methods. This guide covers the fair-value rules of ASC 958-605 — which volunteer services are recordable, how to value donated goods, professional services, and facility use, the offsetting journal entries, and the $25,000 Form 990 Schedule M threshold.
Open Banking in Limbo: What the CFPB Section 1033 Rollback Means for Small Business Bank Feeds
A federal court injunction and a CFPB reversal have frozen the Personal Financial Data Rights rule (Section 1033), leaving small businesses uncertain whether bank-feed access to accounting, lending, and cash-flow tools will stay free, secure, and reliable.
Paying Unbanked Employees: A Payroll Card Compliance Guide
Federal Regulation E (12 CFR § 1005.18) and more than 20 state paycard statutes require employers to offer unbanked employees a fee-free payment alternative, obtain genuinely voluntary consent, and guarantee at least one no-fee full-balance withdrawal per pay period.