#liability
Track and manage business liabilities and financial obligations
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.
Mobile bartending businesses must book non-refundable event deposits as a liability until the event is performed, carry liquor liability insurance separate from general liability, and track licensing and permit costs — typically 2-5% of revenue — as a distinct expense category.
Private investigation agencies should book client retainers as liabilities until earned, track costs per case with job costing, and classify subcontractors correctly to avoid misclassification penalties and licensing risk.
Used record stores acquire inventory through cash purchase, store-credit trade, and consignment, each with different cost basis and liability treatment, and blending them into one bucket hides which acquisition channel is actually profitable.
Under ASC 606, loyalty points are a separate performance obligation — part of each sale is allocated to a deferred revenue liability using standalone selling prices, recognized when points are redeemed, with unredeemed value booked as breakage in proportion to redemptions. This guide walks through the journal entries, the proportional vs. remote breakage methods, the chart of accounts, and the state escheatment rules that can block breakage income.
An operator's guide to bookkeeping for independent computer and smartphone repair shops in 2026 — separating per-ticket labor from parts revenue, treating customer devices as bailee property, recognizing deposits under ASC 606, applying Section 179 to bench equipment, complying with the new Washington and Colorado right-to-repair laws, and reconciling RepairShopr or CellSmart POS to the general ledger.
Interior design firms run four revenue streams through one chart of accounts and end up paying tax on phantom profits. Treat retainers as a liability, run products through revenue and COGS together, book vendor cost as COGS (never list price), and reconcile every PO before close.
ASC 710-10 requires employers to accrue a balance-sheet liability for PTO, vacation, and sick leave that vests or carries over. This guide covers the four-part test, sabbatical and unlimited PTO rules, the reserve calculation, and the journal entries.
Gift card breakage is the value customers never redeem. Under ASC 606, the proportionate method recognizes breakage revenue alongside redemptions—but state escheatment laws can override your right to keep the money.
Sales tax you collect belongs to the state, not your revenue line. Here are the journal entries, the month-end reconciliation routine, and the multi-state economic nexus rules that keep your books audit-ready.
ASC 410-20 requires recording an ARO on day one—when drilling, erecting, or build-out finishes.
Form 8857 lets a spouse seek relief from joint tax liability under IRC Section 6015. This guide walks through the two-year deadline, the three relief categories—traditional, separation, and equitable—and how divorced, separated, or abused taxpayers build a record that survives IRS and Tax Court review.
