#self-employment
Self-Employment
Learn about self-employment taxes, LLC owner compensation, and freelancer financial management
A Divorce Mediator's Guide to Bookkeeping: Retainers, Referrals, and the Home-Office Deduction
Divorce mediators should book retainers as a liability until sessions are billed, claim the home-office deduction on genuinely low overhead, and track referral relationships with attorneys and therapists as a real marketing channel.
Bookkeeping for Freelance Translators and Interpreters: Rates, Rush Fees, and Currency Spread
A freelance translator invoicing €450 can receive as little as $431 due to a 3%-4% PayPal exchange-rate markup that never appears as a labeled fee, which is why translators and interpreters need to log invoiced and received amounts as separate figures and post the difference to a dedicated Bank & FX fees expense category.
Home Inspection Business Bookkeeping: E&O Insurance, Schedule C, and Job Costing
Home inspectors average one liability claim over a career and pay roughly $989/year for E&O insurance, so amortizing that premium per job and tracking mileage, report-writing time, and licensing renewals on Schedule C is what separates a profitable inspection business from one guessing at its margins.
The OBBBA's Gambling Loss Cap Means You Can Owe Tax on Money You Never Actually Won
Starting in tax year 2026, the OBBBA caps gambling loss deductions at 90% of winnings, meaning gamblers and gaming-adjacent businesses can owe tax on breakeven or even losing years, prompting three bipartisan repeal bills in Congress.
Bookkeeping for Private Music Lesson Studios: Prepaid Packages, Instrument Depreciation, and Travel Costs
Prepaid lesson packages are a liability, not income, until each lesson is taught. This guide covers deferred revenue for tuition bundles, depreciating instruments over $2,500 with Section 179 and Form 4562, deducting in-home lesson mileage, and a chart of accounts built for private music studios.
Professional Organizer Bookkeeping: Package Pricing, Client Property Liability, and Why the Donation Deduction Isn't Yours
A bookkeeping guide for professional organizers covering how to book package deposits and maintenance retainers as unearned revenue, the insurance clients expect (general liability, E&O, workers' comp — roughly $1,500–$3,000/year), why the Goodwill donation deduction belongs to the client rather than the organizer, and when a day helper must be classified W-2 instead of 1099.
Sneaker Resale Bookkeeping: Cost Basis, Cop-and-Flip Inventory Tracking, and Why StockX/GOAT 1099-Ks Rarely Match Your Actual Profit
A 1099-K from StockX or GOAT reports gross payments, not profit. Here's how sneaker resellers track per-pair cost basis, apply FIFO to cop-and-flip inventory, deduct platform fees that run 10-12% per sale, and meet the restored $20,000/200-transaction reporting threshold with clean books.
Freelance Personal Stylist and Wardrobe Consultant Taxes: A Bookkeeping Guide
Client wardrobe advances are pass-through funds, not revenue — the bookkeeping distinction that determines whether a freelance stylist's books reconcile. Covers Schedule C, why work clothing is almost never deductible, the home-office exclusivity test, sales tax on markup resale, 1099-NEC vs 1099-K, and a minimal chart of accounts.
How to Start a Bookkeeping Business in 2026: Certifications, Costs, Pricing, and Your First Clients
A solo bookkeeper with 15–20 clients on $300–$500 monthly retainers can earn $54,000–$120,000 a year, often with under $3,000 in startup costs. This guide covers certification tiers (free QuickBooks/Xero, NACPB CPB at $80–$100, AIPB CB at $479–$574), a realistic startup budget, 2026 retainer benchmarks by client size, niche selection, and the client-acquisition channels that work for new practices.
Boat Rental Bookkeeping: Boatsetter, GetMyBoat, and the Schedule C/Schedule E Split
Boatsetter and GetMyBoat report gross transaction volume on Form 1099-K, not your net payout, so record the full charter price as revenue and the platform commission as a separate expense — and track bareboat versus captained bookings separately, since adding a captain shifts income from Schedule E to Schedule C self-employment tax.
Finland's 2026 VAT Threshold: Why €20,000 Is Now All-or-Nothing for Freelancers
Finland's 2025 VAT reform raised the small-business exemption to €20,000 but eliminated the sliding-scale relief that used to soften the jump to full VAT liability at €30,000, so crossing €20,000 now means owing VAT on 100% of turnover with no phase-in.
Bookkeeping for Hotshot Trucking: Cash Flow, IFTA, and Tax Deductions Explained
Hotshot trucking operators need a chart of accounts that separates fuel, MC-authority insurance, factoring fees, and IFTA liability from generic vehicle expenses, since brokers often pay 15-45 days after delivery while fuel and insurance are due immediately.