#small-business
Small Business
Financial management strategies and tools for small business owners
How to File Your Business Taxes: A Practical Guide for Sole Props, LLCs, S-Corps, and C-Corps
A step-by-step walkthrough of business tax filing by entity type — Schedule C for sole props, Form 1065 for partnerships, 1120-S for S-corps, and 1120 for C-corps — with 2026 deadlines, document checklists, audit triggers, and when DIY software stops being enough.
Cat Food, Body Oil, and Stage Costumes: Weird Tax Stories Every Business Owner Should Know
A walk through five tax-court rulings — Seacat's cat food, Wheir's body oil, ABBA's costumes, the Hess implants case, and Capone-style evasion — and the documentation, commingling, and "ordinary and necessary" rules they expose for small business owners.
Coronavirus Relief Bills: A Small Business Guide to PPP, ERC, and EIDL Taxes
How the CARES Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act, and American Rescue Plan reshaped small business taxes—covering PPP forgiveness, the Employee Retention Credit, EIDL loans, deferred payroll taxes, and the April 15, 2025 deadline for 2021 ERC claims.
Choosing the Right Bookkeeping Solution: Software vs. Service vs. Plain-Text Accounting
A decision framework for choosing between DIY bookkeeping software, professional services, and plain-text accounting—with concrete pricing benchmarks ($15–$800/month), transaction-volume thresholds, and the seven mistakes that drive cleanup costs.
Client-Related Tax Deductions: A 2026 Guide for Service Businesses
Client meals are 50% deductible in 2026, client gifts cap at $25 per recipient (a limit unchanged since 1962), and employer-provided meals lose their deduction this year. A service-business guide to documenting meals, travel, gifts, and marketing while staying inside IRS rules.
COVID-19 Relief Programs and Your Taxes: PPP, EIDL, and PUA Explained
Forgiven PPP loans are federally tax-free and the expenses paid with them remain fully deductible, but EIDL loans, EIDL Advance grants, and PUA benefits each carry distinct tax treatment — including a one-time $10,200 unemployment exclusion for 2020 under the American Rescue Plan.
Self-Employment Tax Deductions 2026: A Complete Guide for Freelancers
A line-by-line guide to the deductions self-employed workers can claim in 2026, including the now-permanent 20% QBI deduction under OBBBA, $72,000 Solo 401(k) limits, the 72.5-cent IRS mileage rate, and the documentation rules that hold up under audit.
How to Prepare for Tax Season: A Year-Round Checklist for Small Business Owners
A practical week-by-week, quarter-by-quarter, and year-end tax preparation checklist for small business owners — covering 2026 IRS deadlines, estimated tax payments, deductions, 1099 filing, and the bookkeeping habits that turn April from a sprint into a routine handoff.
TCJA and OBBBA Explained: A Small Business Owner's Tax Guide for 2026
The OBBBA made the QBI deduction permanent and raised it to 23% in 2026, expanded SALT to $40,000 through 2029, and lifted the estate exemption to $15 million. Here is how small business owners running pass-through entities, S corps, and LLCs should plan around it.
The Augusta Rule: How Business Owners Earn Tax-Free Rental Income (Section 280A Guide)
Section 280A(g) lets business owners rent their personal residence to their company for up to 14 days per year and exclude the income from federal tax. This guide covers eligibility, fair-market rate setting, the documentation auditors expect, and the lessons from Sinopoli v. Commissioner.
Billing Management Guide: A Complete System for Getting Paid Faster
A four-stage billing system—strategy, invoicing, collections, reconciliation—that reduces DSO, cuts the 1–5% EBITDA loss from revenue leakage, and stops late payments before they start.
How Tax Professionals Streamline Client Tax Prep With a Better Bookkeeping Pipeline
A practical guide for CPAs and enrolled agents on building a bookkeeping pipeline that delivers tax-ready financials by mid-February — covering client segmentation, in-house vs outsourced models, standardized handoffs, and how plain-text accounting fits in.