The SBA's 2026 SBIC Overhaul: A New Funding Lane Beyond Banks and Venture Capital
The SBA's SBIC rule effective February 2, 2026 opens a $53B program to manufacturers and suppliers — debt from $250K to $10M at 9–16%, equity from $100K to $5M.
Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
Rabbi Trust vs. Secular Trust: Who Really Gets Your Deferred Compensation If the Company Fails?
A rabbi trust defers tax but leaves the employee behind your creditors in bankruptcy; a secular trust is IRS-taxed at funding. Pick by who bears credit risk.
Loan or Capital Contribution? How to Document Shareholder Advances So the IRS Respects the Debt
Shareholder advances survive IRS scrutiny on behavior, not labels: a written note at or above the AFR, unsubordinated terms, and payments you actually make.
Shopify vs. WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce: What Each Platform Really Costs You
BigCommerce charges 0% platform fees while Shopify adds 0.6–2% on outside gateways — 2026 pricing, a $240K worked example, and an IRS 1099-K payout checklist.
The Short Tax Year: How to File a Stub Return Without Overpaying
Annualization applies only when you changed accounting periods — IRS Section 443 lets startups and shutdowns figure stub-year tax normally, no scaling up.
Your Customer List Is Worthless in Court Unless You Protected It: Trade Secrets 101 for Small Employers
Your client list is only a trade secret if you protected it first — inventory secrets, sign NDAs with the DTSA notice, and lock down access.
UK Economic Crime Levy 2026: Who Files, What You Pay, and How to Reconcile September
The UK Economic Crime Levy charges AML-supervised firms with UK revenue above £10.2m from £10,000 to £500,000 — return first, then payment by 30 September.
Venture Debt for Early-Stage Startups: Borrow Runway Without Selling the Company
U.S. startups borrowed a record $68.8B of venture debt in 2025. Warrants cost 1-5% dilution, but covenant breaches - not missed payments - trigger most defaults
Which Scholarships Are Taxable? Tuition, Room and Board, Stipends, and Required Service
Under IRS Topic 421 a scholarship is tax-free only for tuition and required course costs; room, board, travel, and required-service stipends are taxable.
Airwallex Takes On Stripe Billing: What Free Multi-Currency Billing Means for Your Business
Airwallex bundles billing at no added cost while Stripe Billing charges 0.7% of subscription volume — but the FX spread, 0.4–0.7 points wider, costs more.
Baltimore's New Security Guard Wage Law: What It Means for Your Payroll and Books
Baltimore's ordinance sets a roughly $18/hour wage plus $5.50 benefits floor for security guards from January 1, 2028 — payroll taxes don't count toward it.
Bounced Checks and NSF Fees: How to Book Returned Checks, Bank Charges, and Redeposits Without Double-Counting Revenue
A bounced check reverses the deposit and reopens the receivable — book the NSF fee as its own expense and apply the redeposit to the invoice, never to revenue.