Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
All-In Pricing in 2026: SB 478, the FTC Junk Fees Rule, and the State Compliance Patchwork
California SB 478, the FTC Junk Fees Rule, and new Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Connecticut statutes require all-in pricing across hotels, tickets, restaurants, and subscriptions in 2026. A practical compliance checklist covering pricing engines, third-party feeds, frontline scripts, and the accounting reclassification work that follows.
California SB 53 Compliance: A Practical Guide to the Transparency in Frontier AI Act
California's SB 53 (Transparency in Frontier AI Act) took operative effect on January 1, 2026, requiring foundation model developers training above 10^26 FLOPs to publish safety frameworks, report critical incidents to Cal OES within 15 days (24 hours for imminent threats), maintain anonymous whistleblower channels, and face civil penalties up to $1 million per violation enforced by the California Attorney General.
Choose-and-Cut Christmas Tree Farm and Wreath Producer Bookkeeping: A Practical Guide
Christmas tree growers face an 8–10 year pre-productive period that forces Section 263A capitalization on Schedule F. This guide explains UNICAP cost allocation, ASC 606 recognition across choose-and-cut, wholesale, wreath, and agritourism revenue, Section 179 equipment planning, H-2A labor, and the KPIs that matter.
Colorado SB 26-189: A 2027 AI Compliance Playbook for Small and Mid-Size Businesses
Colorado replaced its original AI Act with SB 26-189, which takes effect January 1, 2027 and imposes pre-use notices, 30-day adverse outcome disclosures, and consumer access, correction, and human review rights on businesses using automated decision-making technology in eight consequential decision categories. A compliance playbook for small and mid-size deployers and developers.
Davis-Bacon Certified Payroll in 2026: A Practical Compliance Guide for Federal and IRA-Funded Construction Contractors
A working contractor's guide to Davis-Bacon compliance in 2026, covering the redesigned WH-347 certified payroll form, fringe benefit annualization, apprenticeship ratios measured daily, the 2023 final rule and 2024 truck-driver injunction, and how the Inflation Reduction Act's five-times tax credit multiplier ties prevailing wage compliance to clean-energy projects.
Direct Primary Care Meets Your HSA in 2026: The OBBBA Rule That Makes Monthly Doctor Fees Tax-Free
OBBBA Section 71308 and IRS Notice 2026-05 let you pair a Direct Primary Care membership of up to $150/month per adult ($300 family) with an HSA starting January 2026, reclassify all Bronze and Catastrophic marketplace plans as HSA-eligible, and make the telehealth pre-deductible safe harbor permanent. Here is how freelancers, solo S-corp owners, and small employers should stack DPC, marketplace coverage, HSAs, and QSEHRA/ICHRA reimbursements without double-dipping.
DOL Tip Pooling, the 80/20 Vacatur, and FLSA Tip Credit Compliance in 2026
How the Fifth Circuit's vacatur of the 80/20/30 rule, the DOL's 2024 technical amendment, and an expanding state mini-tip-credit patchwork reshape FLSA tip pooling, dual jobs analysis, and Section 3(m) compliance for restaurants, bars, hotels, and salons in 2026.
Life After Section 321: How Small E-Commerce Importers Are Rebuilding Landed Cost, Pricing, and Cash Flow in 2026
A practical guide for Shopify and Amazon FBA sellers on rebuilding landed cost, pricing, and bookkeeping after the May and August 2025 suspensions of the Section 321 de minimis exemption, with line-by-line duty math, entry-type tradeoffs, and cash-flow tactics.
The 2026 ACA Subsidy Cliff Is Back: A Survival Guide for Self-Employed Owners, Freelancers, and Early Retirees
The enhanced premium tax credits expired January 1, 2026, restoring the 400% FPL cliff. This guide walks self-employed filers, S-corp owners, freelancers, and early retirees through the 2026 applicable percentage schedule, MAGI levers like Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA, HSA, and Section 162(l), and Form 8962 reconciliation strategies to avoid five-figure repayments.
The EU AI Act Lands on U.S. SaaS Companies This August: A Practical Compliance Guide
A practical guide for U.S. SaaS founders, foundation model providers, and AI agent builders navigating the EU AI Act before the August 2, 2026 enforcement deadline — covering Article 22 representatives, Article 50 transparency disclosures, GPAI Code of Practice obligations, fine tiers up to 7% of global turnover, and procurement-questionnaire readiness.
OBBBA SALT Cap and PTET: A Four-Year Window for Pass-Through Owners
OBBBA raises the federal SALT cap to $40,400 for 2026 with a 30-cent-per-dollar phase-out above $505,000 MAGI, then reverts to $10,000 in 2030. PTET elections in 36 states remain uncapped and still beat the cap for most high-income pass-through owners. State deadlines, bunching priorities, and the 2030 cliff explained.
FLSA Youth Employment Rules for 2026: A Small Business Guide to Hiring 14- to 17-Year-Olds This Summer
A practical 2026 walkthrough of FLSA youth employment rules for small employers — the four age tiers, the 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders, state work permits, the $4.25 subminimum wage, Section 3(m) tip rules for teens, and the civil penalty math after the 2024 inflation adjustments.