Selling Abroad? The FCPA Rules Every Small Exporter Should Know
The U.S. FCPA covers small exporters too: a foreign agent's bribe can be yours, grease payments rarely qualify, and clean books are your best defense.
Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
The First Sale Rule: How Importers Who Buy Through Middlemen Can Legally Pay Less in Tariffs
Importers buying via a middleman can declare the factory's first-sale price to U.S. Customs and cut duties 10–20%, if every tier is documented.
Freelance Translator Invoicing: Per-Word Rates, Multi-Currency Invoices, and Getting Paid on Time
Per-word rates hide your real hourly pay. Invoice translation work with PO numbers, weighted CAT counts, agreed FX terms and a late-payment playbook.
Garage Door Installation & Repair Bookkeeping: Licenses, Warranties, and Job Costing That Protect Your Margin
Garage door shops hold 10–15% net margins by accruing a warranty reserve, loading labor with 35% burden, and logging truck stock and state licenses per job.
Glamping Business Bookkeeping: Nightly Rates, Seasonal Occupancy Math, and Payout Reconciliation
Glamping books run on nights × occupancy × rate: record gross payouts to match the 1099-K, hold lodging tax as a liability, and depreciate tents in 5–7 years.
Illinois Freelance Worker Protection Act: What Hiring Businesses Must Put in Writing
Illinois FWPA: freelance deals of $500+ (aggregated over 120 days) need a written contract and payment within 30 days — or owe double damages plus fees.
IRS2Go Is Gone: What the New IRS App Means for Your Refunds, Payments, and Tax Records
The IRS app replaced IRS2Go on Sept. 25, 2026: sign in to check refunds, pay balances, pull transcripts and your IP PIN — business accounts stay on IRS.gov.
The IRS Doesn't Need Your Books to Audit You: How Examiners Reconstruct Cash-Business Income
With missing records, the IRS rebuilds income from bank deposits, net worth, markup and unit volume — reconciled books keep the audit on specific items.
IRS Letter 12C: Why Your Return Is On Hold and How to Respond in 20 Days
IRS Letter 12C is a processing hold, not an audit — fax or mail the requested forms within 20 days and skip Form 1040-X; refunds follow in 6–8 weeks.
2026 IRS Mileage Rate Midyear Change: How to Split Your Deduction
The IRS raised the 2026 business mileage rate from 72.5 to 76 cents for miles driven from July 1 — date every log entry or you cannot prove the higher rate.
Juice Bar and Smoothie Shop Bookkeeping: Track Produce Spoilage per Ingredient to Protect Your Margins
A 70% smoothie margin can be 45% after spoilage. Log waste per ingredient, cost recipes on yielded produce, and book abnormal loss outside COGS.
Lost Track of an Old 401(k)? How the DOL's Lost and Found Database Reunites You With Forgotten Money
The DOL's Lost and Found database lets workers search for forgotten 401(k)s by SSN — $2.1 trillion sits unclaimed. Here's how to search and claim yours.