September 30 Is Coming: How Small Contractors Can Win a Share of the Federal Q4 Spending Sprint
Agencies obligate 30–40% of annual contract dollars in Q4, peaking in September — how a small firm gets SAM-ready and quotes fast enough to win a share.
Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
Why the Gap Between Your Food Truck's Cash Drawer and POS Report Is an Auditor's Favorite Red Flag
IRS and state auditors start with the gap between your POS Z report and your drawer count. Log paid-outs, deposit intact, book the rest to Cash Over and Short.
Form W-4P in 2026: Stop Letting the Wrong Default Shrink Your Pension Check
Form W-4P defaults new pension payments to single status with no adjustments, not 10%. Check the Step 1 box to elect zero IRS withholding.
FRF for SMEs: The AICPA's Simpler Alternative to GAAP
FRF for SMEs is the AICPA's accrual framework for owner-managed firms: amortized goodwill, no VIE analysis, no ASC 842. Check loan covenants first.
Hop Farm Bookkeeping: Why Your $12,000-Per-Acre Trellis Depreciates Differently From the Bines
Hop yard buildout runs $12,000-$15,000 per acre, and the trellis depreciates as 7-year farm equipment while IRS Section 263A decides the plants.
Hot Sauce Maker Bookkeeping: Why Your Home Kitchen Is Off-Limits and What a 5 oz. Bottle Really Costs
Hot sauce is an FDA acidified food, so most states bar it from home kitchens. Budget $500-$1,000 for process review and training before your first bottle.
Inventory Shrinkage and the Retail Safe Harbor: Deduct Theft and Breakage Without a Year-End Count
Section 471(b) lets US retailers deduct estimated shrinkage without a year-end count — a three-year shrink-to-sales ratio times stub-period sales, on Form 3115.
Investment Club Taxes: Form 1065, K-1s, and Unit-Value Accounting Explained
A US investment club is a partnership from the first deposit — Form 1065 is due March 15 every year, and filing late costs $255 per partner per month.
IRS Free File Survived While Direct File Didn't: Your 2026 Guide to Filing Free
IRS Free File is open to AGI of $89,000 or less for 2026, and Direct File is gone. Start at IRS.gov or your free return quietly becomes a paid one.
Joint Venture Bookkeeping: Capital Accounts, Profit Splits, and Partnership Tax Filing
The IRS treats most joint ventures as partnerships: keep separate books, track capital accounts, and file Form 1065 by March 15.
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Jury Duty? State Rules, the FLSA Trap, and PTO Limits
Federal law requires jury-duty time off but no pay; 8 states plus DC mandate employer pay, and the FLSA bars docking exempt salaries.
Title-Holding Land Trusts for Rental Investors: Privacy, the Due-on-Sale Exemption, and When an LLC Still Wins
A land trust keeps your name off the deed and fits the federal Garn-St. Germain due-on-sale exemption — but it is no liability shield, so pair it with an LLC.