Freelance Interpreter Taxes: Your Agency 1099 Is Not Your Tax Bill
Agency 1099s report gross pay with zero withholding — the IRS still wants income tax plus 15.3% self-employment tax. Set aside 25–30% per job.
Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
Don't Charge Sales Tax on That Gift Card (Yet): When the Tax Is Really Due
US gift card sales are tax-free — sales tax applies at redemption on the full price, at the current rate in the redemption state.
How Holiday Bonuses Are Taxed: The 22% Rule, Gross-Ups, and the Cash-Gift Trap
The IRS allows a flat 22% withholding on separately paid bonuses, but FICA adds 7.65% and cash gifts are always wages. Gross-up math and a year-end checklist.
How Much Does a Trademark Cost in 2026? USPTO Fees, Attorney Costs, and Renewals
A US trademark costs $350 per class in USPTO fees; with search, surcharges and an attorney, one class runs $350–$3,500, plus $325 per class in year five.
Nominee 1099s: What to Do When Income Reported Under Your EIN Belongs to Someone Else
Got a 1099 for income that isn't yours? File a nominee 1099 and Form 1096, then subtract the pass-through on Schedule B or C to avoid a CP2000.
North Carolina's $40,000 Contractor License Line: How to Job-Cost and Bid Around It
North Carolina requires a GC license once a project's final price, change orders included, hits $40,000 — cross it unlicensed and the contract is void.
Packaging EPR Laws Are Now Enforcing in 7 States: Are You a "Producer" Without Knowing It?
Oregon and Colorado already bill packaging EPR fees, with California starting in 2027. Check whether you're a producer, claim exemptions, and join a PRO.
Peru Now Requires Electronic Invoicing From Day One: What New Businesses Must Get Right
Since June 1, 2026, SUNAT makes new RUC registrants electronic issuers the day they register — set up facturas, boletas and SIRE before your first sale.
Portable Storage Container Rental Bookkeeping: Why Your PODS-Style Business Isn't Taxed Like a Self-Storage Facility
U.S. portable storage rentals are taxable equipment rental, not exempt real-estate rent — split five revenue streams and depreciate the fleet.
Your Q4 2026 Tax-Planning Checklist: 10 Moves to Make Before December 31
Ten IRS-smart moves before December 31: place equipment in service, max out 401(k)s, bunch charitable gifts, and prep 1099s under the new $2,000 rule.
Registered Agent vs. Virtual Mailbox vs. PO Box: Which Business Address Each Job Actually Requires
A registered agent takes lawsuits, a virtual mailbox takes mail, a PO Box takes USPS only — and banks reject CMRA addresses as your physical location.
Selling Your Home After a Home Office: The Depreciation Recapture Tax
Section 121 won't shield home-office depreciation: the IRS taxes it as unrecaptured Section 1250 gain at up to 25%, even if you never claimed it.