Patriot vs. OnPay vs. SurePayroll: The Cheapest Full-Service Payroll for a Micro-Business
Patriot is cheapest for most micro-business payrolls, but multi-state fees and year-end form bills can flip it — run your headcount before your IRS deposit.
Blog
Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
Participating vs. Non-Participating Preferred Stock: How the Double Dip Decides Your Exit Payout
Participating preferred pays investors twice — preference first, then a pro-rata share. Non-participating pays only the greater of the two.
Market Discount and Bond Premium, Explained: How Buying a Bond Below or Above Par Changes Your Tax
IRS rules tax accreted market discount as ordinary income unless de minimis — while electing premium amortization shrinks your taxable coupon.
Marginal Cost, Explained: What One More Unit Really Costs
Marginal cost is what one more unit costs: change in cost over change in quantity. Keep producing while it stays below marginal revenue.
Input vs. Output Methods, Explained: How to Measure Progress on Long-Term Contracts
Input methods track effort in, output methods track value out — choose the ASC 606 progress measure that fits the contract and reconcile billings monthly.
Form 1099-INT, Explained: What Every Box Reports and the $10 Threshold That Decides Whether You Get One
Form 1099-INT reports interest of $10 or more — Box 1 is taxable, Box 3 Treasury interest skips state tax, and the Box 2 penalty is deductible.
Fedwire vs. CHIPS vs. SWIFT, Explained: How Wire Transfers Actually Move
Fedwire settles each wire in full, CHIPS nets trillions against prefunded balances, and SWIFT only carries messages — how your money actually moves.
Conversion Cost, Explained: What It Really Takes to Turn Raw Materials Into Finished Goods
Conversion cost is direct labor plus manufacturing overhead — the cost of turning materials into finished goods, materials excluded.
Channel Stuffing, Explained: How Shoving Extra Inventory Onto Distributors Inflates Revenue
Channel stuffing books revenue on shipments distributors cannot sell — watch DSO, receivables outpacing sales, and next-quarter returns.
Business Loan Prepayment Penalties, Explained: the SBA 7(a) 5-3-1 Rule, the 504 Declining Penalty, and Yield-Maintenance Math
SBA 7(a) loans charge 5-3-1% on early payoffs in years 1-3; 504 penalties decline over half the term — price yours before you refinance.
Balance Sheet Reconciliation, Explained: How to Reconcile Every General Ledger Account Each Month
Every balance sheet balance is a claim — reconciliation proves it against an independent schedule. The five-step monthly routine, per account.
Take Rate, Explained: How Marketplaces Turn GMV Into Revenue
Take rate is platform revenue divided by GMV — and the effective rate runs far above the advertised commission once fees, fulfillment, and ads count.