In 2026, a self-employed person earning $100,000 can contribute about $18,587 to a SEP IRA versus $43,087 to a Solo 401(k). This guide compares 2026 contribution limits, Roth options, December 31 deadlines, and Form 5500-EZ filing thresholds so freelancers and consultants can choose the right plan.
A practical guide to changing state domicile for tax savings—covering the difference between residency and domicile, the nine no-income-tax states, the 183-day statutory residency trap, and how high-tax states reconstruct your year from cell tower pings, EZ-Pass records, and credit card data.
A category-by-category comparison of the five real tax solutions small businesses use in 2026 — DIY software, professional-grade platforms, hybrid bookkeeping subscriptions, local CPAs, and in-person chains — with price ranges, fit criteria, and signs you've outgrown your current setup.
A step-by-step walkthrough of business tax filing by entity type — Schedule C for sole props, Form 1065 for partnerships, 1120-S for S-corps, and 1120 for C-corps — with 2026 deadlines, document checklists, audit triggers, and when DIY software stops being enough.
A walk through five tax-court rulings — Seacat's cat food, Wheir's body oil, ABBA's costumes, the Hess implants case, and Capone-style evasion — and the documentation, commingling, and "ordinary and necessary" rules they expose for small business owners.
How the CARES Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act, and American Rescue Plan reshaped small business taxes—covering PPP forgiveness, the Employee Retention Credit, EIDL loans, deferred payroll taxes, and the April 15, 2025 deadline for 2021 ERC claims.
A decision framework for choosing between DIY bookkeeping software, professional services, and plain-text accounting—with concrete pricing benchmarks ($15–$800/month), transaction-volume thresholds, and the seven mistakes that drive cleanup costs.
Client meals are 50% deductible in 2026, client gifts cap at $25 per recipient (a limit unchanged since 1962), and employer-provided meals lose their deduction this year. A service-business guide to documenting meals, travel, gifts, and marketing while staying inside IRS rules.
Forgiven PPP loans are federally tax-free and the expenses paid with them remain fully deductible, but EIDL loans, EIDL Advance grants, and PUA benefits each carry distinct tax treatment — including a one-time $10,200 unemployment exclusion for 2020 under the American Rescue Plan.
A practical guide to how LLCs are actually taxed federally—disregarded entity, partnership, S-corp, or C-corp—when each classification makes sense, what the S-Corp election saves at $150K of profit, the 75-day Form 2553 deadline, and the six mistakes that most reliably trigger IRS audits.
Take control of your finances with our open-source double-entry accounting system. Start your ledger today.
© 2019 - 2026 Beancount.io
