Rentable vs. Usable Square Feet: How the Load Factor Decides What Your Office Lease Really Costs
Rentable square feet add a 10–25% common-area load to your usable space — reduce every quote to rent per usable foot before comparing.
Blog
Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
Remote Online Notarization (RON), Explained: What You Can Sign Over Video in 2026 — and What Still Needs Wet Ink
RON lets a notary verify your ID and witness your e-signature over live video — legal in nearly every US state, unless your county or lender says no.
Physician Mortgage Loans, Explained: How Doctors Buy With 0–10% Down, No PMI, and Six-Figure Student Loans
Physician mortgages let doctors buy with 0-10% down and no PMI, underwriting contract income and income-driven student-loan payments.
Pet Trusts, Explained: How to Fund Your Animals' Care After You're Gone
A pet trust sets aside money and names a trustee and caregiver so your animals are cared for after death or incapacity — a will alone cannot do that.
Penetration Test vs. Vulnerability Scan: Which Security Assessment Your Small Business Actually Needs
Vulnerability scans inventory known flaws for thousands per year; pen tests prove what attackers can exploit for $5,000-plus. Scan continuously, test annually.
The NPMA-33 Wood-Destroying-Insect Report, Explained: What Inspectors Document, When Lenders Require It, and How to Build the Business
The NPMA-33 is the termite report VA and FHA lenders require at closing — what inspectors document, when it is mandatory, and how to sell the service.
The MSA and the SOW, Explained for Freelancers and Agencies: What Goes in the Master Agreement vs. the Statement of Work
An MSA holds the relationship terms — payment, IP, liability — while each SOW defines one project's scope, milestones, and fees.
Married Filing Separately vs. Jointly, Head of Household, and Surviving Spouse: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Filing Status
Joint IRS filing wins for most couples, but separate returns can cut loan payments and shield refunds — plus when head-of-household and surviving-spouse apply.
Listed Property, Explained: The Over-50% Business-Use Test, Mileage-Log Rules, and Section 280F Luxury-Car Limits
Vehicles and cameras lose accelerated depreciation unless business use tops 50% — and only a contemporaneous mileage log proves it. The tests, caps, and forms.
The Jock Tax, Explained: How Duty Days Decide What You Owe in Every State You Play
One road game in California can trigger a filing: duty days decide each state's slice of your pay, resident credits cap double tax, and travel logs win audits.
Can You Legally Run a Business From Home? Zoning Permits, HOA Rules, and the No-Impact Laws Changing the Answer
In a growing list of states, a no-impact home business needs no city permit — but HOA bans still bind you and taxes still apply.
Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck vs. CLEAR: Which One Pays for Itself When You Fly for Work
Global Entry ($120/5 yrs) bundles PreCheck; CLEAR runs $200+/yr. Deduct the business share on Schedule C; employers reimburse tax-free via an accountable plan.