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Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.

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7 min read

Depreciation Recapture Explained: The Tax Bill Waiting When You Sell Depreciated Equipment or Real Estate

Depreciation recapture taxes the deductions you already took when you sell a business asset at a gain — Section 1245 equipment gains are recaptured as ordinary income at rates up to 37%, while Section 1250 real estate depreciation is capped at 25%. With 100% bonus depreciation restored and the Section 179 limit at $2,560,000 for 2026, a fully expensed asset has a $0 basis from day one, so nearly the entire sale price becomes taxable. Here's how the rules split, a worked example, and five strategies owners use to manage the bill.

Mike Thrift

depreciationfixed-assetstax-planning
8 min read

How to Book a Workers' Comp Dividend Check (and Why a Retro-Rating Plan Can Also Send You a Bill)

Workers' comp dividend checks and retro-rating adjustments arrive 6–30 months after a policy expires. Dividends are discretionary — book them as a reduction of insurance expense when declared, never accrued in advance. Retro adjustments are contractual — accrue the estimated premium as a liability in the period the losses occurred, then true up at each 6-, 18-, and 30-month adjustment.

Mike Thrift

insurancesmall-businessbookkeeping
7 min read

Tire Retreading Bookkeeping: Why the Casing on Your Shelf Is Worth More Than the Rubber You Just Cured

How tire retreaders should book casing custody, core credits, and warranty adjustments — customer-owned casings stay off your inventory, core credits are an inventory purchase rather than an expense, and prorated warranty claims justify a monthly accrued reserve. Includes example beancount entries and a minimal chart of accounts.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepingsmall-businessinventory
9 min read

Rolling Forecast vs. Annual Budget: Which Should a Small Business Use?

A rolling forecast replaces each closed month with actuals and adds a new month to a fixed 12-month window, so plans never go stale. About 42% of organizations use one (AFP), most alongside — not instead of — an annual budget, and combined approaches improve planning accuracy 25–30%. Here's how the mechanism works, the mistakes to avoid, and a six-step build guide.

Mike Thrift

forecastingbudgetingfinancial-planning
9 min read

Quiet Quitting in 2026: What Employee Disengagement Costs Your Small Business

U.S. employee engagement sits at just 32% in 2026, and Gallup estimates disengagement costs the global economy $8.9–$10 trillion a year. Here is how small-business owners can recognize the warning signs of quiet quitting, why replacing an employee runs 50–200% of their salary, and which management levers — clarity, recognition, and growth — actually re-engage a team.

Mike Thrift

small-businessworkforce-managementproductivity
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