Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
An AR aging report organizes every unpaid invoice by how long it has been outstanding, grouped into a current bucket plus 1-30, 31-60, 61-90, and 90+ days past due. This guide covers 2026 benchmarks (80%+ of AR should be current), industry DSO norms, collection probability by age, and how to turn the report into a tiered collection system that protects cash flow.
The 2026 federal income tax brackets run from 10% to 37%, adjusted upward by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. A single filer with $100,000 in taxable income owes $16,712 — a 16.71% effective rate, not 22%. Complete bracket tables for every filing status, worked examples, and strategies to lower your taxable income.
How IRS Form 2210 works, when you must file it, the three safe harbors that prevent the underpayment penalty, and how Schedule AI reduces the bill for taxpayers with uneven income. Covers 2026 penalty rates (7% in Q1, 6% in Q2), due dates, and common mistakes.
How sales tax nexus works in 2026 — the $100,000 / 200-transaction thresholds, marketplace facilitator laws, and the six ways small businesses accidentally trigger multi-state tax obligations.
A feature-by-feature comparison of Xero and QuickBooks Online in 2026—covering pricing, user limits, payroll, inventory, multi-currency, and reporting—to help small businesses choose the right cloud accounting platform.
A structured checklist of documents required to open a business bank account, organized by entity type—sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, and partnership—with fee comparisons, opening deposit ranges, and the five mistakes that send applicants home empty-handed.
The IRS doesn't require receipts for every deduction—learn which business expenses you can claim without traditional receipts, what substitute documentation is accepted, and how to reconstruct records if you're audited.
Self-employed individuals pay 15.3% in Social Security and Medicare taxes—double the employee rate. This guide covers how SE tax is calculated, legal strategies to reduce it (S corp election, retirement contributions, expense deductions), how deferral programs work, and what to do if you can't pay on time.
Schedule K-1 (Form 1120-S) reports your share of S-corporation income, deductions, and credits. See how it flows into your 1040, track basis, and fix errors.
Sage Business Cloud Accounting for small businesses—who it fits, where it falls short versus QuickBooks and Xero, and how to decide if Sage is the right pick.
The R&D tax credit (IRC Section 41) cuts your federal tax bill dollar-for-dollar for qualifying research expenses—yet fewer than one in five eligible businesses claim it. This guide covers the four-part test, QRE categories, the Alternative Simplified Credit calculation, and 2026 changes including restored Section 174 expensing and a $500,000 payroll tax offset for startups.
Compare QuickBooks Live pricing in 2026: Intuit Experts service fees, required QuickBooks Online subscription, and cleanup charges before you sign up.
