FIFO vs. LIFO: How Your Inventory Method Changes Your Tax Bill When Prices Rise
LIFO matches newest costs against sales, cutting taxable income while prices rise — but the IRS locks in the election and taxes the reserve when you leave.
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Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
E-2 vs. L-1 vs. O-1: Which Visa Fits Your Founder Story, and the Payroll Records Each One Demands
E-2 needs treaty capital at risk, L-1A a year abroad, O-1A three of eight criteria — then every US hire needs an EIN, I-9, and payroll-tax filings.
Daily Sales Reconciliation for Cash-Heavy Businesses: Match Your POS, Till, and Bank Deposits Before Shrinkage Hides
Reconcile your Z-report, till count, and bank deposit every day: a 15-minute routine that catches cash shortages while memories are fresh.
Cost of Goods Sold Explained: What Belongs in COGS, How Inventory Decides Your Gross Profit, and Why Misclassified Labor Lies About Your Margin
COGS is beginning inventory plus purchases and direct labor minus ending inventory — under IRS rules a $5,000 miscount moves gross profit $5,000.
Corporate Card Reconciliation: Match Every Employee Charge Before Month-End Close
Reconcile corporate cards weekly, not monthly — matched receipts, netted refunds, and repaid personal charges keep you inside the IRS 60-day window.
Chart of Accounts Numbering That Scales: Building a 1000–9000 System Your Business Never Outgrows
Number accounts by tens inside 1000–9000 blocks and map each P&L line to Schedule C — a COA that scales without renumbering.
Certified Bookkeeper vs. Certified Public Bookkeeper: How the AIPB and NACPB Credentials Compare on Cost, Exams, Experience, and Whether Clients Actually Pay More for the Letters
AIPB's CB is the budget self-study path with proctored exams; NACPB's CPB license costs more with coursework. Pick by budget, background, and learning style.
Cash Rent vs. Crop Share vs. Flex Leases: How to Split the Risk, Set a Fair Rate, and Paper the Deal
A fair rent starts from soil yield and county rates, not elevator talk — six rate methods, cash vs. share vs. flex risk splits, and IRS reporting per lease.
Carried Interest, Explained: The 3-Year Holding Period Rule Behind How Fund Managers' Profit Shares Are Taxed
Section 1061 grants carried interest long-term rates only when assets are held over 3 years; otherwise the manager's profit share is taxed as ordinary income.
CAM Charges, Explained: How Commercial Tenants Read the Annual Reconciliation, Audit Their Pro Rata Share, and Dispute Costs the Lease Doesn't Allow
Your CAM bill is your pro rata share of common-area costs — check the GLA denominator, enforce exclusions and caps, and object before the deadline.
The Business Owner's Policy, Explained: What a BOP Bundles, Who Qualifies, and the Gaps That Still Need Separate Coverage
A BOP bundles liability, property, and business interruption for ~$83/month — but never covers workers’ comp, commercial auto, or professional liability.
The Burn Multiple, Explained: How Much Each Dollar of Growth Really Costs You
Burn multiple is net burn divided by net new ARR — under 1.5x marks fundable SaaS efficiency, while above 3x means growth destroys value.