Form 8829 or the $5 Shortcut? How to Pick Your Home Office Method Without Buying a Future Tax Bill
Form 8829's actual method beats the $1,500 simplified cap until sale day, when depreciation returns at up to 25% — run both numbers yearly.
Blog
Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
FIFO vs. LIFO vs. Weighted Average Cost: How Your Inventory Method Changes COGS, Profit, and Tax
FIFO maximizes reported profit when costs rise, LIFO minimizes tax, average cost splits the difference — choose by cash flow, borrowing plans, and IRS rules.
The ESOP Repurchase Obligation: The Growing Buyback Bill Every Employee-Owned Company Must Budget For
A mature ESOP must buy back 2–5% of its shares yearly at fair market value — model the curve early and fund it with recycling, redeeming, or releveraging.
Due Diligence Checklist for Buying an Existing Business: Quality of Earnings, Working Capital, and SBA 7(a) Requirements
SBA 7(a) acquisition loans now need 1.25x coverage and a QoE above $3M — verify earnings, peg working capital, and diligence tax before you close.
Debits and Credits Explained: How Double-Entry Bookkeeping Keeps Your Trial Balance Honest
Debits grow assets and expenses; credits grow liabilities, equity, and revenue. Learn the five rules plus a 6-step hunt for trial-balance errors.
DBA vs. Legal Business Name: When a Filing Protects Your Brand and Bank Account
File a DBA to bank and bill under your brand name — it links the trade name to your legal owner, and the IRS lists it as your EIN's trade name.
Conditional vs. Unconditional Contributions: The Two-Part Test That Decides When Your Nonprofit Can Book Grant Revenue
A contribution is conditional only with both a barrier and a right of return — otherwise your nonprofit books the grant as revenue now, not a liability.
Chart of Accounts Template: The Five Account Types Every Small Business Needs From Day One
Every transaction lands in one of five account types: assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, expenses. Copy this starter template and tailor it to your business.
Building a Chart of Accounts That Scales: How Small Businesses Design a COA That Survives Growth, Loans, and Your First Audit
Split current from non-current debt, give every loan its own account, and zero suspense balances monthly — an IRS-ready COA for lenders and auditors.
Business Line of Credit vs. Business Credit Card: When Revolving Debt Helps Your Cash Flow and When It Quietly Hurts
A line of credit beats a business card for balances held past 30 days — lower rates, higher limits, no grace-period trap.
Business Credit Scores Explained: D&B Paydex vs. Experian vs. FICO SBSS and How to Build From Zero
D&B Paydex grades payment speed 1–100, Experian forecasts delinquency risk, and FICO SBSS gates SBA loans at 155 — build all three from zero.
Business Bank Reconciliation 101: Why Your Books Never Match Your Bank Statement and How to Fix Outstanding Checks, Deposits in Transit, and Errors
Your books and bank statement disagree over timing, fees, and errors — adjust both sides monthly until they land on one true cash figure.