#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
Section 174A Is Back: How OBBBA Restored Immediate R&D Expensing for Small Businesses in 2026 (and the New Form 6765 Reporting Rules)
OBBBA created Section 174A to permanently restore immediate expensing for domestic R&E after Dec 31, 2024. Learn the retroactive window that closed July 6, 2026, the new mandatory Form 6765 Section G for 2026, and how to tag domestic vs foreign costs by business component.
Square vs. Shopify POS vs. Clover vs. Helcim: How Small Businesses Should Actually Choose a POS in 2026
Square is free and simple, Shopify wins for ecommerce, Clover lets you choose a processor, Helcim is interchange-plus. Learn the fee, hardware, and bookkeeping differences that decide the right POS in 2026.
Independent Tree Service and Arborist Bookkeeping: Storm-Surge Cash Flow, Equipment Costing, and the Winter Slowdown Plan
Tree service cash flow surges after storms and stalls in winter. Learn how to track storm vs. routine jobs, cost chipper and bucket truck time, and build a cash reserve for the slow season.
Trust, But Validate: Why Handing Estimated Taxes and Worker Classification to AI Bookkeeping Tools Without Human Review Is a 2026 Risk Small Businesses Can't Afford
AI bookkeeping tools can draft returns and classify workers, but they hallucinate law changes and miss control tests. Learn where human review is non-negotiable for estimated taxes and 1099 vs W2 decisions in 2026.
Used-Vehicle Dealer Compliance in 2026: FTC Buyers Guide, Warranty Disclosure, and the Inventory Costing That Keeps Gross Profit Honest
Every used vehicle needs its FTC Buyers Guide on the window with one warranty box checked — and each VIN's ACV plus recon, floorplan curtailment, and F&I reserve must tie to the guide the deal delivered.
Affiliate Marketing Website Bookkeeping: Schedule C, 1099-NEC Gaps, and Recordkeeping for Niche Site Owners
Affiliate marketing income is not passive — it's Schedule C business income. Learn how to handle 1099-NEC gaps, track network payouts, capitalize content costs, and keep records that survive an IRS check for niche site owners.
Auction House Bookkeeping: How the Buyer's Premium Becomes Revenue While the Hammer Price Stays a Liability You Owe the Consignor
An auction house that books the hammer price as revenue will overstate sales by 4× and create an IRS mismatch. Learn how the buyer's premium is revenue, the hammer is a liability, and how to settle and 1099 the consignor correctly.
Backup Withholding in 2026: When 24% Applies, How to Avoid It With Valid W-9s, and the CP2100 Notice Response
Backup withholding is 24% flat on reportable payments when the TIN is missing or the CP2100 says it is wrong — cured by a W-9 before payment and two B-notices within 15 business days, reported on Form 945.
Candle and Soap Maker Bookkeeping: Turning Wax, Fragrance, and Lot Numbers Into an IRS-Defensible COGS When a CPSC Recall Hits Your Batch
Candle and soap makers turn wax and fragrance into COGS by lot, not by month. Learn how to build batch costing with lot numbers, track WIP and finished goods, and keep a recall-ready ledger that proves which batch went to which customer.
Candle and Soap Making Bookkeeping: Batch Costing Wax, Fragrance, and Lye, Inventory Shrinkage From Testing, and Pricing a Handmade Product Above the Craft-Fair Discount Trap
Candle and soap makers lose margin to untracked shrinkage from testing and giveaways. Learn batch costing by wax and fragrance, how to value WIP, and pricing that covers the craft-fair discount that eats profit.
Computer Repair Shop Bookkeeping: Costing Refurbished Inventory, Splitting Break-Fix From Recurring MSP Revenue, and Why Data Recovery Margins Are the Business's Best-Kept Secret
A computer repair shop that lumps break-fix, MSP, and refurbished sales into one revenue line can't price any of them. Learn how to split the streams, cost refurbished inventory, and track the data recovery margin that subsidizes the front counter.
Cottage Food Laws Just Got a Food Freedom Upgrade: How 9 States Now Let Home Bakers Sell Cheesecakes and Cream Pies Without a Commercial Kitchen
Nine states now let home bakers sell TCS foods like cheesecake under food freedom laws. Learn where the line moved in 2026, what still needs a license, and the bookkeeping that keeps a home bakery from outgrowing cottage status.