For 2026, QSEHRA caps tax-free reimbursements at $6,450 self-only and $13,100 family for employers under 50 FTEs, while ICHRA has no IRS cap and lets any-size employer vary contributions across 11 federal employee classes—provided the 9.96% affordability test, MEC requirement, and 90-day notice are all met.
Section 263A UNICAP forces producers and resellers to attach indirect costs — rent, supervisor wages, depreciation — to inventory rather than expense them. This guide covers the 2026 $32M small-business exemption, the simplified production and resale methods, Form 3115 and the 481(a) adjustment, and the personnel-allocation mistakes that draw IRS attention.
The Section 45B FICA Tip Credit returns 7.65% of employer payroll tax on reported tips above a frozen $5.15/hour floor for restaurants — and after OBBBA's 2025 expansion, salons, spas, and other personal-care employers can claim it on Form 8846 too.
A practical playbook for building a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast using the direct method—how to model receipts, disbursements, and weekly variance so small businesses spot liquidity gaps four to twelve weeks before they hit.
A working IRS-compliant accountable plan lets S-Corp owners reimburse home office, 72.5¢/mile mileage, internet, and travel tax-free—turning otherwise-lost expenses into deductible corporate spending. This guide covers the three §1.62-2 requirements, a worked $3,126 home office calculation, the five mistakes that get plans reclassified as wages, and the monthly bookkeeping rhythm that keeps it audit-proof.
The 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC reporting threshold rises from $600 to $2,000 for payments made in 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Backup withholding still kicks in at the same threshold, the 1099-K bar resets to $20,000 plus 200 transactions, and most states have not adopted the federal change—so vendor recordkeeping matters more, not less.
How nonprofits trigger Unrelated Business Income Tax — a flat 21% federal levy, the three-part IRS test, traps in gift shops and advertising, statutory exclusions, and the post-2017 siloing rules under IRC §512(a)(6) that lock losses to each unrelated business.
Section 280A(g) — the Augusta Rule — lets business owners rent their personal residence to an S-corp, C-corp, or partnership for fewer than 15 days a year and exclude the entire rent from federal income tax. In Sinopoli v. Commissioner (2023), the IRS slashed roughly $290,000 of claimed rent down to $30,000 because documentation and fair-market rates were thin. Here is what 280A(g) actually requires, the five pillars of an audit-proof setup, and how to report the rent without triggering an IRS mismatch.
The de minimis safe harbor election under Treasury Regulation 1.263(a)-1(f) lets businesses without audited financials immediately expense tangible property purchases up to $2,500 per item, skipping depreciation schedules and capitalization analysis.
Self-employed filers can claim the federal Earned Income Tax Credit on Schedule C net earnings, with a 2025 maximum of $8,046 for families with three or more children. This guide covers eligibility thresholds, how to compute earned income (including the half-SE-tax adjustment), the documentation that survives an audit, and the pitfalls that disqualify otherwise valid claims.
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