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#bookkeeping

Bookkeeping

Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows

Illinois' Swipe Fee Ban on Sales Tax and Tips: What the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act Means for Your Business Before July 2026

Illinois' Interchange Fee Prohibition Act bans swipe fees on the sales tax and gratuity portions of card transactions starting July 1, 2026 — the first US law of its kind. Learn how to prove tax and tips per transaction, choose between the real-time exemption and the 180-day rebate, and structure a chart of accounts that captures every dollar either way.

Missouri Just Cut 177 Child Care Licensing Rules: What Daycare Owners Need to Know for 2026

Missouri is eliminating 177 child care licensing rules — 79 for family homes and 98 for centers — and consolidating the remaining 1,400+ requirements into a single plain-language rulebook with age-appropriate standards, effective late 2026. This guide explains what changes, what stays, and how daycare owners should track compliance costs and update their books.

Ohio's Permanent Escheat Law: What the Nation's First Stadium-Funded Unclaimed Property Takeover Means for Your Books

Ohio H.B. 96 creates the nation's first permanent escheat at scale — unclaimed funds reported on or before January 1, 2016 vest permanently in the state on January 1, 2026, with a rolling 10-year bar thereafter, and $1.7 to $1.9 billion is slated for the new Cultural and Sports Facility Fund including $600 million for a Cleveland stadium.

Pay As You Go: How Small Businesses Avoid the Estimated Tax Underpayment Penalty With Safe Harbor Rules for 2026

Hit one estimated-tax safe harbor and the IRS underpayment penalty disappears — pay 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% if prior-year AGI topped $150,000) through timely quarterly payments. Covers the 2026 penalty rate (7% Q1/Q3, 6% Q2, compounded daily), the four due dates, and a bookkeeping system that keeps you penalty-free.

Your Books Can Now Close Themselves: What Pilot's Fully Autonomous AI Accountant Means for Small Businesses

Pilot's February 2026 AI Accountant claims to run the entire bookkeeping lifecycle — onboarding, categorization, reconciliation, and monthly close — with zero human intervention. This guide explains what fully autonomous actually covers, where it helps, where governance and auditability still matter, and how to choose the right bookkeeping stack for your business.