#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
E-Bike Rental Fleet Bookkeeping: How to Depreciate a Fast-Aging Asset, Capitalize Battery Packs, and Budget the $400–$900 Replacement Cycle
A 10-bike e-bike rental fleet costs $15,000–$30,000 to launch, but each swappable battery lasts only 500–1,000 cycles and costs $400–$900 to replace — often within a year at rental utilization. This guide shows how to capitalize bikes and packs separately, depreciate under 2026 Section 179 and restored 100% bonus depreciation, reconcile net app payouts to gross revenue, and track utilization and revenue per bike per day before the next battery wave hits.
Illinois Just Made Cocktails-to-Go Permanent: SB 618 Sealed-Container Rules and Bookkeeping for Bars and Restaurants
Illinois SB 618 makes cocktails-to-go permanent July 1, 2026, requiring tamper-evident sealed containers, four-element labeling, a seven-day fill clock, employee-only delivery, and age verification, with ABV-based gallonage tax and separate POS bookkeeping to keep the channel profitable and audit-ready.
New Jersey's ABC Test Is Now Final: What Every Business Hiring Contractors Needs to Do Before October 1
New Jersey adopted final ABC test regulations on May 5, 2026, effective October 1 — applying the same three-prong test across unemployment, wage and hour, and wage payment laws. Learn how remote work and app-based control change the analysis, the per-worker penalties, and a six-step audit to complete before the deadline.
PayPal and Venmo Are Finally Talking: What the End of Visa+ Means for Freelancers Before February 2026
Starting February 19, 2026, Visa+ stops working for PayPal and Venmo transfers and is replaced by direct phone-number payments rolling out November 2025. With the 1099-K threshold falling to $600 in 2026, freelancers must tag inter-app transfers correctly, reconcile gross versus net per platform, and separate business from personal flows to avoid double-counting income.
Short-Term Rental Co-Host Bookkeeping: How to Reconcile Double-Reported 1099-Ks Without Overstating Income
Airbnb reports the full gross booking on the owner's 1099-K and your co-host share again on yours — so $80,000 in real bookings can appear as $96,000 to the IRS. This guide explains the 2026 OBBBA changes ($20,000 and 200 transactions for 1099-K, $2,000 for 1099-NEC), which form you should receive, and the chart-of-accounts method to reconcile gross vs. net without overreporting income.
The $2,000 1099-NEC Threshold for 2026: W-9s, Backup Withholding, and the Vendor Playbook That Keeps You Penalty-Free
For payments made on or after January 1, 2026, the federal 1099-NEC/1099-MISC reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 under P.L. 119-21 — but royalties ($10), attorney gross proceeds ($600), and backup withholding on any withheld amount are unchanged. Here is the vendor-onboarding and W-9 workflow that prevents penalties either way.
Bank Reconciliation Checklist: How to Match Your Books to Your Bank Statement Every Month
A 9-step monthly bank reconciliation checklist that matches your book balance to the bank statement, separates timing differences from journal entries, and uses the divisible-by-9 rule to catch transposition errors in 30 to 60 minutes.
Brazil Just Got a 50% Tariff: What Small Importers of Coffee, Beef, and Steel Need to Know About Product Exclusions
A July 30 IEEPA order adds 40% to Brazilian goods on top of the 10% reciprocal tariff for a total 50% above MFN from August 6. Orange juice, Brazil nuts, and pig iron are excluded via Annex I, while steel and aluminum are excluded from the Brazil addition because Section 232 already applies — coffee and beef are not excluded. Here's the entry-date, FTZ, and bookkeeping checklist for small importers.
Canada Canceled Its Digital Services Tax: How to Claim Your Share of the $647 Million Refund and Fix Your Books
Canada repealed its 3% Digital Services Tax and the CRA is returning about CAD $647 million — $289 million in cash and $358 million offset against other tax debts. Direct filers get automatic refunds with interest; Amazon and Etsy sellers who paid the DST pass-through surcharge get no CRA claim and must reconcile and reclassify those fees themselves.
Cargo Theft Surged 60% to $725 Million: What Small Carriers Need to Know About Tighter Underwriting and Rising Premiums in 2026
Cargo theft losses hit $725 million in 2025, up 60%, with average theft at $273,990. Small carriers face 18 percent cargo premium hikes, theft sublimits, and stricter underwriting on high-risk lanes—learn what thieves target, where risk moved, and the bookkeeping that keeps coverage intact.
Crypto Estate Planning for Business Owners: Documenting Wallets, Seed Phrases, and NFTs So Your LLC Outlives You
A business owner's guide to inventorying crypto wallets, seed phrases, and NFT holdings so your LLC's treasury survives incapacity or death — RUFADAA-compliant will language, Shamir backups, platform legacy tools, and per-wallet bookkeeping that keeps the estate honest.
The DOL Wants to Scrap Its Six-Factor Contractor Test: What the 2026 Two-Factor Proposal Means for Your Business
The DOL's February 26, 2026 proposal (RIN 1235-AA46) would replace the 2024 six-factor contractor test with a two-factor economic-reality analysis weighing control and opportunity for profit or loss. Here is what changes, why the 2024 rule is in enforcement limbo, and what to document in your books now while the rescission is pending.