#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
Section 263A UNICAP Rules: How Small Manufacturers and Resellers Decide Which Costs Hit the P&L Now vs. Sit in Inventory
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.
Section 45B FICA Tip Credit: How Restaurants and Salons Recover Employer Payroll Tax with Form 8846
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.
The 13-Week Rolling Cash Flow Forecast: A Direct-Method Guide for Small Businesses
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.
The Accountable Plan: How S-Corp Owners Reimburse Themselves Tax-Free for Home Office, Mileage, and Travel
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 Threshold Just Tripled to $2,000: What Small Businesses Should Actually Do About It
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.
Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) and Form 990-T: When Your Nonprofit's Gift Shop, Ads, or Side Ventures Trigger a 21% Tax Bill
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.
The Augusta Rule: How to Rent Your Home to Your Business for Up to 14 Tax-Free Days
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.
De Minimis Safe Harbor Election: Expensing Tangible Property Up to $2,500 Per Item Without Depreciation
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.
EITC for Self-Employed Workers: Claim Up to $8,046 in 2025
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.
Form 4797 Demystified: How Depreciation Recapture and Section 1231 Decide Whether Your Business Sale Is Ordinary or Capital
Form 4797 governs every business property sale outside Schedule D and decides whether your gain is ordinary or capital. This guide walks through Section 1245 and 1250 recapture, the Section 1231 five-year lookback rule, the 25% unrecaptured Section 1250 gain rate, and seven mistakes that trigger CP2000 notices.
ICHRA Explained: How Small Businesses Reimburse Employees Tax-Free for Health Insurance in 2026
An Individual Coverage HRA lets small employers reimburse workers tax-free for individual ACA plans with no contribution cap, 11 employee classes, and a 9.96% affordability threshold for 2026. Here is how the mechanics, tax treatment, bookkeeping, and 90-day rollout actually work.
The Stress-Free Tax Season Workflow: How to Catch Up, Organize, and File With Confidence
A six-week framework for small business owners to catch up unreconciled books, assemble a standardized year-end financial package, and hand off cleanly to an accountant—anchored by the 2026 federal filing deadlines.