#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
De Minimis Safe Harbor: How Small Businesses Expense Equipment Up to $2,500 Without Depreciation
A small business with a written capitalization policy dated before the tax year begins and an annual election attached to its return can deduct tangible property up to $2,500 per item or invoice ($5,000 with an applicable financial statement) under Treas. Reg. §1.263(a)-1(f), skipping depreciation schedules entirely.
From Three Weeks to Five Days: A Faster Month-End Close With Cut-Off Discipline and Smarter Reconciliations
A day-by-day close calendar that compresses a typical three-week month-end into five business days. Pre-stage recurring entries, reconcile cash on day one, tie sub-ledgers on day two, post accruals and prepaids on day three, run flux analysis on day four, and lock the period on day five.
How to Close the Books in Five Days: Checklists, Cut-Off Discipline, and Reconciliation Order
A three-week close compresses into five business days through three habits—a written close checklist sequenced by dependency, firm cut-off procedures with accruals for late items, and reconciliation done high-risk-first in a consistent order.
Form 8275: How a One-Page Disclosure Defeats the Section 6662 and 6694 Penalties
Form 8275 is a one-page disclosure statement that, when attached to a tax return, can neutralize the 20% Section 6662 accuracy-related penalty and the Section 6694 preparer penalty for gray-area positions that have a reasonable basis.
Form 8275 Disclosure Statement: Defeating the 20% Section 6662 Accuracy-Related Penalty
Form 8275 lets taxpayers disclose debatable tax positions with the IRS to defeat the 20% Section 6662 accuracy-related penalty when a position has at least a reasonable basis. Covers when to use Form 8275 versus Form 8275-R, what counts as adequate disclosure, timing rules, and Section 6694 preparer-penalty protection.
Form 8850 and the 28-Day Pre-Screening Window: How Employers Lock In Up to $9,600 Per Qualifying Hire
Form 8850 must be signed on or before the job offer date and submitted to the state workforce agency within 28 calendar days of the employee's start date — miss either deadline and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $9,600 per qualifying hire across ten targeted groups, is permanently forfeited.
Functional Expense Allocation for Nonprofits: Form 990 Part IX, ASU 2016-14, and How to Defend Your Program Ratio
A practical guide to splitting nonprofit costs across program, management, and fundraising — covering ASU 2016-14 requirements, Form 990 Part IX, time studies, square-footage methods, the three-test joint cost rule, and the written cost allocation plan auditors expect to see.
Functional Expense Allocation for Nonprofits: A Practical Guide to the Statement of Functional Expenses and Form 990 Part IX
Nonprofits must report expenses by both nature and function under FASB ASU 2016-14. This guide explains the three functional categories, audit-accepted allocation methods like time-and-effort and square footage, and how to feed both the statement of functional expenses and Form 990 Part IX from one consistent system.
IFTA Quarterly Fuel Tax Returns: A Filing and Audit Guide for Owner-Operators
IFTA returns are due quarterly on April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31, and tax follows the miles you drove, not the fuel you bought. This guide shows owner-operators how to calculate fleet MPG, net taxable gallons, and surcharges, and which record-keeping habits survive an audit.
IOLTA and Client Trust Accounting: Three-Way Reconciliation, Earned vs. Unearned Fees, and the Mistakes That End Careers
How law firms run IOLTA accounts under ABA Model Rule 1.15 — separating earned from unearned fees, matching the bank statement to the master ledger and per-client sub-ledgers in a three-way reconciliation, and avoiding the four commingling mistakes (firm money in trust, firm expenses from trust, earned fees left in trust, one client's funds covering another's disbursement) that drive most bar discipline cases.
The Three-Way Reconciliation: How Law Firms Keep Client Trust Money Separate and Stay Off the Disciplinary Docket
A three-way reconciliation ties the bank statement, the trust ledger, and the sum of every client sub-ledger into one agreeing number. This guide explains how it works, how to keep earned and unearned fees separate, and which bookkeeping mistakes quietly build into a bar disciplinary complaint.
Restaurant Prime Cost: Why Weekly Tracking Beats the Monthly Close
Prime cost combines food, beverage, and labor as a percentage of sales—target 55–60% for quick-service and 60–65% for full-service. Tracking it weekly instead of monthly catches portioning and scheduling problems within seven days, while a 4% food cost variance on $1M in sales quietly costs $40,000 a year.