#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
Venture Debt and Recurring Revenue Loans in 2026: A Founder's Guide
How venture debt and recurring revenue loans work in 2026 — pricing in the 10-13% range, warrant coverage of 0.5-1.5%, end-of-term fees, MAC clauses, and when each instrument actually extends runway versus trapping founders before the next equity round.
AI Bookkeeping for Small Business in 2026: Where Generative AI Wins and Where It Fails
AI bookkeeping tools now hit 85–95% categorization accuracy and shrink month-end close from days to under two hours, but the 2–5% confidently wrong residual is where audit risk hides. A practical workflow for small businesses covering daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly review steps.
The IC-DISC: How Closely Held Exporters Cut Federal Tax on Export Profits to 23.8%
The IC-DISC is the only permanent federal tax incentive dedicated to U.S. exporters that is available to pass-through entities. It routes export commissions through a tax-exempt paper corporation and back out as qualified dividends, cutting the effective federal rate on export profits from roughly 40% to 23.8% for closely held manufacturers, distributors, software vendors, and engineering firms.
PCI DSS 4.0.1 in 2026: The Small Merchant's Guide to SAQ A, Script Tampering, and MFA
PCI DSS v4.0.1 governs every 2026 assessment, and FAQ 1588 has narrowed who qualifies for SAQ A. This guide walks small merchants through the new script-tampering rules (6.4.3 and 11.6.1), the 12-character password and MFA requirements, what non-compliance actually costs, and a 12-step checklist for getting it right.
S-Corp Basis, Form 7203, and the Phantom Distribution Trap: A Section 1366(d) Guide
Section 1366(d) caps S-corporation loss deductions at stock basis plus direct shareholder debt, and Form 7203 is how the IRS verifies the math. A working guide to suspended losses, phantom capital gains on distributions, the $25,000 open-account debt rule, why personal guarantees do not create basis, and how the Regulation 1.1367-1 ordering rules decide which losses survive each year.
Section 263A UNICAP: When Small Businesses Must Capitalize Indirect Costs Into Inventory
Section 263A forces producers and resellers above the $32 million 2026 gross-receipts threshold to capitalize warehouse rent, purchasing, and mixed service costs into inventory. Here is how the exemption, simplified methods, and Form 3115 method changes actually work.
Single Audit Compliance Under 2 CFR Part 200: Why $1 Million in Federal Funds Triggers a SEFA Audit
A practical walkthrough of the Single Audit Act, the new $1 million federal expenditure threshold effective for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2024, the SEFA's role, the four-step risk-based major program selection, the 12 compliance areas auditors test, and the steps nonprofits and local governments should take before crossing the threshold.
The $1 Million Single Audit Trap: Uniform Guidance, SEFA, and How Nonprofits and Governments Pass Federal Compliance
OMB raised the single audit threshold to $1 million in federal expenditures starting October 1, 2024. This guide explains the Subpart F audit under 2 CFR 200, SEFA reporting, four-step major program determination, the 40 and 20 percent coverage rules, and the nine-month Federal Audit Clearinghouse submission deadline for nonprofits and state and local governments.
The 90-Day Letter: How Small Businesses Can Fight an IRS Notice of Deficiency in Tax Court
A statutory notice of deficiency gives a small business owner exactly 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court — the only path to challenge an IRS adjustment without paying first. This guide explains CP3219A, the Section 6213 deadline, the $50,000 small tax case election, and the records that decide outcomes.
Treasury Bills for Business Cash Management: A 2026 T-Bill Ladder Guide
A practical 2026 playbook for small businesses using a Treasury-bill ladder to earn ~3.66% on idle operating cash, capture the state and local tax exemption on Treasury interest, and keep the bookkeeping clean.
The 2026 WISP Playbook for Tax Pros and Bookkeepers: Building an FTC Safeguards Rule-Compliant Data Security Program Without a CISO
A 2026 guide for solo tax preparers and small bookkeeping firms to build a Written Information Security Plan that satisfies the FTC Safeguards Rule's nine elements, the IRS PTIN attestation, and the 30-day breach notification requirement — using IRS Publication 5708 as the scaffold and a 90-day rollout.
WISP Compliance: Why Every Tax Pro Needs a Written Information Security Plan in 2026
A practical guide to building a Written Information Security Plan that satisfies the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 5708 — covering the nine required elements, technical controls like MFA and encryption, penalty exposure up to $46,517 per violation per day, and a six-week roadmap for tax preparers, CPAs, and bookkeepers.