#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
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.
Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (IRC 6672): Personal Liability for Unpaid Payroll Taxes
How the IRS uses Internal Revenue Code Section 6672 to hold business owners, officers, bookkeepers, and even spouses personally liable for 100% of unpaid payroll withholdings — covering who qualifies as a responsible person, how willfulness is established, and how to defend a Letter 1153 within the 60-day appeal window.
Form 3115 Demystified: How to Change Your Accounting Method and Unlock Tax Savings
Form 3115 lets U.S. taxpayers change accounting methods and use a Section 481(a) adjustment to recover missed deductions or correct multi-year errors on a single current-year return, without amending prior years.
ASC 718 Stock-Based Compensation Accounting for Startups: A Practical Guide
ASC 718 requires startups to recognize the grant-date fair value of equity awards as compensation expense over the vesting period, even when no cash changes hands. This guide covers measurement, recognition, forfeitures, modifications, disclosures, and the audit pitfalls that derail funding rounds.
Foreign Exchange Gains and Losses: A Practical Multi-Currency Accounting Guide for Small Businesses
How small businesses record foreign exchange gains and losses under US GAAP (ASC 830) and IRC Section 988, with sample journal entries, realized vs. unrealized treatment, period-end revaluation, and a practical monthly close workflow.