#compliance
Compliance
Navigate regulatory compliance and maintain audit-ready financial records
AI-Generated Content and Copyright in 2026: What Small Businesses Can Actually Own, Use, and Risk
After a $1.5 billion settlement and a Supreme Court decision reaffirming human authorship, 2026 rulings split AI training from AI output: training can be fair use, but storing pirated copies is not, and publishing outputs that reproduce protected work still risks infringement. This guide shows what small businesses can own, what they risk, and how to keep AI-assisted work defensible and auditable.
California's Freelance Worker Protection Act: Written Contracts, Payment Timelines, and What Every Hiring Business Must Track in 2026
California's Freelance Worker Protection Act (SB 988) has been enforceable since January 1, 2025. Learn who is covered at the $250 aggregated threshold, the six required contract terms, the 30-day payment backstop, four-year retention, double-damages risk, and a bookkeeping playbook to keep your AP calendar and vendor files compliant in 2026.
Connecticut's All-In Pricing Law Is Live: The July 1, 2026 Junk-Fee Ban Every Business Selling to CT Customers Needs to Follow
Connecticut's S.B. 3 takes effect July 1, 2026: every business advertising to Connecticut must show an all-in price that includes all mandatory fees. Learn who must comply, the tax and shipping exceptions, how it compares to the FTC rule, and the bookkeeping checklist to align your price tags, POS, and ledger.
Your $35,568 Exempt Employee Could Still Owe Overtime — If They Work in the Wrong State
Federal overtime stays at $684 per week after the 2024 rule was vacated, but Washington ($80,168), California ($70,304), Colorado ($57,784), New York ($62,400–$66,300), and Maine ($45,300) now exceed it for 2026 — learn the three-test rule, where state law controls, and a six-step payroll audit to avoid back-pay and liquidated damages.
Drone Delivery Goes Mainstream: A Small Operator's Guide to FAA Part 108 BVLOS Permits, Insurance, and Per-Flight Profitability
FAA Part 108 replaces one-off Part 107 BVLOS waivers with 24-month permits and certificates for drones up to 1,320 lbs. Learn the five cost buckets, insurance pricing at $475-$4,000 per drone, and the cost-per-flight-minute formula that turns BVLOS approvals into profitable pricing.
FinCEN's 2026 AML Overhaul: What the Shift to Risk-Based Compliance Means for MSBs and Fintechs
FinCEN's April 7, 2026 proposal would fundamentally reform AML/CFT program rules under the Bank Secrecy Act, replacing box-checking with effective, reasonably designed, risk-based programs. Learn the five key changes, the design-vs-implementation test, and a 10-step checklist for MSBs and fintechs.
Florida's Series LLC Law Takes Effect July 1, 2026: A Small Business Guide to Protected Series, Liability Shields, and Per-Series Bookkeeping
Florida's Senate Bill 316 authorizes protected series LLCs starting July 1, 2026 — one parent LLC can house multiple legally segregated series. This guide explains formation and naming, what keeps the liability shield intact, how the IRS treats each series as a separate taxpayer, and the per-series bookkeeping that makes the structure hold up.
SBA Is Ending the 8(a) Social Disadvantage Presumption: What the New Test Means for Your Federal Contracting Plans
SBA's June 11 proposed rule and August 11 final rule eliminate the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage for 8(a) applicants. Learn the new three-actor test, who it affects, the September 10 effective date for pending applications, and the DCAA-ready bookkeeping controls you need before your first set-aside award.
Visa's VAMP Is Live: How Small Merchants Stay Under the 0.9% Chargeback Threshold in 2026
Visa's Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) merges TC40 fraud reports and TC15 disputes into one ratio, and the 2026 merchant "excessive" threshold dropped to 0.9%. This guide shows exactly how the ratio is calculated and gives small merchants a prevention and gross-to-net bookkeeping playbook to stay under it.
When Your Subsidy Check Follows Attendance, Not Enrollment: A Daycare Owner's Guide to the 2026 CCDF Flexibility Rule
HHS's May 12, 2026 final rule restoring CCDF flexibility rescinded four 2024 mandates — the 7% co-payment cap, grants-or-contracts set-aside, prospective payment, and enrollment-based billing — effective July 13, 2026. Learn what attendance-based reimbursement means for daycare cash flow, how the 85% and five-day absence thresholds work, and which bookkeeping habits keep subsidy revenue predictable.
FinCEN's BOI Exemption Isn't Law Yet: What H.R. 425 Would Lock In for Your LLC
FinCEN's March 2025 interim final rule exempts domestic LLCs and corporations from BOI reporting, but the relief lives in regulation; H.R. 425 would codify it in statute—this guide explains who is exempt today, who still must file (foreign reporting companies), and the bookkeeping to keep while Congress decides.
Florida's SB 606 Operations Charge Rule: What Restaurants Must Disclose on Menus, Bills, and Receipts Starting July 1, 2026
Florida SB 606 takes effect July 1, 2026 and redefines restaurant fee disclosure: every mandatory operations charge — service charges, auto-gratuities, delivery fees, and card surcharges — must be shown on menus, contracts, and ordering apps in compliant font, on the face of the bill, and as three separate receipt lines for tip, operations charge, and sales tax. Learn what counts as an operations charge, where to disclose, and how to book each line correctly.