#compliance
Navigate regulatory compliance and maintain audit-ready financial records
The DOJ's May 2026 consent decree with Agri Stats sets concrete rules for lawful benchmarking — pricing data must average 45+ days old, output data 90+ days, reports must be quartile-aggregated and equally available to all buyers. Here's what the settlement means for any small business in a trade-association survey or industry pricing dashboard.
FASB's ASU 2024-04, mandatory for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2025, defines a three-part test for whether settling a sweetened convertible-note conversion counts as an induced conversion (expense only the sweetener) or a debt extinguishment (gain or loss against carrying value) — a classification that can swing reported expense by hundreds of thousands of dollars on the same transaction.
Starting November 10, 2026, the BIS Affiliates Rule extends Entity List and MEU List restrictions to any company 50% or more owned by listed entities — aggregated across owners and traced through corporate layers. Here's what small exporters need to do about screening, Red Flag 29, and documentation before the stay ends.
A federal judge blocked California's SB 343 "Truth in Recycling" law on July 14, 2026, pausing its October 4 recyclable-labeling deadline. Here's what the preliminary injunction does and doesn't change — the FTC Green Guides, SB 54, and UCL false-advertising risk still apply — and how small brands should handle compliance spending now.
The CLARITY Act cleared the House 294-134, but as of mid-July 2026 markets give it roughly 43% odds of passing the Senate before the August recess. Here's what the crypto market-structure bill means for businesses holding digital assets — and why FASB's ASU 2023-08 fair-value accounting rules already apply regardless of the vote.
Colorado's retail delivery fee rose from $0.28 to $0.31 per transaction on July 1, 2026 — its fifth increase since 2022. Here's who must collect it, how the $500,000 small-seller exemption works, how to report it on Form DR 1786, and which states are considering similar fees.
The IRS raised the 2026 qualified transportation fringe benefit limit to $340/month each for transit and parking (up from $325), an $8,160 combined annual pre-tax ceiling. Here's how the benefit works, the 7.65% employer FICA savings, where 20-employee mandates in NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, and New Jersey make it legally required, and how to keep the bookkeeping clean.
Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, selling recalled products is illegal regardless of business size — and Amazon can bill recall refunds back to third-party sellers. This guide covers the three bookkeeping steps a recall triggers for e-commerce resellers — writing recalled inventory off the balance sheet under GAAP, recording reimbursements separately from revenue, and documenting disposal — plus why the accounting write-off and the IRS tax deduction often land in different periods.
Childcare centers juggle three payers on three different clocks — private tuition, CACFP meal reimbursements, and state subsidies that pay 30–60 days after care is provided. This guide covers a classroom-level chart of accounts, automated advance tuition billing (roughly 90% on-time payment versus 50–60% for manual invoicing), CACFP meal-count documentation, and sizing a cash reserve to your actual subsidy lag.
On February 27, 2026, the Delaware Supreme Court's Rutledge v. Clearway ruling upheld the 2025 SB 21 amendments to DGCL Section 144, confirming a safe harbor for related-party deals — including founder bridge loans and insider SAFE participation — approved by disinterested directors or a majority-of-the-minority vote. Here's what founders must document to qualify.
DHS's final rule effective September 15, 2026 replaces open-ended "duration of status" with a fixed I-94 Admit Until Date for F-1, J-1, and I nonimmigrants — up to 4 years plus a shortened 30-day grace period. Small employers with OPT, STEM OPT, or J-1 workers must now calendar expiration dates, file Form I-539 extensions before the deadline, and budget for recurring compliance costs.
EBSA's Field Assistance Bulletin 2026-01 prioritizes duty-of-loyalty and prohibited-transaction cases over process-based prudence claims, and caps routine ERISA investigations at 18 months (30 for complex ones). Here's what small-business 401(k) sponsors should document to stay protected.
