#e-commerce
E-commerce
Accounting solutions for online stores and e-commerce businesses
Online Course Creator Bookkeeping: ASC 606, Sales Tax After Wayfair, Stripe Fees, and Affiliate Commissions
A bookkeeping framework for course creators on Teachable, Kajabi, and Thinkific covering ASC 606 recognition for cohorts and lifetime offers, state economic nexus after Wayfair, Stripe and PayPal reserve accounting, affiliate commission classification, and Section 179 studio capitalization.
Streamlined Sales Tax in 2026: One Free Portal, 24 States, and Free CSP Services for Multistate Sellers
A 2026 field guide to the Streamlined Sales Tax Project — the 24 member states, how the free SSTRS portal works, who qualifies as a CSP-compensated seller for free Avalara, TaxCloud, Sovos, or AccurateTax service, and when SST is the wrong choice for multistate online and SaaS sellers.
How to Reconcile Payment Processor Payouts: A Clearing Account Guide
A payment processor payout bundles gross sales, fees, refunds, chargebacks, sales tax, and rolling reserves into one net deposit. Route every piece through a clearing account so your books tie out to the penny and match the gross volume on your 1099-K.
Gift Card Breakage: How to Account for Unredeemed Balances Under ASC 606
Gift card breakage is the value customers never redeem. Under ASC 606, the proportionate method recognizes breakage revenue alongside redemptions—but state escheatment laws can override your right to keep the money.
Sales Returns and Allowances: Contra-Revenue Accounting Under ASC 606
Sales returns and allowances are contra-revenue, not expenses. This guide shows the journal entries, ASC 606 refund liability and right-of-return asset, and how to estimate returns at period-end so net sales and gross margin stay honest.
Sales Returns, Allowances, and Contra-Revenue Accounting: How to Record Refunds Without Inflating Your Gross Margin
A walkthrough of how to record sales returns, allowances, and discounts as contra-revenue accounts under ASC 606, including the refund liability journal entries, sales tax reversal, and the gross-margin effects most small businesses miss.
Why Your Website's Chat Box Could Trigger State Income Tax in 20 States: PL 86-272 in the Internet Economy
Public Law 86-272 once shielded out-of-state sellers from state income tax, but the MTC's 2021 revised statement now treats chat widgets, post-sale support, and analytics cookies as immunity-breaking activities — and California, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Minnesota have signed on.
Economic Nexus and Sales Tax: A 2026 Guide for Online Sellers
Economic nexus requires out-of-state sellers to collect sales tax once they cross a state's threshold — commonly $100,000 in sales. As of January 1, 2026, 16 states have dropped the 200-transaction trigger, and this guide explains the thresholds, marketplace facilitator traps, and a quarterly compliance routine.
1099-K Threshold Whiplash: What Gig Workers and Online Sellers Need to Know for 2026
For the 2026 tax year the Form 1099-K threshold reverted to $20,000 and more than 200 transactions, but you must still report all income whether or not a form arrives. This guide explains who gets a 1099-K, how to reconcile Box 1a from gross to taxable income, and where the numbers go on Schedule C or Schedule 1.
Sales Tax Economic Nexus After Wayfair: A Compliance Guide for Online Sellers
A 2026 guide to U.S. sales tax economic nexus — how the $100,000 threshold works after Wayfair, which states still count transactions, how marketplace facilitator laws affect your nexus math, and what to do when you should have registered months ago.
E-Commerce Inventory Accounting With 3PLs and Multi-Channel Fulfillment
How online sellers allocate landed costs across SKUs, track FBA reserved inventory across fulfillment centers, reconcile marketplace settlements line by line, and prevent phantom COGS adjustments at year-end across 3PLs and multi-channel fulfillment.
E-Commerce Inventory Accounting With 3PLs and Multi-Channel Fulfillment: How Online Sellers Allocate Landed Costs, Track FBA Reserved Inventory, Reconcile Marketplace Settlements, and Avoid Phantom COGS at Year-End
Multi-channel sellers routinely lose 22 margin points to phantom COGS — unallocated landed costs, FBA reserved inventory, and netted marketplace settlements posted as revenue. A four-step playbook to keep e-commerce books honest from supplier invoice to year-end true-up.