Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance: Who Pays When Employees Drive Their Own Cars
If an employee crashes their own car on a work errand, your business can be sued. HNOA covers that liability gap — what it covers, excludes and costs.
#expense-tracking
Expense Tracking
Tools and methods for tracking business expenses, receipt management, and expense reporting
Dyed Diesel and Off-Road Fuel: What You Can Legally Burn, How Dye Testing Catches Violations, and the $1,000-or-$10-Per-Gallon Penalty
Dyed diesel in a highway vehicle costs the greater of $1,000 or $10 per gallon under IRS rules. Know the legal off-road uses and reclaim tax with Form 4136.
How Much Does a Trademark Cost in 2026? USPTO Fees, Attorney Costs, and Renewals
A US trademark costs $350 per class in USPTO fees; with search, surcharges and an attorney, one class runs $350–$3,500, plus $325 per class in year five.
The Five Lease Clauses That Decide Your Rent for the Next Decade
Renewal caps, CPI escalators, holdover penalties, co-tenancy and exclusive-use terms set your real rent for a decade — negotiate them before you sign.
Fuel Costs Are Quietly Eating Your Margin: What Record Gas Prices Mean for Your Books
Small-business gas spend jumped nearly 31% in 2026. Track fuel per mile, split the 72.5¢/76¢ IRS mileage rate, and book fuel surcharges as revenue.
2026 IRS Mileage Rate Midyear Change: How to Split Your Deduction
The IRS raised the 2026 business mileage rate from 72.5 to 76 cents for miles driven from July 1 — date every log entry or you cannot prove the higher rate.
Ordinary and Necessary: The Two-Word Test Behind Every Business Tax Deduction
An IRS business expense must be ordinary (common in your industry) and necessary (helpful to it) under Section 162 — plus the records to prove it.
Why Your Business Calls Show Up as 'Spam Likely' — and How to Fix Your Caller ID
Spam Likely labels come from Hiya, First Orion and TNS, not your carrier. Register numbers, earn A attestation and add branded calling to lift answer rates.
Holiday Shipping Surcharges Start September 27: Your 2026 UPS, FedEx, and USPS Date-by-Date Guide
UPS peak surcharges start September 27, FedEx September 28, USPS October 4 — flat residential demand charges jumped 22–32% over 2025.
You Volunteer Every Weekend. Here's What the IRS Actually Lets You Deduct
Volunteer hours are worth $0 on your return, but the IRS lets you deduct 14 cents a mile, supplies, and uniforms — and two 2026 changes shrink who benefits.
Lost Your Receipts? How the Cohan Rule Lets You Reconstruct Business Expenses
The Cohan rule lets a court estimate an ordinary business deduction when you can prove the money was spent but not the exact amount — and Section 274(d) forbids that estimate entirely for travel, entertainment, gifts, and vehicles. Here is what reconstruction evidence actually persuades an examiner, why bank statements alone usually fail, and a six-step playbook for rebuilding a missing-receipt file.
The $25 Business Gift Rule: What You Can Deduct, and Why Employee Gift Cards Are Wages
Federal law caps the business-gift deduction at $25 per recipient per year — a limit unchanged since 1962 — while incidental shipping, wrapping, and $4-or-less branded items sit outside it. Employee gifts follow different rules: gift cards and cash equivalents are always taxable wages, and only small, infrequent tangible items qualify as de minimis fringe benefits.