Hobby Farm or Farm Business? How the IRS Decides Whether Your Farm Losses Are Deductible
The IRS presumes a farm is a business if it profits in 3 of 5 years; otherwise nine factors decide. Hobby farms owe tax on income but deduct nothing.
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Agricultural tax rules for farmers and ranchers, including Schedule F income reporting, crop insurance deferrals, livestock sales, conservation deductions, and farm-specific income averaging
Alligator Farm Bookkeeping: CITES Tags, Split Hide-and-Meat Revenue, and Inventory That Can't Cross State Lines Untagged
Split hide and meat revenue, reconcile every CITES tag to cash, and carry 15-month grow-out costs correctly on Schedule F.
Commercial Grain Drying Service Bookkeeping: Cost Every Point of Moisture So Your Rate Is More Than a Guess at the Elevator's Price
Custom grain drying costs about 3.2 cents per point per bushel before margin — price from your fuel, shrink, and fixed cost, not the elevator's rate.
Farm Succession Planning: How to Pass the Land, the Equipment, and the Management to the Next Generation Without Splitting the Family
Only 23% of family farms have a succession plan. Transfer management first, use LLC interests plus IRS Sections 2032A and 6166, and keep the farm intact.
The PACA Trust: How Produce Sellers Get Paid First When a Buyer Goes Bankrupt
Under 7 U.S.C. 499e(c), unpaid produce sellers are paid from a buyer's trust assets before other creditors — if terms stay ≤30 days and notice is timely.
You Own the Land — But Do You Own the Water? A Landowner's Guide to Water Rights
In the western US, water rights follow priority dates, not deeds — verify decrees before buying land, avoid forfeiture, and lease unused water for income.
The Federal Fuel Tax Credit Most Contractors, Landscapers, and Farms Never Claim
Off-highway gasoline earns $0.183/gal back and undyed diesel $0.243 — claim the federal credit on IRS Form 4136 with your return.
Worm Farming Bookkeeping: Living Inventory, Castings Sales Tax, and Farm Tax Rules
Price worms and castings from a blended cost per pound, register castings as fertilizer, collect state sales tax, and pass the IRS hobby-loss test.
Hop Farm Bookkeeping: Why Your $12,000-Per-Acre Trellis Depreciates Differently From the Bines
Hop yard buildout runs $12,000-$15,000 per acre, and the trellis depreciates as 7-year farm equipment while IRS Section 263A decides the plants.
Why Your Cut-Flower Farm Needs Two Markups: Weddings vs. Market
Weddings and farmers-market bunches need separate markups: market bouquets hold ~55% margin on stem cost, while wedding quotes must carry 15-25 design hours.
Sheep Farm Bookkeeping: Breeding Flock vs. Market Lambs, Wool Checks, and the Enterprise Budget That Tells You If Ewes Pay
Cull ewes held over 12 months qualify for Section 1231 gain on Form 4797 — not Schedule F — skipping self-employment tax.
Corn Maze and Fall Festival Bookkeeping: Your Six-Week Season Playbook
Season-pass cash is deferred revenue, not August income — and your maze crew is usually non-farm labor owed US overtime. A six-week bookkeeping playbook.