#inventory
Inventory tracking, valuation, and management for businesses
Learn how small businesses should book customer refunds as contra-revenue, not expenses — covering Schedule C line 2, sales-tax payable reversals, inventory COGS adjustments, payment processor reconciliation, and ASC 606 refund liabilities with a monthly workflow to keep net sales accurate.
eBay's July 1, 2026 fee reform cuts final value fees to flat 5% for used and refurbished goods and raises new-goods fees to 7% for commercial sellers on selected marketplaces. Learn how the 5% vs 7% split changes reseller margins, why private sellers are unaffected, and how to reconcile gross 1099-K sales to net payouts without losing the fee deduction.
The 10% Section 122 surcharge expired July 24, 2026 after 150 days and was replaced by 10-12.5% Section 301 duties; CBP's CAPE portal has already paid $23.7 billion of an estimated $166 billion in IEEPA refunds — learn how to re-model landed cost per SKU, track entry-level recoveries, and avoid booking refunds as income too early.
A 10-bike e-bike rental fleet costs $15,000–$30,000 to launch, but each swappable battery lasts only 500–1,000 cycles and costs $400–$900 to replace — often within a year at rental utilization. This guide shows how to capitalize bikes and packs separately, depreciate under 2026 Section 179 and restored 100% bonus depreciation, reconcile net app payouts to gross revenue, and track utilization and revenue per bike per day before the next battery wave hits.
Illinois SB 618 makes cocktails-to-go permanent July 1, 2026, requiring tamper-evident sealed containers, four-element labeling, a seven-day fill clock, employee-only delivery, and age verification, with ABV-based gallonage tax and separate POS bookkeeping to keep the channel profitable and audit-ready.
A July 30 IEEPA order adds 40% to Brazilian goods on top of the 10% reciprocal tariff for a total 50% above MFN from August 6. Orange juice, Brazil nuts, and pig iron are excluded via Annex I, while steel and aluminum are excluded from the Brazil addition because Section 232 already applies — coffee and beef are not excluded. Here's the entry-date, FTZ, and bookkeeping checklist for small importers.
Monument shops collect deposits months before delivery and carry $25,000 to $90,000 in granite — so deposits must sit as deferred revenue until installation, granite must be costed by specific identification including freight, and retail walk-ins need a completely separate profit center from cemetery wholesale.
A chart-of-accounts and KPI framework for auto repair shops that separates parts and labor profit, tracks effective labor rate against posted door rate, and books comebacks and warranty work as visible costs instead of hidden losses.
A comic shop is three businesses sharing a register—non-returnable new issues, long-tail back issues, and consignment—so split them in your chart of accounts, book prepaid pull lists as deferred revenue, and capitalize grading fees into inventory instead of expensing them.
A craft brewery accounting guide covering the 2026 federal beer excise tax rates ($3.50/$16/$18 per barrel under CBMA), how to book keg deposits as a liability instead of revenue, and a channel-level chart of accounts that separates taproom, self-distribution, and wholesale margins.
A practical guide for furniture retailers on booking special-order deposits as liabilities, recognizing revenue on delivery under ASC 606, and financing the showroom through seasonal slow periods with floor planning and a 13-week cash forecast.
How to keep a paint-your-own pottery studio's books honest — allocate firing costs to COGS (roughly $1.32–$2.39 per piece), write down 5–10% greenware and kiln breakage monthly, and treat party deposits and gift cards as deferred revenue until the event is delivered.
