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Legal considerations for business finance and accounting compliance

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The FTC's Record $12 Million HSR Penalty: What Acquisitive Small Businesses Need to Know About Merger Filing Thresholds

On July 13, 2026, the FTC and DOJ obtained a record $12 million civil penalty from Edwards Lifesciences and Genesis MedTech for structuring a $115 million acquisition with a $25 million non-voting side investment to stay under the Hart-Scott-Rodino filing threshold. This guide explains the 2026 HSR thresholds — $133.9 million size-of-transaction and the size-of-person test — and why roll-ups, PE-backed platforms, and deals structured to "just miss" the line carry real filing risk.

mike

antitrustcompliancelegal

The FTC's First INFORM Consumers Act Penalty: What Temu's $2 Million Settlement Means for Marketplace Sellers

In September 2025 the FTC fined Temu's parent Whaleco $2 million in the first-ever INFORM Consumers Act enforcement action. The law classifies anyone with 200 sales and $5,000 in revenue on a platform as a high-volume third-party seller — here's what verification, annual recertification, and the $20,000 disclosure trigger mean for Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Etsy sellers.

mike

e-commercecompliancelegal

Illinois Banned Swipe Fees on Sales Tax and Tips — So Why Are You Still Paying Them?

Illinois's Interchange Fee Prohibition Act was supposed to stop banks from charging swipe fees on sales tax and tips, but after two effective-date delays to July 1, 2027, an OCC preemption rule, and a June 2026 permanent injunction covering national banks and card networks, merchants are still paying. Here's where the law stands and what it means for your processing costs.

mike

paymentssales-taxbanking

Indiana Repealed Its Youth Employment System: What HB 1302 Means for Employers Who Hire Teens

On July 1, 2026, Indiana's HB 1302 decommissioned the Youth Employment System (YES) database, ending registration and self-reporting for employers with five or more minor employees — but hour caps for 14- and 15-year-olds, hazardous occupation bans, federal FLSA rules, and escalating state penalties all remain in force, making internal recordkeeping the employer's sole audit trail.

mike

compliancepayrollhiring

How to Get the IRS to Answer You in Writing: Private Letter Rulings and Determination Letters for Small Businesses

Oral advice from the IRS is not binding — a private letter ruling is. Under Revenue Procedure 2026-1, 9100 relief for a missed tax election generally costs about $14,500, with reduced tiers near $3,450 and $9,775 for smaller organizations, and the IRS must make contact within 21 days of a complete request. Here's when a ruling is worth the fee, what the request must contain, and the no-fee alternatives — Form SS-8, Form 3115, and Rev. Proc. 2013-30 — that cover most common cases.

mike

taxtax-complianceirs-requirements

Louisiana's Act 751 Bans Debit Card Surcharges — Which Were Already Illegal. Here's Why Retailers Should Still Worry

Louisiana's Act 751 takes effect August 1, 2026, adding state enforcement — cardholder notice letters, a 30-day refund cure window, and civil penalties up to $500 per violation — to a debit card surcharge ban that federal law and card network rules already imposed nationwide. Here's what retailers should check in their POS systems, and how to book any refunds cleanly.

mike

paymentspoint-of-salecompliance

Ninth Circuit Blocks FinCEN's $200 Cash-Reporting Order: What the Border GTO Ruling Means for Money Services Businesses

On July 14, 2026, the Ninth Circuit upheld an injunction blocking FinCEN's border Geographic Targeting Order, which required money services businesses in ~30 ZIP codes to file Currency Transaction Reports for cash transactions as low as $200 — 50 times below the normal $10,000 threshold. The court found FinCEN likely violated the APA by skipping notice-and-comment rulemaking and ignoring compliance costs.

mike

legalcompliancesmall-business

The Robinson-Patman Act Is Back: What a Wine Distributor's Antitrust Fight Means for Every Small Retailer

The FTC's December 2024 Robinson-Patman suit against Southern Glazer's — the first in decades to survive a motion to dismiss — revives a 1936 law barring suppliers from charging small retailers more than big chains for identical goods. What the Act covers, its cost-justification defenses, and the purchase records independent retailers should keep now.

mike

antitrustsmall-businesslegal

The Section 122 Import Surcharge Expires July 24, 2026 — What Small Importers Should Do With the Week Left

The 10% Section 122 import surcharge expires automatically on July 24, 2026, when its 150-day statutory limit runs out — but expiration is not a refund, and Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs are already queued to replace it. Here's how small importers should tally what they paid, preserve refund rights, and model landed costs before the deadline.

mike

taxtax-compliancesmall-business
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