
Onerous Contracts, Explained: When a Loss-Making Contract Becomes a Liability
A contract is onerous when unavoidable costs exceed benefits — provision the lower of the fulfillment loss and the exit penalty.
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Track and manage business liabilities and financial obligations

A contract is onerous when unavoidable costs exceed benefits — provision the lower of the fulfillment loss and the exit penalty.

Accounts payable is short-term supplier credit; notes payable is signed, interest-bearing debt split into current and long-term portions.

An MSA holds the relationship terms — payment, IP, liability — while each SOW defines one project's scope, milestones, and fees.

Bobtail covers tractor-only driving even under dispatch; non-trucking liability covers personal use off dispatch — leased owner-operators often need both.

Cap liability at fees paid, assign IP only on full payment, and require a 30-50% deposit — the consulting-agreement clauses that protect freelancers.

Brokers that act like carriers inherit carrier liability — get HHG authority, the $75,000 BMC-84 bond, and tariff-based estimates right.

A BOP bundles liability, property, and business interruption for ~$83/month — but never covers workers’ comp, commercial auto, or professional liability.

Garage liability pays for harm your work causes others; garagekeepers pays for customers' cars in your care; cargo covers freight you haul.

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.

Federal CCPA caps all creditor garnishments at 25% of disposable earnings combined; child support takes priority up to 50–65%. How US employers rank orders.

General liability excludes pets in your care; a $100–$300 CCC endorsement closes the gap. Deduct premiums on IRS Schedule C, Line 15.

General liability won't cover your own inflatables in transit. The four-policy stack bounce house renters need, and how to book premiums under IRS rules.