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Recordkeeping

Everything About Recordkeeping

74 articles
Business recordkeeping requirements, document retention periods, and audit-ready documentation practices

Form 8594 and Section 1060: Allocating Purchase Price Across Asset Classes I–VII in a Business Sale

Buyers and sellers in an asset acquisition must each file Form 8594 under Section 1060, allocating consideration across seven asset classes using the residual method. Mismatched filings can trigger $50,000 penalties and audit cascades; a single dollar moved between Class IV inventory and Class VII goodwill can swing after-tax cash by 17 cents.

IOLTA Trust Accounting for Law Firms: How Three-Way Reconciliation Prevents Disbarment in 2026

IOLTA violations triggered 1,247 attorney discipline cases in 2025. As twelve states adopt a 30-day reconciliation deadline on July 1, 2026, this guide walks through how three-way reconciliation works, the workflow that keeps individual client ledgers tied to the bank balance, and the mistakes that most often end legal careers.

Section 132 Fringe Benefits: How Employers Deliver Tax-Free Perks Without Inflating Payroll

A practical guide to Section 132 fringe benefits — working condition, de minimis, employee discounts, no-additional-cost services, the 2026 $340/month transportation limits, and achievement award rules — covering which perks qualify as tax-free, the cash-equivalent trap, and how to document everything so the program survives an IRS payroll audit.

Section 179D Before the Sunset: How Architects and Engineers Claim the Energy-Efficient Buildings Deduction by June 30, 2026

Section 179D lets architects, engineers, and contractors claim up to $5.94 per square foot in federal tax deductions on energy-efficient projects for tax-exempt building owners — but new claims sunset for projects starting construction after June 30, 2026 under the OBBBA.

Section 6694 Tax Preparer Penalties: How Unreasonable Positions, Willful Conduct, and Section 6695 Due Diligence Failures Cost CPAs and EAs Real Money

Section 6694 imposes preparer penalties of $1,000 or 50% of fees for unreasonable positions, escalating to $5,000 or 75% for willful or reckless conduct. Section 6695(g) adds roughly $650 per EITC, CTC, AOTC, or head-of-household failure on every return. Here is how CPAs and EAs document, disclose, and defend their way out of them.

Form 1099-DA Arrives in 2026: A Crypto Investor's Guide to the IRS's First Digital Asset Reporting Form

U.S. digital asset brokers must issue Form 1099-DA for sales after December 31, 2024. This guide explains what each box reports, why 2025 forms cover only gross proceeds while 2026 forms add cost basis, and how to reconcile broker data with your own records on Form 8949.

Form 990, 990-EZ, and 990-N: How Nonprofits Choose the Right Annual Return and Avoid Automatic Revocation

Nonprofits with gross receipts of $50,000 or less file Form 990-N; those under $200,000 receipts and $500,000 assets file 990-EZ; everyone else files the full 990. This guide covers thresholds, deadlines, late penalties up to $120 per day, and the three-year automatic revocation rule that quietly strips exempt status.