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Small Business

Everything About Small Business

1201 articles

Customer Concentration Risk: The 10% Rule That Quietly Drains Valuation, Credit, and Leverage

Customer concentration above 10% triggers GAAP disclosure, and concentrations above 30% can knock 20–35% off a sale price and shrink bank advance rates. Where the danger thresholds sit, how lenders and acquirers price the risk, and how to diversify revenue before it costs you.

Drop Shipping Sales Tax in 2026: Three-Party Transactions, Resale Certificates, and Marketplace Facilitators

Drop shipping treats one shipment as two sales for tax purposes, and depending on nexus, resale certificate rules, and marketplace facilitator laws, an ecommerce operator can owe tax in states they never set foot in. A 2026 field guide to who actually collects, the ten strict resale states, and the nexus thresholds — including transaction-trigger drops — that decide your exposure.

ERISA Fiduciary Duties for 401(k) Plan Sponsors: Personal Liability and the 3(38) Investment Manager

ERISA Section 409 imposes personal liability on 401(k) plan fiduciaries, and the corporate veil does not shield small business owners. This guide explains the prudent-expert standard, the Tibble v. Edison duty to monitor, and how hiring a Section 3(38) investment manager shifts investment discretion — and most related liability — away from the plan sponsor.

Section 127 Educational Assistance: How Small Businesses Pay $5,250 of Tuition or Student Loans Tax-Free in 2026

Section 127 lets employers reimburse up to $5,250 per employee per year for tuition, books, or student loan principal and interest with no payroll or income tax. OBBBA made the student loan provision permanent in July 2025 and begins indexing the cap to inflation in 2027 — here is how a small business sets up a compliant plan.

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 197 Amortization of Intangibles: How Buyers Write Off Goodwill, Customer Lists, and Non-Competes Over 15 Years

Section 197 lets buyers in U.S. asset acquisitions amortize goodwill, customer lists, non-competes, and other intangibles ratably over 180 months. This guide covers the eight qualifying categories, Form 8594 allocation across Classes I–VII, the pooling rule, and anti-churning traps that can wipe out the deduction.