#guides
Guides
Step-by-step guides for accounting, bookkeeping, and financial tasks
Surviving a State Sales Tax Audit: A Small Business Guide
State sales tax auditors use statistical sampling that extrapolates a small error rate across years of transactions, so running a self-audit on use tax accruals, exemption certificates, and nexus exposure before a notice arrives produces a materially better outcome than waiting.
True Endowment vs. Board-Designated Endowment: A UPMIFA Guide for Nonprofits
True endowments are created by donor restriction and governed by UPMIFA; board-designated endowments are unrestricted funds the board chose to treat like an endowment and can undesignate at any time — mixing up the two is the most common misstep auditors flag in nonprofit endowment reviews.
Sales Tax Exemption Certificate Management: The Audit-Ready Playbook
Auditors extrapolate the certificate deficiency rate found in a sample across the entire audit period, so a handful of missing resale or exemption certificates can turn into a six-figure sales tax assessment — here are the six practices that keep certificate files audit-ready.
ADA Title III Website and Mobile App Accessibility in 2026: A Practical WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance Guide for Small and Mid-Size Businesses
In 2025, plaintiffs filed 3,117 federal ADA Title III website accessibility lawsuits and an estimated 35,000–50,000 private demand letters reached U.S. businesses. This guide explains what WCAG 2.1 Level AA actually requires, why the Robles v. Domino's Pizza ruling and the DOJ's 2024 Title II rule made it the de facto standard, and how small and mid-size businesses can build a five-phase remediation roadmap and defensible paper trail before a demand letter arrives.
All-In Pricing in 2026: SB 478, the FTC Junk Fees Rule, and the State Compliance Patchwork
California SB 478, the FTC Junk Fees Rule, and new Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Connecticut statutes require all-in pricing across hotels, tickets, restaurants, and subscriptions in 2026. A practical compliance checklist covering pricing engines, third-party feeds, frontline scripts, and the accounting reclassification work that follows.
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and PUMP Act Compliance in 2026: The Documentation Playbook
What the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires under 29 CFR Part 1636, how the PUMP Act layers on top under FLSA Section 7(r), what the 2025 federal court rulings actually vacated, and the six-step interactive process records small and mid-size employers need to defend an EEOC charge in 2026.
Yacht Broker and Marine Service Yard Bookkeeping: ASC 606 Commissions, Trust Accounts, and Travel Lift Depreciation
Yacht brokerages recognize commissions at closing under ASC 606, segregate deposits in Chapter 326 trust accounts, and depreciate travel lifts with Section 179 — and the service yard runs on technician utilization, parts margin, and slip occupancy KPIs.
Independent Piano Technician Bookkeeping: ASC 606, Section 179, and KPIs for Tuning Shops
A practical bookkeeping guide for solo Registered Piano Technicians and small tuning shops, covering ASC 606 revenue recognition across home tunings, rebuilds, and concert hall contracts, plus Schedule C deductions, Section 179, care-custody-control insurance, and the operational KPIs that drive a profitable practice.
Auctioneer and Estate Sale Bookkeeping: Consignment Accounting, Trust Accounts, and the KPIs That Matter
Auction houses recognize revenue net—at the buyer's premium and consignor commission—under ASC 606, not at gross hammer price. A working guide to the consignor settlement liability, state trust-account rules, Form 8300 cash reporting, and the KPIs (sell-through rate, effective commission, settlement cycle time) that signal a healthy auction business.
Stacking the Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction with the Premium Tax Credit, HSA, and Augusta Rule: A 2026 Owner Compensation Playbook
A field guide to coordinating the Section 162(l) self-employed health insurance deduction with the Premium Tax Credit's circular calculation, HSA contributions, and the Augusta Rule (Section 280A(g)) — including Form 7206 mechanics, S-corp W-2 Box 1 reporting under IRS Notice 2008-1, Medicare Part B and D deductibility, and 2026 contribution limits.
Sober Living Home Bookkeeping: NARR Levels, EKRA Compliance, and Per-Bed Revenue Recognition
How recovery residences should structure their chart of accounts, classify house managers and peer-recovery mentors, handle resident deposits as trust liabilities, and track bed-days, RevPAB, and occupancy under NARR, EKRA, and ASC 606.
Auction House Bookkeeping: Consignor Trust Accounts and the Agent vs. Principal Trap Under ASC 606
Auction houses are agents under ASC 606, not principals — book buyer's premium and seller's commission as net revenue, segregate consignor funds in a trust account, and reserve for bidder default on Proxibid and HiBid online sales.