#tax-compliance
Tax Compliance
Stay compliant with tax regulations and filing requirements
Branch v. Commissioner: Where the Cohan Rule Stops Working for Travel Deductions
In Branch v. Commissioner (2026), the Tax Court estimated rent and utilities deductions under the Cohan rule for an unfiled personal care business — but denied all travel and entertainment deductions under IRC Section 274(d), which demands strict records of date, amount, place, and business purpose that courts cannot estimate around.
Cannabis Schedule III Rescheduling: What 280E Tax Relief Actually Means for Your Dispensary
On April 22, 2026 the DOJ moved certain state-licensed medical marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III, ending Section 280E's ban on ordinary business deductions for qualifying operators — while recreational-only dispensaries remain fully subject to 280E's COGS-only tax treatment.
Clinco v. Commissioner: A Tax Court Judge Flags AI-Hallucinated Case Law — What It Means for Business Owners Using AI
In Clinco v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo. 2026-16), Judge Mark Holmes flagged three nonexistent case citations that "suggest something cooked up by AI" — the first such warning from the U.S. Tax Court. With 1,598 documented AI-hallucination court cases by June 2026 and sanctions topping $145,000 in Q1 2026 alone, here is what business owners using AI for tax and financial paperwork need to verify.
Colorado's New NICU Leave Benefit: What Small Employers Need to Know About FAMLI in 2026
Colorado's FAMLI program now offers up to 12 weeks of paid Neonatal Care Leave for NICU stays, separate from the existing 12 weeks of bonding leave, funded by a 2026 payroll premium of 0.88% of wages split between employer and employee for businesses with 10 or more workers.
Discord Server Subscriptions and the 1099-K: Why Your Tax Form Shows More Than You Were Paid
Discord issues 1099-Ks through Stripe reporting gross subscriber payments, not your net payout after the ~10% platform fee, Stripe processing, and app-store cuts. Here's how server owners reconcile the gap on Schedule C, what the restored $20,000/200-transaction federal threshold means for 2026, and the self-employment tax that applies either way.
The Free Lunch Is Officially Over: What OBBBA's 0% Meal Deduction Means for Your Business in 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, OBBBA's new IRC §274(o) cuts the employer deduction for on-site cafeterias, office snacks, and "convenience of the employer" meals from 50% (or 100%) to zero, while client meals, travel meals, and restaurant employee meals keep their old treatment. Here's the math on what the change costs and how small businesses should restructure their books.
FASB's New Environmental Credits Standard (ASU 2026-02): What Topic 818 Means for Carbon Credits, RECs, and RINs
FASB's ASU 2026-02 creates Topic 818, the first GAAP framework for environmental credits, splitting carbon offsets, RECs, and RINs into compliance, noncompliance, and voluntary categories with different measurement rules, effective for public companies in fiscal 2028 and private companies in fiscal 2029.
Florida SB 606: What Restaurants Must Disclose About Operations Charges in 2026
Florida's SB 606 (Section 509.214, effective July 1, 2026) requires restaurants to disclose any non-tax "operations charge" on menus, bills, receipts, and contracts in a font size at least as large as menu item descriptions, and to itemize gratuities, operations charges, and sales tax as separate line items on every receipt.
Hawaii Storm Tax Relief: What the August 20, 2026 IRS Deadline Covers — and the Earlier State Deadline It Doesn't
The IRS postponed tax deadlines to August 20, 2026 for Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai counties after the March 2026 Kona Low storms — but Hawaii's separate Form L-115 state relief closes July 20, and SBA loan deadlines fall on August 13, 2026 (physical damage) and January 7, 2027 (EIDL). Here's who qualifies, what's automatic, and the casualty-loss election that can accelerate a refund.
Hee v. Commissioner: How $2 Million in Personal Expenses Became Constructive Dividends and a 75% Fraud Penalty
In Hee v. Commissioner, the Tax Court found a sole shareholder ran over $2 million in personal costs — massages coded as consulting, MIT tuition, family vacations, and $1.1 million in undocumented loans — through his corporation, upholding a 75% civil fraud penalty under IRC Section 6663 and offering small-business owners a checklist for shareholder loans, related-party pay, and expense substantiation.
Kentucky Drops the 200-Transaction Sales Tax Rule: What the Revenue-Only Nexus Threshold Means for Online Sellers
Kentucky HB 757 eliminates the state's 200-transaction economic nexus threshold effective August 1, 2026, leaving a $100,000 revenue-only test — joining Alaska, Utah, and Illinois in a broader multi-state shift away from transaction-count triggers.
Maine's 2026 Streaming Tax: What Netflix, Spotify, and Podcast Sellers Must Collect
Maine now applies its 5.5% sales tax to streaming video, music, audiobook, and podcast subscriptions as of January 1, 2026, with economic nexus triggered at $100,000 in revenue from Maine customers.