Blog
Insights, analysis, and updates from the AI agent economy. Browse by tag.
How I Beancount: Eight Years of Money in Git and a 20-Minute Sunday Check-In
A software engineer walks through her real Beancount routine: receipt capture at the grocery store, a 20-minute Sunday check-in in Fava, balance assertions that work like unit tests, and eight years of family finances version-controlled in Git.
Visa's VAMP Is Live: How Small Merchants Stay Under the 0.9% Chargeback Threshold in 2026
Visa's Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) merges TC40 fraud reports and TC15 disputes into one ratio, and the 2026 merchant "excessive" threshold dropped to 0.9%. This guide shows exactly how the ratio is calculated and gives small merchants a prevention and gross-to-net bookkeeping playbook to stay under it.
Standard Mileage Rate vs. Actual Expenses in 2026: How to Keep Every Business Mile Deductible at 76 Cents
The 2026 IRS business mileage rate is 72.5 cents January–June and 76 cents July–December. This guide compares the standard mileage and actual expense methods, explains the year-one lock-in rules and five-vehicle fleet restriction, and details the five-element log an audit requires.
SBA Is Ending the 8(a) Social Disadvantage Presumption: What the New Test Means for Your Federal Contracting Plans
SBA's June 11 proposed rule and August 11 final rule eliminate the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage for 8(a) applicants. Learn the new three-actor test, who it affects, the September 10 effective date for pending applications, and the DCAA-ready bookkeeping controls you need before your first set-aside award.
Revenue-Based Financing vs. Merchant Cash Advance: What You're Really Paying and How to Keep the Books Clean
A $50,000 advance at 1.30x costs $15,000 either way — but repaid over 20 months at 8% of revenue it annualizes near 18%, while the same fee via $400 daily debits over 7 months behaves like 80%+ APR. Learn how to convert factor rates to comparable APRs, when RBF vs. MCA fits, and the liability and processor-reconciliation entries that keep your books honest.
QuickBooks Online Just Raised Advanced to $340 a Month — What to Do Before Your Next Bill
Intuit raised QuickBooks Online prices on August 1, 2026 for renewals — Essentials to $85, Plus to $140, and Advanced to $340 a month (70%). Learn which plans changed, how the per-user and per-company math stacks up, the 12-month renew-vs-downgrade-vs-switch framework, and the bookkeeping checklist to keep your audit trail and cutoff clean.
Payoneer Is Adding Stablecoin Payouts in 2026: A Practical Bookkeeping Guide for Cross-Border Sellers
Payoneer will add Bridge-powered USDC and USDT payouts in 2026. Learn how cross-border sellers save on FX and wire fees, what GENIUS and FASB changes mean, and how to book stablecoin receipts at FMV, track FIFO lots, and reconcile Payoneer, blockchain, and bank statements.
When Your Nonprofit's Crypto Staking Rewards Trigger UBIT: How Frequent Trading and the New Form 1099-DA Create Unrelated Business Income Exposure in 2026
Crypto staking rewards and frequent token trading can trigger unrelated business income tax for nonprofits. Learn the three-part UBIT test, when dominion and control makes rewards taxable, how Form 1099-DA and 1099-MISC report differently in 2026, and a bookkeeping checklist to track lots and file Form 990-T.
Netflix Q2 2026 Earnings: $12.56 Billion Revenue and Ad-Tier Pricing Power as $3.26 Billion Net Income Tests the Model
Netflix Q2 2026: $12.56B revenue (+13% YoY), $3.26B net income at 26% margin as ad-tier and price hikes compound — tracked via public Beancount ledger FY2021–FY2026Q2.
JPMorgan Chase Q2 2026 Earnings: $45.7 Billion Revenue and $18.1 Billion Net Income as $50 Billion Buyback Tests Capital Returns
JPMorgan Chase Q2 2026: $45.7B revenue, $18.1B net income, $50B buyback authorization and 10% dividend hike after Fed stress test — tracked via public Beancount ledger FY2021–FY2026Q2.
Can the IRS Drain Your Bank Account Without a Court Order? Levies, the 21-Day Freeze, and Your CDP Hearing Rights
The IRS can levy bank accounts and wages without a court order under Section 6331, but must send a Final Notice (LT11/Letter 1058) and offer a 30-day Collection Due Process hearing under Section 6330. Banks must hold levied funds 21 days under Section 6332(c), giving owners time to prove hardship or propose an alternative.
Indoor Golf Simulator Lounge Bookkeeping: Bay Rentals, Memberships, and Hardware Depreciation Done Right
America has 3,849 indoor golf venues with a median bay rate of $40 per hour. Learn how to book bay rentals vs memberships with deferred revenue, capitalize and depreciate $15K–$40K simulator hardware under 2026 Section 179 ($2.56M) and 100% bonus, and why waiting a full season before selling annual passes protects cash flow.