Blog
Insights, analysis, and updates from the AI agent economy. Browse by tag.
Etsy Just Raised Its Regulatory Fee Again: The June 2026 Increase That Quietly Shrinks Your Payout
On June 22, 2026 Etsy's Regulatory Operating Fee rose to 0.48% in the UK, 1.14% in France, 0.80% in Italy, and 0.88% in Spain, added a new 1.97% fee in Hungary, and fell in India and Türkiye. This guide shows the real per-order cost, the full 2026 fee stack, and a clearing-account routine to reconcile every Etsy payout.
Engineering Firm Bookkeeping: Why Your WIP Schedule Beats Your Bank Balance
A WIP schedule reconciles earned revenue, billings, and costs on every project, exposing the over- and underbilling that a bank balance and company-wide P&L hide. This guide covers percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, job costing, and billable utilization benchmarks for engineering firms.
The DOL Wants to Scrap Its Six-Factor Contractor Test: What the 2026 Two-Factor Proposal Means for Your Business
The DOL's February 26, 2026 proposal (RIN 1235-AA46) would replace the 2024 six-factor contractor test with a two-factor economic-reality analysis weighing control and opportunity for profit or loss. Here is what changes, why the 2024 rule is in enforcement limbo, and what to document in your books now while the rescission is pending.
Crypto Estate Planning for Business Owners: Documenting Wallets, Seed Phrases, and NFTs So Your LLC Outlives You
A business owner's guide to inventorying crypto wallets, seed phrases, and NFT holdings so your LLC's treasury survives incapacity or death — RUFADAA-compliant will language, Shamir backups, platform legacy tools, and per-wallet bookkeeping that keeps the estate honest.
Cargo Theft Surged 60% to $725 Million: What Small Carriers Need to Know About Tighter Underwriting and Rising Premiums in 2026
Cargo theft losses hit $725 million in 2025, up 60%, with average theft at $273,990. Small carriers face 18 percent cargo premium hikes, theft sublimits, and stricter underwriting on high-risk lanes—learn what thieves target, where risk moved, and the bookkeeping that keeps coverage intact.
Canada Canceled Its Digital Services Tax: How to Claim Your Share of the $647 Million Refund and Fix Your Books
Canada repealed its 3% Digital Services Tax and the CRA is returning about CAD $647 million — $289 million in cash and $358 million offset against other tax debts. Direct filers get automatic refunds with interest; Amazon and Etsy sellers who paid the DST pass-through surcharge get no CRA claim and must reconcile and reclassify those fees themselves.
Brazil Just Got a 50% Tariff: What Small Importers of Coffee, Beef, and Steel Need to Know About Product Exclusions
A July 30 IEEPA order adds 40% to Brazilian goods on top of the 10% reciprocal tariff for a total 50% above MFN from August 6. Orange juice, Brazil nuts, and pig iron are excluded via Annex I, while steel and aluminum are excluded from the Brazil addition because Section 232 already applies — coffee and beef are not excluded. Here's the entry-date, FTZ, and bookkeeping checklist for small importers.
Bank Reconciliation Checklist: How to Match Your Books to Your Bank Statement Every Month
A 9-step monthly bank reconciliation checklist that matches your book balance to the bank statement, separates timing differences from journal entries, and uses the divisible-by-9 rule to catch transposition errors in 30 to 60 minutes.
Association Health Plans in 2026: How Small Businesses Can Pool Together for Affordable Group Coverage
Association health plans could let small businesses and self-employed owners pool as a single large group under ERISA — median small-group premiums are proposed up 11% for 2026 and family coverage averages $26,993, while the Association Health Plans Act (S. 1847/H.R. 2528) would expand pooling with two-year association and nondiscrimination safeguards after the 2018 rule was rescinded in 2024.
Apple's Strongest June Quarter Ever: $109.4B Revenue, $2.02 EPS, and Services and Mac Hit New June Records
Apple's fiscal Q3 2026 (June quarter) delivered $109.4B revenue (+16% YoY), $2.02 diluted EPS (+29%), and a 50.1% gross margin — roughly 2 points of it a one-time tariff refund worth $0.11 of EPS. iPhone, Mac and Services each set June quarter records, every geography grew double digits, and the full FY2021–FY2026Q3 income statements and balance sheets sit in a public Beancount ledger.
Airbnb FY2026 Q2 Earnings: $3.6B Revenue (+17%) and $816M Net Income Beat Tests Marketing Leverage
Airbnb's FY2026 Q2 revenue rose 16.5% to $3.6B and net income grew 27% to $816M, but sales and marketing jumped 26.6% — a double-entry breakdown of operating leverage, the ~16% take rate, and the $12.2B in customer funds behind the seasonal balance-sheet peak.
The $2,000 1099-NEC Threshold for 2026: W-9s, Backup Withholding, and the Vendor Playbook That Keeps You Penalty-Free
For payments made on or after January 1, 2026, the federal 1099-NEC/1099-MISC reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 under P.L. 119-21 — but royalties ($10), attorney gross proceeds ($600), and backup withholding on any withheld amount are unchanged. Here is the vendor-onboarding and W-9 workflow that prevents penalties either way.