#bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Modern bookkeeping techniques using plain-text and automated workflows
Is B Corp Certification Worth It? A 2026 Cost-Benefit Guide for Small Businesses
B Corp certification costs small businesses $2,100 a year (under $5M revenue) plus roughly 12 months of assessment, legal restructuring, and audit work. Here's the 2026 fee schedule, what B Lab's V2 standards changed, and which businesses actually see a revenue payoff.
Louisiana's Act 751 Bans Debit Card Surcharges — Which Were Already Illegal. Here's Why Retailers Should Still Worry
Louisiana's Act 751 takes effect August 1, 2026, adding state enforcement — cardholder notice letters, a 30-day refund cure window, and civil penalties up to $500 per violation — to a debit card surcharge ban that federal law and card network rules already imposed nationwide. Here's what retailers should check in their POS systems, and how to book any refunds cleanly.
Loyalty Points Are a Liability, Not Revenue: How to Book Breakage and Deferred Revenue Under ASC 606
Under ASC 606, loyalty points are a deferred revenue liability until customers redeem them or you can prove breakage — Starbucks booked $200.4M in breakage revenue in FY2025 this way. This guide covers the journal entries for issuance and redemption, the 12-month data requirement for breakage estimates, and the rollforward schedule that keeps a rewards program auditable.
North Carolina's HB 372 Home-Based Business Fairness Act: What Home Entrepreneurs Need to Know
North Carolina's HB 372, signed July 7, 2026 as Session Law 2026-51, bars cities from requiring permits, licenses, or rezoning for "no-impact" home-based businesses. Here's who qualifies, what cities can still regulate, and how the change affects your bookkeeping.
The 1099 Threshold Is Now $2,000: What OBBBA Changes for Small Businesses in 2026
OBBBA raises the federal 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC filing threshold from $600 to $2,000 for payments made in 2026, with annual inflation indexing starting in 2027. The income stays taxable either way, some states still require reporting at $600, and per-contractor totals — not per-invoice amounts — determine whether you file.
Podcast Sponsorship Revenue Recognition: Why That $12,000 Check Isn't All Yours Yet
Podcast sponsorship payments received upfront aren't income until the sponsored episode airs — under ASC 606 they're deferred revenue, a liability, until each performance obligation is fulfilled.
The QBI Deduction Cliff in 2026: What Happens When Section 199A Expires and How Pass-Through Owners Model Life After the 20% Deduction
199A's 20% QBI deduction sunsets after 2025 as written — model the cliff by your actual capped deduction and marginal rate, revisit salary and retirement timing, and track W-2/UBIA for a retroactive extension.
How Small Businesses Can Tap the DOL's $162 Million Apprenticeship Funding in 2026
On July 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $162 million to five industry sponsors that pass apprenticeship incentive payments directly to employers — including small businesses in maritime, AI infrastructure, telecom, IT, and auto repair. Here's who qualifies, how to join a group sponsor, which state tax credits stack on top, and how to book the payments correctly.
The Robinson-Patman Act Is Back: What a Wine Distributor's Antitrust Fight Means for Every Small Retailer
The FTC's December 2024 Robinson-Patman suit against Southern Glazer's — the first in decades to survive a motion to dismiss — revives a 1936 law barring suppliers from charging small retailers more than big chains for identical goods. What the Act covers, its cost-justification defenses, and the purchase records independent retailers should keep now.
The Section 122 Import Surcharge Expires July 24, 2026 — What Small Importers Should Do With the Week Left
The 10% Section 122 import surcharge expires automatically on July 24, 2026, when its 150-day statutory limit runs out — but expiration is not a refund, and Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs are already queued to replace it. Here's how small importers should tally what they paid, preserve refund rights, and model landed costs before the deadline.
Self-Serve Dog Wash Station Bookkeeping: Reconciling Unattended Revenue, Costing Per Wash, and Depreciating Equipment
A bookkeeping guide for unattended self-serve dog wash stations: how to reconcile coin and card revenue against machine counters, calculate a true cost per wash (roughly $3.50 against an $18–20 session price), classify shampoo and consumables as COGS, and depreciate $20,000–$30,000-per-bay equipment — including Section 179 timing and separating payment terminals from wash tubs in your fixed-asset register.
When Does a Senior Living Placement Agency Actually Earn Its Referral Fee? A Revenue Recognition Guide
Senior living placement agencies earn 70–80% of a resident's first month's rent — but only at move-in, and often subject to 30-day clawback clauses. This guide explains when to recognize referral fee revenue under ASC 606, how to book refund liabilities from your historical clawback rate, and which pipeline metrics predict cash flow.