#plain-text-accounting
Plain-Text Accounting
Discover the power of version-controlled, human-readable financial records
QuickBooks Desktop 2023 Support Has Ended: What Broke, What Didn't, and How to Migrate
Intuit discontinued QuickBooks Desktop 2023 on May 31, 2026 — payroll tax tables froze, bank feeds disconnected, and security patches stopped. What still works, four migration paths with current pricing, and a step-by-step checklist for a clean cutover.
QuickBooks Online Accountant Sunset: Your Intuit Accountant Suite Migration Guide
QuickBooks Online Accountant is fully discontinued on December 31, 2026, with every firm moving to Intuit Accountant Suite's free Core tier or paid Accelerate/Books Close tiers; here are the key dates and a migration checklist for accounting firms.
The Section 174 R&D Catch-Up Deadline Just Passed. Here's What Small Businesses Should Do Now
The OBBBA's one-time retroactive Section 174 election for 2022–2024 R&D amortization closed July 6, 2026, but the standard three-year R&D credit window and permanent 2025+ immediate expensing under Section 174A remain available to small businesses.
SpaceX's First Public Earnings: Starlink's $11.4B Profit Machine Is Bankrolling a $6.4B AI Bet
SpaceX's IPO filing shows FY2025 revenue of $18.7B (+33%) and a $4.9B net loss — Starlink earned a $4.4B operating profit at a 38.8% margin while the AI segment (X and xAI) lost $6.4B on $3.2B of revenue and consumed $12.7B of capex. A bull-vs-bear analysis backed by an open double-entry Beancount ledger covering FY2023 through Q1 2026.
Billboard Ground Leases: A Landowner's Guide to Rent, Escalators, and Taxes
Billboard ground leases pay landowners 15-20% of a sign's ad revenue (or flat rent) over 10-20 year terms. How rent is priced, why 2-5% escalator clauses matter, when the income belongs on Schedule E instead of Schedule C, and how lump-sum buyout offers get taxed.
SBIR/STTR Grant Accounting: Indirect Costs, Time Tracking, and Fund Segregation
First-time SBIR/STTR awardees rarely fail audits on the science — they fail on indirect cost rates, timekeeping, and commingled funds. How to calculate your own indirect rate (DOE now caps reimbursement at 15% for for-profits), log daily hours DCAA will accept, and segregate award money before the SF 1408 survey.
Amazon's 2026 FBA Fee Overhaul: What the New Aged-Inventory and Low-Stock Fees Mean for Your Margins
Amazon's 2026 FBA fee changes start the aged-inventory surcharge at 181 days instead of 271, add a steeper tier for stock over 12 months old, and raise the low-inventory-level fee threshold from 28 to 35 days of forecasted supply — now enforced per FNSKU variation. Here's who pays most, how to estimate your exposure, and why these fees belong as separate expense lines in your books.
What Botkeeper's Sudden Shutdown Teaches Every Small Business About Trusting an AI Bookkeeping Vendor
Botkeeper, an AI bookkeeping platform that raised nearly $90 million over 11 years, shut down within weeks after losing 30-40% of its revenue when major accounting-firm clients consolidated, leaving hundreds of firms to scramble for replacement bookkeeping infrastructure and export data before access was cut off.
The Duty Drawback Program: How Importers and Exporters Recover Up to 99% of Tariffs Paid
U.S. duty drawback refunds up to 99% of import duties when goods are re-exported or destroyed, and claims can reach back five years. Here's which tariffs qualify (Section 301, the 2026 Section 122 surcharge), which don't (Section 232), and the import records CBP requires to approve a claim.
FEC Compliance Bookkeeping for Political Campaigns and PACs: A Treasurer's Guide
Unreconciled books — not fraud — are the most common way campaigns and PACs draw FEC scrutiny. A treasurer's guide to the $200 itemization threshold, 2025–2026 contribution limits ($3,500 per election to candidates), the 2026 filing calendar, what triggers an audit, and the double-entry bookkeeping practices that prevent RFAIs.
H-2A and H-2B Visas in 2026: A Small Employer's Guide to Costs and Compliance
In 2026, DHS raised the H-2B cap to roughly 130,716 visas while H-2A per-worker costs run $8,000-$18,000 including wages, housing, and transportation, and small employers must track visa-program costs separately to survive a DOL wage-and-hour audit.
Painting Contractor Bookkeeping: How Residential and Commercial Painters Bid, Job-Cost, and Stay Profitable Without Bleeding Margin on Callbacks
Painting contractors lose margin in three places — unmeasured prep hours, a wrong burdened labor rate, and unreserved callbacks. This guide shows the chart of accounts, EPA RRP cost treatment, warranty reserve journal entries, and lender-grade KPIs that keep residential and commercial painters profitable.