Your Beneficiary Designations Override Your Will: The Audit Every Business Owner Should Run
A beneficiary form beats your will. Audit every 401(k), IRA, life policy, POD and TOD account for missing contingents, ex-spouses and minors.
Blog
Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
Low and Slow Is Expensive: How Barbecue Restaurants Cost Wood, Shrinkage, and 14-Hour Cooks Into Every Plate
A 15-lb brisket at $5/lb costs $9.38 per servable pound after trim and shrinkage — cost wood, fuel, and overnight labor into every plate or watch margin burn.
Activity-Based Costing for Small Manufacturers and Job Shops: Find Your True Cost Per Job
Activity-based costing traces overhead to setups, inspections, and orders, so each job carries its true cost and quotes stop subsidizing complex work.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule for Small Business: Three Copies, Two Media Types, One Off-Site — and the Restore Test That Proves It Works
Three copies, two media types, one off-site: the 3-2-1 backup rule plus immutable copies and monthly restore tests that survive ransomware.
Worm Farming Bookkeeping: Living Inventory, Castings Sales Tax, and Farm Tax Rules
Price worms and castings from a blended cost per pound, register castings as fertilizer, collect state sales tax, and pass the IRS hobby-loss test.
Tarot Reader and Astrologer Bookkeeping: Per-Reading Rates, Party Pricing, and Fortune-Telling Laws
Four states ban paid fortune-telling and Massachusetts requires a license. Price tarot readings and parties, track cash, and meet IRS quarterly tax rules.
Why Your Business Calls Show Up as 'Spam Likely' — and How to Fix Your Caller ID
Spam Likely labels come from Hiya, First Orion and TNS, not your carrier. Register numbers, earn A attestation and add branded calling to lift answer rates.
South Dakota Caps Sale-of-Business Non-Competes at Three Years: What Buyers and Sellers Must Rewrite Before Closing
South Dakota HB 1180 voids ownership-transfer non-competes past three years from July 1, 2026 — rewrite duration, scope and geography before closing.
One Late Payment Away From Missing Payroll? What the 2026 Numbers Say About Your Cash Buffer
One late payment threatened payroll for 39% of owners; 59% carry invoices 30+ days overdue. Deposits, shorter terms, and a cash buffer fix it.
Septic Inspection Business Bookkeeping: Point-of-Sale Pricing, Ancillary Revenue, and Title 5 Compliance
Septic inspections average $550 nationally, from $200 annuals to $700 detailed reports. Price by tier, track credential costs, and keep pumping revenue apart.
Tearing Down a Building? Why Section 280B Adds Demolition Costs to Your Land Basis Instead of Giving You a Deduction
Section 280B puts demolition costs and a razed building's leftover basis into land, not a deduction. The 75% renovation safe harbor can preserve write-offs.
SBA SOP 50 10 8.1 Takes Effect October 1: What the New Change-of-Ownership Rules Mean for Buyers and Sellers
SBA SOP 50 10 8.1 raises acquisition DSCR to 1.25x on historical cash flow, mandates QoE at $3M+, and caps minority equity—effective October 1, 2026.