Starting Your HDHP in December? How the HSA Last-Month Rule Lets You Contribute the Full Year
Covered by an HDHP on Dec. 1? The IRS last-month rule allows a full-year HSA contribution — but fail the 13-month testing period and owe tax plus 10%.
Blog
Plain-text accounting insights, tutorials, and updates from the Beancount.io team.
How to Write a Collections Policy That Gets Invoices Paid Faster Without Losing Customers
A written collections policy with a dated follow-up schedule gets invoices paid sooner — set terms, automate reminders, call at day 15, hold credit at day 45.
The Kill Fee Clause Every Freelancer Contract Needs
A fair kill fee is 25% before kickoff or completed work plus 25–50% of the rest mid-project — and every retained dollar is Schedule C income.
The Federal Fuel Tax Credit Most Contractors, Landscapers, and Farms Never Claim
Off-highway gasoline earns $0.183/gal back and undyed diesel $0.243 — claim the federal credit on IRS Form 4136 with your return.
Worked Two Jobs and Overpaid Social Security Tax? How to Get the Excess Back
Two employers over-withheld? Claim excess Social Security tax on Schedule 3, Line 11; a single employer's error needs a W-2c and Form 843 instead.
Got an EEOC Charge? A Small Employer's Playbook From Notice to Mediation
An EEOC charge is an allegation, not a verdict: block retaliation, file a documented position statement in ~30 days, and weigh free mediation (70%+ settle).
Driveway Gate Automation Installer Bookkeeping: UL 325 Safety Costs, Job Margins, and Service Contracts
Cost UL 325 safety devices as their own COGS line, target 50% gross and 15–20% net, and book gate maintenance contracts as deferred revenue.
Are Your Emails With Your CPA Privileged? Kovel Agreements, Section 7525, and Where Protection Stops
There is no US accountant-client privilege: Section 7525 shields only civil IRS tax advice, while a Kovel arrangement via counsel also holds in criminal cases.
Commuting vs. Business Mileage: When Your Drive Is Deductible and When It Never Is
Home-to-work driving is never deductible, but a qualifying home office or temporary site flips the same miles to IRS business mileage at 76 cents each.
Colorado HB25-1090 for Restaurants: How to Disclose Service Charges and Automatic Gratuities
Colorado HB25-1090 lets restaurants keep service charges if every menu, website and phone quote states the amount and who gets it before the guest orders.
Cash Flow Overtook Inflation as Small Business Owners' Top Worry in Q1 2026: What It Means for Your Runway
In Q1 2026, 31% of small business owners named cash flow their top worry, passing inflation. With a 27-day median buffer, track runway in days.
Canopy's AI Bookkeeping Flags Dirty Books All Month: Your Guide to Continuous Close Software
Canopy Bookkeeping watches your ledger all month and flags miscodes the day they appear — but AI errors are systematic, so pair it with weekly human review.