#accounting
Accounting
Master accounting fundamentals and best practices for plain-text bookkeeping
Used-Vehicle Dealer Compliance in 2026: FTC Buyers Guide, Warranty Disclosure, and the Inventory Costing That Keeps Gross Profit Honest
Every used vehicle needs its FTC Buyers Guide on the window with one warranty box checked — and each VIN's ACV plus recon, floorplan curtailment, and F&I reserve must tie to the guide the deal delivered.
Backup Withholding in 2026: When 24% Applies, How to Avoid It With Valid W-9s, and the CP2100 Notice Response
Backup withholding is 24% flat on reportable payments when the TIN is missing or the CP2100 says it is wrong — cured by a W-9 before payment and two B-notices within 15 business days, reported on Form 945.
Earnouts and Contingent Payment Accounting: How to Record a Deal's Contingent Portion When You Don't Know If You'll Collect It
Earnouts tie part of a sale price to future performance. Learn how buyers and sellers should book contingent payments, when to recognize revenue or adjust purchase price, and the tax traps that turn a good earnout into a bad surprise.
FASB's ASU 2026-01, Explained: How Founders and PE-Backed Companies Must Now Measure PIK Dividends on Preferred Stock
FASB's ASU 2026-01 changes how PIK dividends on preferred stock are measured — at fair value, not par — and requires retrospective application. Learn what it means for founders, PE-backed companies, and earnings per share.
Foreign Exchange Risk, Explained: How Small Exporters Use Forward Contracts and Natural Hedging to Stop a Currency Swing From Eating Their Margin
A 4% currency swing can erase a small exporter's margin. Learn how forward contracts and natural hedging work, what they cost, and the bookkeeping that keeps FX gains and losses visible instead of buried in revenue.
Lean Accounting for Manufacturing and Service Businesses: Eliminating Non-Value-Added Costs and Tracking True Product Profitability
Lean accounting replaces traditional allocation with value-stream costing that makes waste visible. Learn how small manufacturers and service firms identify non-value-added costs, track true product profitability, and tie kaizen improvements to the P&L.
Seller Financing and Promissory Notes: How to Recognize Payment Without Receiving Cash, and When IRS Imputed Interest Rules Apply
Seller financing can close a deal when a bank won't. Learn how to book a promissory note, recognize payments you haven't collected, and handle IRS imputed interest under Section 483 and 1274 before it turns a capital gain into ordinary income.
UK Companies House 2026 Filing Overhaul: Software-Only iXBRL Accounts and Mandatory Director ID Verification Explained
Companies House ECCTA reforms require verified director and PSC identities since November 2025, ACSP-gated filing from late 2026, and software-only iXBRL accounts with no abridged option — learn timelines, corporate-director limits, and the bookkeeping changes small companies must make now.
Business Valuation Methods Explained: What Your Company Is Really Worth Before You Sell, Raise, or Step Back
Learn how appraisers value small businesses using market comparables, discounted cash flow, and asset-based methods — plus how to normalize earnings and avoid the five mistakes that quietly destroy sale price.
Bonus Depreciation in 2026: 40% Under Current Law vs. 100% If OBBBA Retroactivity Passes — How to Model the Swing on an $80K Equipment Buy
2026 bonus is 40% under current law — $32K on an $80K machine, not $80K — unless OBBBA restores 100% retroactively; here's how to model the swing vs. Section 179 and keep the ledger straight.
Choosing a Tax Pro in 2026: CPA vs. EA vs. Attorney, Circular 230 Due Diligence, and the Engagement-Letter Red Flags
Credential decides representation — CPA, EA, and attorney are unlimited before the IRS, AFSP is limited — verify PTIN and board standing and insist on a scoped engagement letter.
Mexico's RESICO Regime: Simplified Taxes, Mandatory Monthly Compliance
Mexico's RESICO simplified tax regime offers 1–2.5% flat rates and no annual reconciliation, but requires strict monthly digital invoicing and a MXN 3.5 million income cap.