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Business
Business finance strategies and accounting best practices for success
Bad Debt and Uncollectible Receivables: When to Write Off, How to Prove Worthlessness Under Section 166, and Why Cash-Basis Businesses Can't Deduct Unpaid Invoices
An unpaid invoice isn't automatically a deduction for cash-basis businesses and worthlessness must be proven in the year claimed — document business character, collection efforts, and the specific charge-off before December 31.
Health Insurance Deduction for Self-Employed in 2026: How Schedule 1 Above-the-Line, ICHRA, and QSEHRA Interact With the Premium Tax Credit
Deduct premiums on Schedule 1, get reimbursed via ICHRA/QSEHRA, or take the premium tax credit — never two for the same dollar. Master the month-by-month coordination and circular math that prevents double benefits.
Sales Tax Nexus in 2026: Economic Nexus Thresholds by State and the $100K / 200-Transaction Trap After Wayfair
The $100K-or-200 shorthand is wrong in most states in 2026 — many repealed the transaction test and three big states use $500K. Track gross by state and channel before the notice does.
1099-K Threshold for 2026: Why Gig Workers and Online Sellers Still Get a Form at $600 in Most States Even After the Federal $5,000 Patch
Federal relief says $5,000 but most states still require $600 — a form in the mailbox may be state-driven. Reconcile per-TPSO gross to taxable income and don't pay tax on mis-coded reimbursements.
QDOT Rules, Rewritten: What Treasury Decision 10050 Means for Business Owners with Non-Citizen Spouses
Treasury Decision 10050, effective July 10, 2026, delivers the first substantial update to Qualified Domestic Trust (QDOT) regulations in three decades. Here is why the unlimited marital deduction excludes non-citizen spouses, what a QDOT requires — a U.S. trustee, an affirmative Form 706 election, and security for trusts over $2 million — and which four procedural fixes the new rules make for business owners' estates.
SEP IRA vs. Solo 401(k) vs. SIMPLE IRA in 2026: Contribution Limits, Deadlines, and the Tax Math for Solo Owners With and Without Employees
Solo owner with $140K profit can do $28K SEP, $35K Solo 401(k), or $16K SIMPLE — same profit, different deductions. Match the plan to employees, profit, and whether you need the deduction by December 31 or April 15.
The FDA's New 'Healthy' Label Rule: What Food Businesses Must Do Before February 25, 2028
The FDA's updated definition of 'healthy' becomes mandatory on February 25, 2028: products must contribute a meaningful amount from a food group and stay under 10% DV saturated fat, 15% DV sodium, and 10% DV added sugars per serving. Here's who gains eligibility, who loses it, what compliance costs (~$20 per UPC for label updates, ~$1M per reformulated formula), and a practical timeline for small food businesses.
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.
Cost Segregation for Small Commercial Property in 2026: How a $400K Building Can Generate $80K of Front-Loaded Depreciation Without a Full Engineering Study
A small building's first-year deduction can triple with cost segregation — reclassify 5-year, 7-year, and 15-year pieces, elect Section 179/bonus where it helps, and document the allocation the ATG expects.
Section 174 R&D Capitalization in 2026: Why Small Businesses Must Amortize Research Costs Over 5 Years and How OBBBA's Retroactive Fix Changes the Math
Since 2022 research costs must be capitalized over 5 years — software included — midpoint in year one. Track domestic vs foreign, build the amortization schedule, and be ready for OBBBA's retroactive expensing.
Fleet Telematics ROI: The GPS Tracking Math Every Small Fleet Owner Should Run
A 10-vehicle service fleet spending about $1,000 a year on GPS tracking typically recovers $15,000 to $30,000 in fuel, labor, and insurance savings, with most adopters reaching positive ROI within 7 to 12 months.
Independent Mobile Auto Detailing and Ceramic Coating Business Bookkeeping: Per-Job Pricing, Chemical Inventory, Van and Equipment, Warranty Deferred Revenue, and the KPIs That Hit 40–55%
Detailing margins live per job — price per ticket, cost chemicals per job, expense the van via Section 179/bonus, defer coating warranty revenue, and run on revenue per job and net margin after owner labor.