#compliance

Compliance

Navigate regulatory compliance and maintain audit-ready financial records

1218 postsView all tags Back to All Posts

July 10, 20269 min read

Why 'FDIC-Insured' Didn't Protect Synapse's Customers: A Business Owner's Guide to Fintech Deposit Risk

Synapse Financial Technologies' April 2024 bankruptcy trapped over $265 million belonging to more than 100,000 fintech customers, despite their funds sitting at FDIC-insured banks, because the middleware ledger tracking who owned what inside pooled "FBO" accounts fell apart — exposing a gap between deposit insurance and banking-as-a-service infrastructure that remains largely unclosed as of mid-2026.

Mike Thrift

fintechbankingsmall-business

July 10, 20269 min read

FTC Fee Transparency Rules and NYC's 43% Delivery Cap: What Restaurants Need to Know in 2026

The FTC's April 2026 ANPRM targets hidden food-delivery fees while a new NYC law raises the cap on platform charges to restaurants from 23% to 43%. What each change means, why a $50 order can net $41 or $28.50 depending on fee tier, and how to record gross sales and platform fees correctly.

Mike Thrift

restaurantsmall-businessbookkeeping

July 10, 20269 min read

The FTC's 2026 Franchise Rule Overhaul: What New Earnings-Claim and Non-Disparagement Rules Mean for Franchisees

In 2026 the FTC is tightening enforcement of Item 19 earnings-claim disclosures and declaring non-disparagement clauses in franchise agreements void when they block communication with regulators — here's what franchisees and franchisors need to do about it.

Mike Thrift

franchise-bookkeepingcompliancesmall-business

July 10, 20269 min read

FTC 'Made in USA' Warning Letters: A 2026 Compliance Guide for Small Manufacturers

Seven manufacturers received FTC warning letters on July 6, 2026 over unqualified "Made in USA" claims. This guide covers the "all or virtually all" standard under 16 CFR Part 323, the $53,088-per-violation penalty, qualified-claim wording, and the substantiation file every small manufacturer should keep.

Mike Thrift

compliancesmall-businessmanufacturing

July 10, 20268 min read

H-2A and H-2B Visas in 2026: A Small Employer's Guide to Costs and Compliance

US H-2A and H-2B visas in 2026: DHS caps, per-worker costs, and payroll/tax compliance small employers must budget for.

Mike Thrift

hiringpayrollcompliance

July 10, 20269 min read

Home Health Agency Billing Under PDGM: How the 30-Day Payment Period and 5-Day NOA Deadline Determine What Medicare Pays

PDGM prices every home health claim in 30-day case-mix periods, docks roughly 1/30th of the period's payment per day for a late Notice of Admission, and switches to a flat per-visit rate if a period falls under its LUPA visit threshold.

Mike Thrift

healthcaresmall-businessbookkeeping

July 10, 202610 min read

HSA Comparability Rules: Why You Can't Pay Yourself More Than the Front Desk

Employer HSA contributions outside a Section 125 cafeteria plan must be identical across comparable employees, or the IRS imposes a 35% excise tax on the full contribution pool, not just the excess.

Mike Thrift

healthcareemployee-benefitstax-compliance

July 10, 202611 min read

Independent Driving School and Driver's Education Bookkeeping: Prepaid Lesson Packages and Deferred Revenue, Dual-Control Vehicle Fleet, Instructor Classification, and the KPIs Every Owner Should Track

Prepaid lessons are deferred revenue — track per student, accrue fleet and brake reserves per hour, classify instructors on control not preference, and run on revenue per vehicle hour.

Mike Thrift

educationsmall-businessbookkeeping

July 10, 20268 min read

IRS Small Business Penalty Overhaul for 2026: New Rates and Automatic Relief

For 2025 tax year returns filed in 2026, the IRS charges partnerships and S-corps $255 per partner or shareholder per month for late Forms 1065 and 1120-S, plus $330 per late Schedule K-1, while a new automatic relief program forgives first-time penalties for taxpayers with three years of clean compliance history.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-compliancesmall-business

July 10, 20267 min read

The Mid-2026 State Privacy Law Wave: What Small Businesses Need to Know

On July 1, 2026, Connecticut lowered its privacy law threshold to 35,000 residents, Arkansas banned targeted ads to minors under ACTOPPA, and Utah added a data correction right, pulling more small businesses into scope than ever before.

Mike Thrift

privacycompliancesmall-business

July 10, 20268 min read

New Jersey Family Leave Act Expansion 2026: A Guide for Small Employers Before July 17

New Jersey's Family Leave Act expands July 17, 2026, lowering the employer threshold from 30 to 15 workers and cutting eligibility to 3 months and 250 hours worked, extending job-protected leave to roughly 400,000 more employees.

Mike Thrift

compliancepayrollsmall-business

July 10, 20268 min read

Contributed Services in Nonprofit Accounting: ASC 958-605 Recognition Guide

Under ASC 958-605, a nonprofit recognizes contributed services at fair value only when the work created or enhanced a nonfinancial asset, or required a specialized skill the organization would otherwise have paid for and the volunteer actually holds that credential — general volunteer hours, however valuable, stay off the books and out of Form 990.

Mike Thrift

nonprofitfinancial-reportingfinancial-statements

Start Free→Documentation