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Depreciation

Methods and strategies for depreciating fixed assets including straight-line, MACRS, and accelerated depreciation

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9 min read

Helicopter Sightseeing Tour Bookkeeping: Part 91 vs. Part 135, Insurance Costs, and the 2029 Fleet Deadline

How a sightseeing helicopter operator's books differ from other small businesses — Part 91.147 vs. Part 135 certificates drive $5–25M liability premiums, helicopters depreciate over 5 years under MACRS only if business use stays above 50%, weather cancellations complicate ASC 606 deferred revenue, and NYC's December 2029 Stage 3 noise ban turns non-compliant airframes into an asset-impairment problem today.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepinginsurancedepreciation
8 min read

New Jersey Legalizes Human Composting: Bookkeeping for a Natural Organic Reduction Facility

New Jersey's natural organic reduction law takes effect July 1, 2026, making it the 14th state to legalize human composting. The 45-day reduction cycle forces deferred-revenue treatment under ASC 606, unclaimed soil becomes a tracked inventory line, and NOR vessels need their own depreciation class — here's how funeral homes should set up the books.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepingsmall-businesscompliance
10 min read

Tailoring and Alterations Shop Bookkeeping: Separating Fabric COGS From Labor, Depreciating Equipment, and Knowing When You Need a Seller's Permit

Alteration labor on a new garment is often taxable while the same work on a used one is exempt — one of several rules that make tailoring shop bookkeeping tricky. How to split fabric COGS from labor revenue, depreciate sewing equipment via Section 179 or MACRS, and know when selling a single zipper triggers a seller's permit.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepingsmall-businesssales-tax
10 min read

Self-Serve Dog Wash Station Bookkeeping: Reconciling Unattended Revenue, Costing Per Wash, and Depreciating Equipment

A bookkeeping guide for unattended self-serve dog wash stations: how to reconcile coin and card revenue against machine counters, calculate a true cost per wash (roughly $3.50 against an $18–20 session price), classify shampoo and consumables as COGS, and depreciate $20,000–$30,000-per-bay equipment — including Section 179 timing and separating payment terminals from wash tubs in your fixed-asset register.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepingsmall-businessreconciliation
8 min read

Depreciation Recapture Explained: The Tax Bill Waiting When You Sell Depreciated Equipment or Real Estate

Depreciation recapture taxes the deductions you already took when you sell a business asset at a gain — Section 1245 equipment gains are recaptured as ordinary income at rates up to 37%, while Section 1250 real estate depreciation is capped at 25%. With 100% bonus depreciation restored and the Section 179 limit at $2,560,000 for 2026, a fully expensed asset has a $0 basis from day one, so nearly the entire sale price becomes taxable. Here's how the rules split, a worked example, and five strategies owners use to manage the bill.

Mike Thrift

depreciationfixed-assetstax-planning
10 min read

Charter Fishing Boat Bookkeeping: Per-Trip Costing, Crew Pay, and Surviving the Off-Season

A charter fishing operation grossing $126,000 a year can still not know what a single trip costs to run. This guide covers per-trip costing for fuel, bait, and mate pay ($100–$150 day rates plus 15–20% tips), 1099 vs. W-2 crew classification, vessel depreciation with Section 179's more-than-50% business-use test, why booking deposits are liabilities until the trip runs, off-season cash reserves, and the IRS's three-of-five-years profit test for hobby-loss scrutiny.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepingsmall-businessjob-costing
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