#entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Financial guidance and accounting tips for entrepreneurs and startups
Affiliate Marketing Website Bookkeeping: Schedule C, 1099-NEC Gaps, and Recordkeeping for Niche Site Owners
Affiliate marketing income is not passive — it's Schedule C business income. Learn how to handle 1099-NEC gaps, track network payouts, capitalize content costs, and keep records that survive an IRS check for niche site owners.
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.
The Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT): How Business Owners Keep Life Insurance Out of Their Taxable Estate
An ILIT can keep a life insurance payout out of your taxable estate and provide liquidity to pay estate taxes without forcing a business sale. Learn how ILITs work, the three-year rule, Crummey powers, and common mistakes that bring the policy back into your estate.
Business Entity Comparison in 2026: Sole Prop vs. LLC vs. S-Corp vs. C-Corp — Liability, Tax, and the Conversion Costs You Pay Later
Sole prop is the default, LLC is the wrapper, S-corp saves SE tax above ~$80K but needs payroll, C-corp is the venture clock — and converting the wrong way can be a taxable liquidation.
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.
Overtime Rule in 2026: The $58,656 Salary Threshold Stay, Duties Test, and the Compliance Checklist for Reclassifying Exempt Employees
The $58,656 threshold was vacated — $35,568 is the enforceable level — but salary is only a third of exemption; duties decide the rest, and reclassification lives or dies on time records and the regular rate.
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.
SECURE 2.0 Super Catch-Up in 2026: How Ages 60–63 Can Save $11,250 Extra and the Auto-Enrollment Mandate for New 401(k)s
Ages 60–63 get $11,250 of catch-up for four years instead of $7,500 — and every 401(k)/403(b) established after 12/29/2022 must auto-enroll 3–10% and auto-escalate to at least 10% starting 2025.
Qualified Opportunity Zones Are Now Permanent: Your 2026 Playbook for the Rural 30% Basis Step-Up and Rolling Redesignations
Qualified Opportunity Zones are now permanent tax law with enhanced incentives for rural investment. Discover how the 30% rural basis step-up, 10-year tax elimination benefit, and 2026 redesignation window can shield your capital gains from federal tax.
Single-Member LLC in 2026: Disregarded Entity, Corporate Election, and the S-Corp Reasonable-Comp Decision That Saves Self-Employment Tax
By default an LLC is disregarded to Schedule C and pays SE tax on all profit — elect S-corp via 8832/2553, pay yourself reasonable W-2 wages, and distributions escape SE tax when the salary is defensible.
Independent Contractor Misclassification: Why One Parking-Spot Company Paid $6 Million and What the 2026 DOL Rules Mean for Your Hiring
Contractor misclassification can cost over $100,000 per worker. Learn how the 2026 DOL rules tighten classification requirements and why industries from delivery services to healthcare tech are facing major reclassification lawsuits.