#legal
Legal considerations for business finance and accounting compliance
Truthful, documented references are protected by truth, qualified privilege, and state immunity statutes. What to disclose, what to never say, and the two traps small businesses miss.
What to do when an OSHA compliance officer arrives — scope the opening conference, mirror the walkaround record, and file a protective Notice of Contest within 15 working days or penalties up to $165,514 per violation become final.
Solo patent agents bill 30–50% below large-firm attorneys, but the discount only works with disciplined books — unearned fees held in a client trust account under 37 CFR 11.115, milestone-based flat-fee recognition, and per-matter profitability tracking across multi-year prosecutions.
No federal law requires time off to vote, but 29 states plus D.C. do — most of them paid, several with misdemeanor penalties. What small employers owe before the November 3, 2026 midterms.
A 2025 Intuit QuickBooks survey found 56% of small businesses carry unpaid invoices, averaging $17,500 owed. Here is the full small claims path — demand letter, state dollar limits, naming the right defendant, evidence packet, and the levies and liens that turn a judgment into cash.
Chapter 7 can erase income taxes when the return was due over 3 years ago, filed over 2 years ago, and assessed over 240 days ago, with no fraud or evasion — but trust fund taxes, unfiled returns, and recorded tax liens survive every discharge.
Private employers cannot swap overtime pay for banked time off — Section 207(o) comp time is reserved for public agencies, and violations carry back wages plus equal liquidated damages over two years (three if willful). Here are the lawful alternatives.
The SEC pays whistleblowers 10–30% of sanctions collected above $1 million, and received a record 53,753 tips in FY2025. Here is how the program works, why private companies are in scope, what Rule 21F-17 forbids in your NDAs, and the five internal-control steps that keep a concern from becoming an enforcement action.
Late fees are enforceable only when the client agreed to them in writing before the invoice went overdue. This guide covers the 1%–1.5% per month market standard, state usury limits, grace periods, and how to book fee income to a separate account for clean revenue and tax reporting.
Colorado's HB25-1090 took effect January 1, 2026, requiring any business that advertises a price to Colorado customers to show the maximum total including every mandatory fee, displayed more prominently than any other price. Violations are deceptive trade practices under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act — up to $20,000 per violation, treble damages in private suits, and 18% compounded interest on unlawful rental fees.
Federal law only requires final wages by the next regular payday, but states add same-day deadlines and penalties — California's daily-wage meter up to 30 days, Massachusetts treble damages, Colorado's 2x/$1,000 floor — plus mandatory vacation payout in a handful of states.
The Fair Labor Standards Act has no employee-count trigger — enterprise coverage begins at $500,000 in annual gross sales, and individual coverage can apply well below it. Here is what changes at the threshold, the five obligations it imposes, and a seven-step checklist to run before an investigator calls.
