Mobile Coffee Cart Bookkeeping: Catering Contracts, Event Minimums, and Per-Drink Costing
A $5.50 latte costs $0.95–$1.40 to pour, but event fees, commissary rent, and unpaid setup eat the margin — cost every drink and set a contract minimum.
#sales-tax
Sales Tax
Sales tax compliance, nexus rules, filing requirements, and tax automation for businesses
Pallet Flipping Bookkeeping: Reading Manifests, Costing Mixed Lots, and Keeping Marketplace Fees From Eating Your Margin
Manifest math for pallet flippers: allocate landed cost per item, stack eBay and Amazon fees before you bid, and reconcile gross IRS 1099-K totals to deposits.
Why the Gap Between Your Food Truck's Cash Drawer and POS Report Is an Auditor's Favorite Red Flag
IRS and state auditors start with the gap between your POS Z report and your drawer count. Log paid-outs, deposit intact, book the rest to Cash Over and Short.
Manufacturer Coupons vs. Store Coupons: Which Discounts Actually Reduce the Taxable Sales Price
Manufacturer coupons stay taxable because the vendor reimburses you; store coupons cut the base. US rules for BOGO, double coupons, and booking each.
Billable Expense Income Done Right: How to Invoice Client Pass-Throughs Without Overpaying (or Underpaying) Tax
Client reimbursements are gross income on Schedule C, and most states tax them even at zero markup — bill and book pass-throughs correctly.
Bag Charges Are Not Merchandise Sales: A Retailer's Guide to California's Bag Ban and Washington's Fee Hike
California's 10-cent paper bag charge is excluded from taxable sales, while Washington's 12-cent plastic bag charge is taxable — book each in its own account.
Ditching the Cloud for a Colo Rack? The Move Changes Your Depreciation Schedule, Not Just Your Monthly Bill
Leaving the cloud for a colo rack turns opex into capex — servers are 5-year MACRS property, but Section 179 or 100% bonus can expense them in year one.
Furniture Flipping Isn't a Hobby to the IRS: A Reseller's Guide to COGS, Mileage, and the 2026 1099-K Rules
Flipping furniture is a Schedule C business, not a hobby: deduct per-piece COGS and 2026's split IRS mileage rate; expect no 1099-K under $20,000/200 sales.
Bookkeeping for Martial Arts Schools: Why Testing Fees, Merchandise, and Autopay Need Separate Revenue Lines
Split dojo income into six revenue lines — dues, testing, pro shop, privates, camps, parties — and carry prepaid tuition as deferred revenue, not income.
The Real Cost of Returns: How Refunds, Restocking Fees, and Reverse Logistics Quietly Eat E-Commerce Margins
A single return costs 20-65% of the item's value. US sellers cut the loss with tiered fees, exchanges-first policies, and ASC 606 refund accounting.
Chicago's Lease Tax Just Jumped to 15%: What It Means for Every Software Subscription and Equipment Lease You Pay For
Chicago's lease transaction tax rose from 11% to 15% in 2026 — Illinois businesses now owe $150 a month in city tax on every $1,000 of SaaS.
Corn Maze and Fall Festival Bookkeeping: Your Six-Week Season Playbook
Season-pass cash is deferred revenue, not August income — and your maze crew is usually non-farm labor owed US overtime. A six-week bookkeeping playbook.