#small-business
Financial management strategies and tools for small business owners
Xero will acquire Melio for $2.5B plus up to $500M earn-out; Melio processed $30B in payments with 80,000 customers — bundling bill pay into accounting software promises fewer logins and tighter approvals, but adds card fees and FX spreads that need separate bookkeeping.
High earners over $150K AGI ($75K MFS) must pay 110% of prior-year tax to meet estimated-tax safe harbor — 100% for others, 90% of current year as alternative.
Executive Order Aug 7 2025 and DOL March 30 2026 safe harbor would let 401(k) plans add private equity, crypto and real assets — risks, fees, and fiduciary checklist.
From 2026, catch-up contributions for 50+ workers earning >$145K–$150K prior-year FICA wages must be Roth — $8,000 regular or $11,250 super catch-up (60–63). What payroll must do.
The enhanced ACA subsidies expired after 2025 — the 400% FPL cliff is back. Learn why $1 over 400% FPL wipes the credit, and how the §162(l) self-employed health insurance deduction can lower MAGI back under the threshold.
BLS projects 120K+ accounting openings yearly while CPA pipeline shrinks — 77% shortage index, 134% hiring index, and why firms are rethinking pay and pathways.
AI content risks in 2026: copyright suits against AI trainers, hallucinated citations sanctioned by courts, and securities claims for overpromising AI.
AI notetakers can violate two-party consent laws, waive privilege, and create discoverable records. Learn the consent, notice, and data-handling controls small businesses need before the next meeting.
Alabama's state 2% grocery tax was suspended May 1–June 30, 2026 via Act 2026-604. Learn what qualifies as SNAP-eligible food, how retailers must still report gross sales, and the county/city tax that remains.
Amazon's 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge starts Apr 17 2026 on FBA US/CA and remote fulfillment, May 2 on Buy with Prime and MCF — 3.5% of fulfillment fees, ~$0.17/unit avg.
Anthropic's Claude for Small Business and 10 finance agents (KYC, reconciliation) — 15 pre-built workflows, Intuit partnership, and what to automate first.
QuickBooks uses Classes to tag nonprofit funds; Aplos does native fund accounting. Learn the balance-sheet, restriction, and audit differences that decide which to choose in 2026.
