Taxes, deadlines and clean books.
What changed, what is due next, and how to keep the books your accountant needs. Checked against IRS sources.
RSS feedThe 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000 for payments made in 2026
Who needs a 1099-NEC for 2026 payments now that the threshold is $2,000, what counts toward it, what stayed at $600, and the Feb 1, 2027 deadline.
6 min readYour bookkeeping service is shutting down: what to download first
Bench, Botkeeper and Finally closed or changed hands. What to download in week one, what to ask in writing, and the tax dates that do not move.
6 min readIRS automatic penalty relief replaces First Time Abate: what it covers
The IRS Automatic Exemption from Penalty replaces First Time Abate. Which penalties it skips, the three-year test, the dates and what it never covers.
5 min readThe IRS FIRE system closes Nov 19, 2026: how to e-file your 1099s through IRIS
IRS FIRE takes its last file at 3 p.m. ET on Nov 19, 2026. How to e-file 2026 1099s through IRIS, get an IRIS TCC in time and what to do this month.
5 min readThe 2026 IRS mileage rate: 72.5 cents through June, 76 cents from July 1
2026 has two IRS business mileage rates: 72.5 cents through June 30 and 76 cents from July 1. How to split your log, reimburse employees and keep records.
5 min readQuickBooks Desktop in 2026: what's discontinued, what's supported and what to do
QuickBooks Desktop 2023 lost payroll, bank feeds and support after May 31, 2026. What is still supported, what renewals cost, and how to export your data.
6 min readQuickBooks Online's 2026 price increase: what every plan costs now
QuickBooks Online Plus lists at $140 a month after the Aug 1, 2026 increase. Every plan's price, the rise since 2023, and how to downgrade or leave cleanly.
5 min readThe 2027 Social Security wage base is $192,300
Social Security tax stops at $192,300 of 2027 wages. The most an employee and employer pay, the self-employed math, and which 2027 IRS limits are not out yet.
5 min readWave bank connections now need Pro: what changed and what to do
Since June 1, 2026, older free Wave businesses are on Starter, where bank imports and invited users need Pro at $19 a month or $190 a year.
6 min readNo tax on tips and overtime: what employers must report on 2026 W-2s
Codes TT, TP and TA, box 14b, and the overtime premium math your payroll needs before 2026 Forms W-2 are due on February 1, 2027.
6 min readForm 1099-K for 2026: the $20,000 and 200 transaction test is back
Who gets a Form 1099-K for 2026, why card sales have no minimum, which states report lower, and how to reconcile box 1a to your books.
5 min readEstimated taxes: your last 2026 payment is due January 15, 2027
The fourth 2026 estimated tax payment is due January 15, 2027. The safe harbors, a worked example, the 7% penalty rate, how to pay and how to book it.
6 min readBOI reporting is over for U.S. companies: who still files in 2026
FinCEN's final rule, effective August 14, 2026, ends BOI reporting for U.S. companies. Who still files, New York's rule for foreign LLCs, and the scam letters.
4 min readHow to catch up on bookkeeping when you are months or years behind
Behind on your books? Handle what has a deadline first, reconcile one month at a time from the oldest, and know how far back the IRS expects unfiled returns.
6 min readSmall business tax deductions for 2026: the checklist and what the new law changed
Every main 2026 small business deduction with its figure and the record that proves it: mileage, home office, Section 179, bonus depreciation, meals and QBI.
6 min readQuickBooks alternative: how to choose one and move your books in 2026
Why owners are leaving QuickBooks in 2026, what any replacement must do, and how to move your books step by step without losing your history.
6 min readAI bookkeeping in 2026: what it does well and 7 entries it gets wrong
What AI bookkeeping handles well, the seven transactions it books wrong without a person, what one miss does to a P&L, and how to judge a tool.
5 min readYear-end bookkeeping checklist for 2026: November, December and January, with dates
A dated plan for closing 2026: W-9s before FIRE closes Nov 19, December reconciliations, the Jan 15 estimate and the Feb 1, 2027 W-2 and 1099-NEC deadline.
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