Have a question about your books?
You’re probably not the first to ask. These are questions small-business owners run into, like whether a contractor needs a 1099 or what to do when you’re months behind. Each answer shows where its rules come from, so you can check them yourself. Can’t find yours? Ask us.
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1099-NEC for 2026: the $2,000 threshold, the new form, and what to do before year-end
For payments made in 2026 the 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000, not $600. Here is exactly what changed, what did not, the February 1, 2027 deadline, and the steps worth taking before December 31.
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Bookkeeper, tax preparer, enrolled agent, CPA: who does what
Three of these titles are defined by law and one is not. What each is allowed to do, what each is for, how they hand work to one another, and how to check a credential in two minutes.
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Behind on your books: a catch-up plan, in the order that limits the damage
What being behind actually costs, which filings to deal with first, how many years to rebuild, and where to get records you no longer have, including two sources most owners do not know about.
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Ten balance-sheet checks that show whether your books can be trusted
The profit and loss report can look fine while the books are wrong. The balance sheet is where the errors collect. Ten places to look, what a healthy answer looks like, and what a bad one usually means.
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Stripe, Square, and PayPal deposits: recording them so your books match your 1099-K
Your bank shows what the processor paid out. Your 1099-K shows what customers were charged. A worked example of the gap between them, and the monthly routine that makes the two agree.
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How bookkeeping is priced, and how to compare two quotes
There is no reliable “going rate” for bookkeeping, whatever the internet says. Here is what published price lists actually show, what they leave out, what moves a quote up or down, and the questions that make two quotes comparable.
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Business records: what to keep, how long, and what counts as proof
The IRS never says “seven years.” What it does say is more useful: how long each kind of record matters, and why a bank statement alone will not support a deduction.