Browse every guide

Cash vs. accrual accounting: which is right for you? The most consequential choice in how you keep your books, explained with examples for both methods. Foundations Basics 7 MIN What is a chart of accounts? The master list that organizes every dollar your business moves — and how to structure yours. Foundations Basics 6 MIN Debits and credits, explained simply Double-entry bookkeeping without the jargon. Why every transaction has two sides. Foundations Basics 8 MIN Bank reconciliation, and why it matters Matching your books to your bank is the habit that keeps your numbers trustworthy. Foundations Basics 5 MIN Bookkeeping vs. accounting: what's the difference? Two roles people use interchangeably — and where one ends and the other begins. Foundations Basics 4 MIN Setting up your books from day one The handful of decisions to get right early so you're not untangling them at tax time. Foundations Intermediate 9 MIN How to categorize your transactions Learn how to decide what a transaction really is, what context your bookkeeper needs, and why the right category matters for reports and taxes. Foundations Basics 9 MIN New Keeping personal and business separate Learn how to handle mixed personal and business spending, what to document, and how to prevent cleanup later. Foundations Basics 7 MIN Recording deposits & applying customer payments Understand how customer payments, retainers, processor payouts, fees, refunds, and invoice payments should flow through your books. Foundations Intermediate 9 MIN Owner draws, distributions & owner loans Understand the difference between owner draws, distributions, contributions, reimbursements, payroll, and owner loans. Foundations Intermediate 10 MIN New How to read a profit & loss statement Revenue, cost of goods, and the lines between them. What your P&L is really telling you. Financials Basics 8 MIN Understanding the balance sheet Assets, liabilities, and equity — a snapshot of what your business owns and owes. Financials Basics 8 MIN The cash flow statement, demystified Where your cash actually went, even in a profitable month. Financials Intermediate 9 MIN Why profit isn't the same as cash The reason a profitable business can still run out of money — and how to see it coming. Financials Intermediate 7 MIN Financial ratios every owner should know A short list of numbers that reveal the health of your business at a glance. Financials Intermediate 10 MIN Reading your numbers to make decisions Moving from 'the books are done' to 'here's what I should do next.' Financials Advanced 11 MIN Small business tax deductions: the essentials The deductions almost every business can take, and the records you need to back them up. Tax Basics 9 MIN Understanding quarterly estimated taxes Who owes them, how they're calculated, and how to avoid an underpayment penalty. Tax Basics 8 MIN Tax deadlines you can't miss A calendar of the federal filing and payment dates that matter for small businesses. Tax Basics 5 MIN How your tax filing works, step by step See what happens between finalized books, filing readiness, document collection, tax preparation, review, signature, and filing. Tax Basics 8 MIN New What documents we need from you at tax time Use this practical checklist to understand what tax documents may be needed, why requests vary, and what to do when something is missing. Tax Basics 9 MIN New What counts as a business expense? The 'ordinary and necessary' test, and the gray areas that trip owners up. Tax Basics 7 MIN The home office deduction, explained Who qualifies, the two ways to calculate it, and the myths worth ignoring. Tax Intermediate 8 MIN Mileage and vehicle deductions Standard mileage vs. actual expense — and the logbook that makes either one stick. Tax Intermediate 7 MIN Year-end tax planning moves Decisions made before December 31 that change what you owe in April. Tax Advanced 10 MIN New When should you incorporate? Signs you've outgrown the sole proprietorship — and what incorporating actually buys you. Structure Basics 7 MIN LLC vs. S-corp: what's the difference? Two of the most common structures, compared on taxes, paperwork, and liability. Structure Intermediate 9 MIN Sole proprietor to LLC: making the switch What changes — and what doesn't — when you form an LLC, step by step. Structure Intermediate 8 MIN Choosing a business structure: a decision guide A framework for matching your structure to your goals, stage, and risk. Structure Intermediate 10 MIN How an S-corp election affects your taxes The payroll-plus-distributions math behind why owners elect S-corp status. Structure Advanced 11 MIN W-2 employee vs. 1099 contractor The classification that carries real legal and tax weight — and how to get it right. Payroll Basics 8 MIN Payroll taxes 101 What's withheld, what you match, and where all of it gets remitted. Payroll Basics 8 MIN Setting up payroll for the first time From EIN to first paycheck — the setup that keeps you compliant from run one. Payroll Intermediate 9 MIN Issuing 1099s: what you need to know Who gets one, the thresholds, the deadlines, and how to collect W-9s ahead of time. Payroll Intermediate 7 MIN Reasonable compensation for S-corp owners The salary requirement that keeps your S-corp election out of trouble. Payroll Advanced 10 MIN Sales tax basics for small business When you have to collect, what's taxable, and how remittance works. Sales Tax Basics 7 MIN What is sales tax nexus? The connection to a state that creates a duty to collect — physical and economic. Sales Tax Intermediate 8 MIN Collecting and remitting sales tax Registering, charging the right rate, and filing returns on time. Sales Tax Intermediate 8 MIN Economic nexus after Wayfair How a 2018 Supreme Court case rewrote the rules for online and out-of-state sellers. Sales Tax Advanced 10 MIN New Staying compliant across multiple states Managing registrations, rates, and filings once you're selling everywhere. Sales Tax Advanced 11 MIN