Tax & bookkeeping guides

Plain-English guides to the US tax and bookkeeping questions small businesses, freelancers and foreign founders ask most, each paired with a free tool.

BOI Reporting Checker

BOI Reporting in 2026: Who Still Has to File?FinCEN's final rule (effective Aug. 14, 2026) exempts US companies and US persons. Only foreign companies registered in a US state still file BOI reports.Foreign Company Registered in the US: BOI RequirementsA foreign company registered to do business in a US state must file a BOI report within 30 days, listing only non-US beneficial owners. Steps inside.Got a BOI Letter or Email? How to Check ItFinCEN says 'Form 4022' and 'Form 5102' letters are fraudulent and there's no fee to file BOI. Here's how to check a BOI letter, email or call safely.Does My US LLC Need a BOI Report? (No — Here's Why)US LLCs no longer file BOI reports. FinCEN's final rule, effective Aug. 14, 2026, exempts all US-created companies, including foreign-owned LLCs.

Catch-up Bookkeeping Cost Estimator

Behind on Bookkeeping? A No-Judgment Guide to Catching UpMonths or years behind on your books? Learn how catch-up bookkeeping works, what it costs, what to gather, and how to stay caught up. No judgment.Behind on Your Books With a Tax Deadline Coming? What to Do FirstTax deadline close and books behind? A calm triage plan: extend to file (not to pay), estimate and pay, then catch up the books in the right order.What You Need to Catch Up Your Books: Document ChecklistA plain checklist of the statements, records and access you need to catch up your books, what to do if something is missing, and how to share it safely.What Does Catch-up Bookkeeping Cost? How Pricing WorksWhat drives the price of catch-up bookkeeping: months behind, transactions, accounts and complexity. Plus how RAHA's published starting prices apply.

1099 Filing Checker

1099 Filing in 2026: The New $2,000 Rule, ExplainedThe 1099-NEC/MISC threshold is $2,000 for payments made in 2026 ($600 for 2025). Exceptions, 1099-K, W-9s, due dates, e-filing via IRIS and state rules.Do I Send a 1099 to an LLC?Usually yes. Single-member and partnership LLCs get a 1099-NEC at $2,000 for 2026 payments; LLCs taxed as corporations generally don't. Read the W-9.PayPal, Venmo, Zelle and Cards: Who Files the 1099?Paid a contractor by card or PayPal? The processor reports it on 1099-K. Paid by Zelle, ACH or check? That's yours to report on 1099-NEC. The 2026 rules.1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC: Which Form Do You Need?1099-NEC is for contractor and other nonemployee service payments. 1099-MISC covers rent, royalties, prizes, medical and attorney proceeds. 2026 rules.

Form 5472 Checker

Form 5472 for Foreign-Owned US LLCs: Complete GuideWho must file Form 5472, what counts as a reportable transaction, deadlines, how to file by fax or mail, and the $25,000 penalty, in plain English.The $1 Contribution Trap: Why Your LLC Must File Form 5472Funding your foreign-owned US LLC with even $1 is a reportable transaction. Learn why it triggers Form 5472 and what to do about it.Form 5472 vs 1040-NR: Which Do I File?Form 5472 is your LLC's information return; Form 1040-NR is your personal US tax return. See which one a foreign LLC owner needs, and when you need both.Missed Form 5472? Your OptionsDidn't file Form 5472 for your foreign-owned LLC? Here's how to find the missed years, file late, and when a reasonable-cause statement may help.

IRS Notice Decoder

Got a Letter From the IRS? How to Read It and What to DoA calm, step-by-step guide to IRS notices: find the code, check the deadline, decide whether to agree, pay or dispute, and know when to get help.How to Respond to a CP2000 NoticeA CP2000 is a proposal, not a bill. Learn how to check each item, respond if you agree, partly agree or disagree, and meet the response date.IRS Collection Notices Explained: CP14 → CP501 → CP503 → CP504 → LT11/Letter 1058How IRS balance-due notices escalate from CP14 to LT11 or Letter 1058, how serious each one is, and which ones give you hearing and appeal rights.Is This IRS Letter Real? How to Verify ItHow to check whether an IRS letter is genuine using the steps the IRS recommends, spot the warning signs of a scam, and report a fake.

Tips & Overtime Deduction Calculator

No Tax on Tips and Overtime (2025–2028): Complete GuideHow the tips deduction (up to $25,000) and overtime deduction (up to $12,500, $25,000 joint) work for 2025–2028: who qualifies, phase-outs and examples.What Counts as Qualified Overtime? The 'Half' in Time-and-a-HalfOnly the FLSA overtime premium is deductible. See how to find it: divide 1.5x total overtime pay by 3 and 2x total pay by 4, per IRS Notice 2025-69.Who Qualifies for the Tips Deduction?The tips deduction needs a work-authorized SSN, a joint return if married, a listed tipped job and voluntary tips. Plus SSTB and self-employed rules.Tips and Overtime Reporting: What Employers Need to KnowWhat changes on W-2s and 1099s for qualified tips and overtime: 2025 penalty relief under Notice 2025-62, and the new 2026 codes TP and TT and 1099 boxes.

Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator

Quarterly Estimated Taxes for the Self-Employed: 2026 GuideWho must pay 2026 estimated tax, how to figure it (SE tax, safe harbor 90/100/110%), due dates to Jan 15, 2027, how to pay and how the penalty works.Do I Have to Pay Quarterly Taxes? The $1,000 Rule ExplainedYou generally must pay 2026 estimated tax if you'll owe $1,000+ after withholding and withholding misses the safe harbor. See worked examples.First Year Freelancing: How to Handle Estimated TaxesNew to freelancing? See if the zero-tax exception excuses 2026 estimated tax, how the 100% prior-year safe harbor helps, and how much to set aside.Estimated Tax Safe Harbor: 100% vs 110% RuleHow the 2026 estimated tax safe harbor works: 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's, 110% if 2025 AGI was over $150,000. Worked examples.

S-Corp Savings Calculator

S Corp Election for Small Business Owners: When It Actually Saves Money (2026)When an S corp election saves money in 2026: payroll tax math, reasonable salary, extra costs, state taxes, the Form 2553 deadline and break-even examples.Form 2553 Deadline: How and When to Elect S Corp StatusFile Form 2553 within 2 months and 15 days of the tax year's start, or any time in the prior year. For 2027: March 15, 2027. Plus late-election relief.How Much Salary Should an S Corp Owner Pay Themselves?There's no IRS percentage for S corp owner pay. The factors the IRS lists for reasonable compensation, how to document a salary, and the tax trade-off.S Corp vs LLC at $100,000 Profit: Worked ExampleLine-by-line 2026 math for an LLC with $100,000 profit: SE tax vs payroll tax, income tax, costs and state items, and when an S corp stops saving.

Sales Tax Nexus Checker

Sales Tax Nexus for E-commerce Sellers: 2026 GuideEconomic vs physical nexus, every state's 2026 threshold, marketplace and FBA rules, and what to do after you cross a threshold. From official sources.Amazon Collects Sales Tax, So I'm Covered? Not AlwaysAmazon, Etsy and Walmart collect on marketplace sales, but 20 states count those sales toward your own threshold. When you may still need to register.Does FBA Inventory Create Sales Tax Nexus?Inventory in an Amazon FBA or 3PL warehouse generally creates physical nexus, whatever your sales. What states say, the exceptions, and what to do next.Which States Still Have a 200-Transaction Test in 2026?17 jurisdictions still count transactions for economic nexus in 2026. See which use OR vs AND, New York's 100-sale rule, and which states repealed theirs.