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Guides · US Tax

US Tax guides

364 plain-English guides on us tax, each one ending in what to do next.

All Cross-BorderUS TaxCanadian TaxSmall Business & BookkeepingCFO & AdvisoryTax Planning

Page 7 of 16, newest first.

US Tax

F&I Income Recognition for Auto Dealers: When Revenue Hits the Books

F&I products generate high-margin income, but the timing of recognition depends on whether the dealer is agent or obligor.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Floor Plan Interest Deduction for Auto Dealers: The IRC 163(j) Exception

Auto dealers can deduct floor plan financing interest without the IRC 163(j) interest cap, but relying on it can cost the dealership bonus depreciation.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Buying or Selling a Dealership: Goodwill, Blue Sky, and IRC 197 Amortization

Blue sky is the biggest number in a dealership buy-sell. Here is how goodwill, franchise rights, and covenants not to compete are allocated, amortized.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

LIFO Inventory for Auto Dealers: How It Works and When It Saves Tax

The LIFO method lets auto dealers defer tax on rising vehicle prices by valuing inventory at older, lower costs, but the conformity rule ties it to your books.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Multi-State Tax for Auto Dealer Groups: Nexus, Apportionment, and Entity Structure

Dealer groups operating across state lines face nexus rules, single-sales-factor apportionment, entity structure choices, and state PTET elections to sort out.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Service Department Accounting for Auto Dealers: Warranty, Parts, and Labor

The service department is the dealership's most consistent profit center, with warranty reimbursement, parts inventory, and labor rate accounting to manage.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Construction Contractor Tax Deductions: Vehicle, Equipment, Tools, and Every Expense You Should Be Writing Off

A CPA's guide to the tax deductions available to construction contractors, from heavy equipment and Section 179 to subcontractor payments, insurance.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Construction Accounting Methods: Cash, Accrual, Completed Contract, and Percentage of Completion

Which accounting method a construction company must (or can) use on its tax return depends on contract length, gross receipts, and contract type.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Percentage of Completion Method (PCM) for Contractors: IRC 460 Rules, Calculations, and Look-Back Interest

The percentage of completion method under IRC 460 determines when construction contractors recognize revenue on long-term contracts.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Construction Retainage: Accounting, Tax Treatment, and Cash Flow Impact

Retainage (the 5-10% holdback on each progress payment) creates accounting complexity, tax timing questions, and real cash flow pressure.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Retirement Plans for Construction Business Owners: Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA, Cash Balance, and Safe Harbor Options

Construction company owners can defer $70,000+ per year through the right retirement plan. For 2025, a solo construction company owner can defer up to.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Government Contract Types: Cost-Plus, Firm Fixed-Price, and T&M from an Accounting Perspective

Cost-reimbursement contracts (CPFF, CPIF, CPAF) require full cost disclosure, an annual incurred cost submission, and expose every indirect rate to audit.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

DCAA Indirect Rate Structure: Fringe, Overhead, and G&A Rate Pools Explained

Government contractors allocate shared costs through three pools: fringe, overhead, and G&A. The standard indirect rate structure has three pools: fringe.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

DCAA Pre-Award Survey: Accounting System Adequacy and How to Pass SF 1408

Before a cost-type contract is awarded, DCAA often evaluates the accounting system against the SF 1408 checklist's 14 criteria.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Setting Up as a Small Government Contractor: DCAA-Ready Accounting from Day One

DCAA-ready setup starts with SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID (UEI), which replaced the DUNS number in April 2022.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Dental Associate Compensation Models: Structures, Classification, and the Tax Consequences of Getting It Wrong

How daily guarantees, production percentages, and hybrid pay compare, why nearly every associate is a W-2 employee. Dental practices pay associates through.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

DSO Affiliation: State Law, Anti-Kickback Rules, and Tax Planning Before You Sign

Before affiliating with a DSO: corporate practice of dentistry rules by state, anti-kickback and fee-splitting exposure, IRC 269A.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Dental Practice Employee Benefits: Group Health, HRAs, and Fringe Benefit Tax Rules

Group health, QSEHRA, ICHRA, group life, and fringe benefits for a dental practice: what's deductible, what's excludable to employees.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

S-Corp vs PLLC vs Sole Prop for a Dental Practice: Which One Actually Fits

Before a dentist picks an entity, the state dental board picks the entity form. A dentist's entity choice runs through two filters, not one.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Dental Equipment Depreciation: Section 179, Bonus Depreciation, and What to Expense First

A CBCT unit, a CAD/CAM system, and a full operatory buildout can all be deducted in year one. For 2026, a dental practice can expense up to $2,560,000 of.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Owning Your Dental Office Building: Self-Rental Rules, Cost Segregation, and 1031 Exchanges

Why dentists should hold the practice building in a separate LLC, how the IRC 469 self-rental rule affects the rent. Holding a dental office building in a.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Dental Practice Startup Costs: The IRC 195 Deduction, Build-Out Classification, and First-Year Tax Planning

How a new dental practice deducts pre-opening costs under IRC 195, classifies build-out spending, decides between buying and leasing equipment.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Amazon FBA Tax Issues: Inventory Nexus, 1099-K, and What Sellers Actually Owe

FBA scatters your inventory across Amazon's warehouse network, and that alone can create a sales tax obligation in every state your stock lands in.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Dropshipping Tax Treatment: Sales Tax on Resale, Income Reporting, and When You Need a Resale Certificate

A dropshipper is the retailer of record even though it never touches the product, and that changes who collects sales tax and how income gets reported.

Sep 4, 2026