971 plain-English guides on cross-border moves, US and Canadian returns, and small-business money. Each one ends in what to do next, and says when a written Diagnostic is the smarter first step.
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You paid $45,000 to open a franchise. You wrote the check, signed the agreement, and started building out the location.
US TaxThe moment a franchisee signs a second franchise agreement, the tax picture changes in ways that a single-unit operator never has to think about.
US TaxFranchise startup costs range from $100,000 to $500,000. Opening a franchise is one of the most capital-intensive ways to start a business.
US TaxYes, nearly every fee a franchisor charges you after opening day is deductible in the year you pay it.
US TaxTerritory fees, area development rights, and exclusivity payments are Section 197 intangibles amortized over 15 years.
US TaxSelling a franchise triggers capital gains, depreciation recapture, and a purchase price allocation under IRC 1060.
US TaxFAR 31.2 sets which costs are allowable on government contracts. The direct-versus-indirect split drives how costs hit contracts, rates, and DCAA audits.
US TaxFringe, overhead, and G&A rates allocate shared costs to government contracts. How to structure the pools, choose bases, and survive a DCAA audit.
US TaxA government cost proposal must build up from direct labor rates through indirect rates to the fully burdened rate, plus fee.
US TaxTimekeeping is DCAA's most audited area. Labor is typically 50% to 70% of a services contractor's total costs on a government contract.
Cross-BorderThe IRS does not want fifteen years of back returns. It wants three years of income tax returns and six years of FBARs, filed through the right program.
US TaxThe IRC 1060 purchase price allocation drives how much of a hotel you can expense in year one. Due diligence checklist and day-one structuring.
US TaxIf a hotel is managed by a third party, flagged under a major brand, or financed with a commercial mortgage.
US TaxA cost segregation study can reclassify 20-40% of a hotel's building cost into shorter-lived assets eligible for bonus depreciation.
US TaxMost hotel owners end up with more entities than they expected, and that is usually the correct outcome rather than a sign of overcomplication.
US TaxHotel franchise fees split into a 15-year Section 197 intangible, deductible royalties under IRC 162, and PIP costs classified by asset type.
US TaxHotel occupancy tax (also called transient lodging tax, hotel tax, room tax, or bed tax depending on where you operate) is a tax that state, county.
US TaxHotel payroll runs 30-45% of revenue and spans tip credits, FICA tip credit, overtime exemptions, seasonal FUTA rules, and banquet service charges.
US TaxProperty tax is typically the largest single fixed cost a hotel faces, surpassing insurance, franchise fees, and management fees in most markets.
US TaxMost hotel PIP dollars belong on 15-year QIP or 7-year FF&E schedules with 100% bonus depreciation; only structural work stays on 39 years.
US TaxHotel owners can deduct FF&E through bonus depreciation, OTA commissions as ordinary expenses, and most guest amenity costs.
US TaxClient money goes in a separate trust account, gets reconciled three ways every month, and earned fees come out promptly.
US TaxHow the IRS 20% accuracy-related penalty works under IRC 6662, when it applies, and the reasonable cause defense that can remove it.
US TaxWhen and how to request a Collection Due Process hearing from the IRS, the 30-day deadline, what you can challenge.