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Guides

Straight answers, written by the CPA who’d file it.

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.

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

Page 9 of 41, newest first.

US Tax

Cost Segregation for Franchise Build-Outs: QIP, Tenant Allowances, and First-Year Depreciation

Franchise build-out costs are split across several depreciation categories. Qualified Improvement Property (QIP), meaning.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Franchise Payroll Tax Management: FICA, FUTA, Tip Credits, and Multi-Location Strategies

Franchise owners face layered payroll tax obligations across locations and states. Franchise owners owe employer FICA of 7.65% on every dollar of wages.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Franchise Entity Structure: Sole Prop vs LLC vs S-Corp for Single and Multi-Unit Owners

A franchise comes with a contract that may dictate the entity type, restrict ownership changes, and require franchisor approval before you restructure.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Restaurant Franchise Tax Rules: Meals, Tips, Smallwares, and Industry-Specific Deductions

Restaurant franchises face tax rules that other businesses never encounter. Restaurant franchises benefit from a unique set of tax provisions.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Franchise Initial Fee Amortization: IRC 197 Intangibles, Anti-Churning Rules, and First-Year Startup Costs

The initial franchise fee is a Section 197 intangible amortized over 15 years. The initial franchise fee is a Section 197 intangible, amortized ratably over.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Tax Planning for Multi-Unit Franchise Operators: Cost Segregation, Section 179, and Structural Strategy

Multi-unit franchise operators can stack cost segregation, Section 179 deductions, and intercompany structures to reduce tax across an entire portfolio.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Retirement Plans for Franchise Owners: SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), and Defined Benefit Options

Franchise owners have retirement plan options that shelter $23,500 to $200,000+ per year from taxes. For single-unit franchise owners with no employees.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Franchise Cash Flow and Working Capital: Tax Planning That Keeps the Money Moving

How franchise owners manage estimated tax payments, choose accounting methods, handle inventory, and time deductions to protect working capital.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Buying and Selling Hotels: 1031 Exchanges, Purchase Price Allocation, and Disposition Tax Planning

1031 exchanges still defer gain on hotel real estate after TCJA, but FF&E no longer qualifies. A 1031 exchange still works for hotel real estate, and the.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Cost Segregation: MACRS Classes, Renovation Depreciation, and Partial Asset Disposition

When a hotel renovates, the old component's basis doesn't just vanish, and the new one doesn't automatically get the fastest schedule available.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Tips, Service Charges, and Payroll Tax: FICA Tip Credit and Reporting Rules

Housekeeping, bellstaff, valets, and servers each get taxed differently on tips and service charges. Tips are voluntary payments controlled by the customer.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Section 179D for Hotels: Energy-Efficient Building Deductions, HVAC, and Prevailing Wage Rules

Section 179D lets hotel owners deduct up to $5.94 per square foot for qualifying energy upgrades, but the OBBBA cuts off new projects after June 30, 2026.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Food and Beverage Operations: Cost of Goods Sold, Comp Meals, and Tax Deduction Rules

Hotel F&B runs like a restaurant with extra rules layered on top: department-level cost of goods sold, employee meal limits under IRC 119 and 274.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Franchise Fees, Key Money, and Management Agreements: Tax Treatment Under IRC 197

Franchise fees, management company base and incentive fees, and key money each carry different tax treatment. The initial franchise fee paid to a brand is.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Ownership Structures: LLCs, Limited Partnerships, and REIT Qualification

How hotels get owned, from a single-asset LLC to a multi-investor LP to a REIT holding the real estate through a taxable REIT subsidiary.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Revenue Recognition: RevPAR, Room Revenue, Ancillary Income, and Occupancy Tax Accounting

RevPAR tells you how a hotel is performing. It doesn't tell you when revenue should hit the books. Room revenue is recognized under ASC 606 as the guest.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Lodging Tax Compliance: Transient Occupancy Taxes, Tourism Districts, and OTA Marketplace Rules

How lodging tax compliance scales across a multi-property, multi-state portfolio. Multistate lodging tax compliance is a registration and reconciliation.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Associate Compensation: Partner Track, Buy-In, and the W-2 to K-1 Transition

How associate compensation works (salary, bonuses, origination credit), what changes when an associate makes partner. Associates are W-2 employees whose.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Client Costs: Advanced Litigation Expenses, Capitalization, and Bad Debt Write-Offs

Costs that a law firm advances on behalf of a client with an expectation of repayment are not deductible business expenses under IRC 162.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Contingency Fee Income Recognition: When the Fee Is Earned, Cash vs. Accrual Timing, and Advance Costs

When a contingency fee becomes taxable income, how cash and accrual methods produce different timing results, how to handle advanced litigation costs.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Deductions from A to Z: Malpractice, Cyber Insurance, Bar Dues, CLE, Technology, and Home Office

All insurance premiums (malpractice, cyber, general liability, workers' comp) are fully deductible under IRC 162. Bar dues.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Mergers and Acquisitions: Capital Accounts, Goodwill, Tail Coverage, and the Tax Consequences Partners Need to Understand

Law firm M&A looks nothing like corporate M&A. No stock, no entity-level gain in most structures. Most law firm mergers are structured as a contribution of.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Retirement Plans for Multi-Partner Firms: 401(k), Cross-Tested Plans, and Cash Balance Stacking

Multi-partner law firms with associates and staff can defer $200,000 to $350,000+ per partner per year by combining a 401(k) with a cash balance plan.

Sep 4, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm WIP and Unbilled Time: Valuation, Realization Rates, and Revenue Recognition

WIP (work-in-progress) in a law firm is time recorded but not yet billed. It is distinct from accounts receivable (time.

Sep 4, 2026