Plain-English explainers written by an Enrolled Agent. New articles publish regularly. Subscribe to the newsletter if you want to know when something useful goes up.
The most common — and most expensive — bookkeeping errors I see when contractors come for help after a year of doing it themselves. Plus the fix for each one — with every figure current for the 2026 rules.
11 pages · Updated June 2026 · No email required. More templates below.
The documents an accountant would normally build for you — free, current for the 2026 rules, and built by an EA who reads the returns they feed.
The seven most expensive bookkeeping errors I see, the real cost of each, and the exact fix — updated for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changes.
40+ accounts mapped line-by-line to Schedule C and Form 1120-S, with COGS structured for per-job margins. Import instructions included.
Track every sub’s W-9, payments by quarter, and let the formulas flag who needs a 1099-NEC under the new $2,000 threshold. Counts your missing W-9s for you.
One row per job: contract price, change orders, six cost buckets, and automatic gross profit and margin. Know which jobs make money before you bid the next one.
Everything your QuickBooks file needs before it goes to a preparer, from reconciliations to the Solo 401(k) deadline. A clean handoff is a cheaper tax bill.
Every federal deadline from June 2026 through April 2027 — estimates, 1099s, S-Corp dates — with weekend shifts already applied. Pin it up in the shop.
The most powerful depreciation strategy in real estate — and the one California changes the most. Written and run by an Enrolled Agent who does the studies with a licensed engineer.
Tax and bookkeeping explainers that apply to any self-employed person or small business — freelancers, consultants, shops, and trades alike.
Shorter, personal pieces — how I think about this work, and straight answers to the questions that land in my inbox every week.
The deepest coverage on the site — written for general contractors, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing businesses.
Tax law moves. QuickBooks changes. The way contractors structure their business keeps evolving. The newsletter is how I tell you about anything that matters.