Small Business Bookkeeping & Tax Blog | RKube Services
Practical guides on bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, LLCs and cap tables for small business owners and founders.
- The 1099 Line Moved to $2,000. Who Still Gets a Form in January 2027?
For 2026 payments the 1099-NEC line is $2,000, not $600. Who still gets a form, what you need from each W-9, how to file, and the February 1, 2027 deadline.
- The Second Corporate Return Every Alberta Company Files: A Plain Guide to the AT1
Alberta corporations file a second return, the AT1, alongside the federal T2. Who files, the 2% and 8% rates, mandatory net file, instalment rules and the November 14, 2026 TRACS change.
- Why California Wants 70% of Your Estimated Tax by June, and What That Means for January
California splits estimated tax 30/40/0/30, not in four equal parts. Here is the 2026 schedule, the $150,000 and $1 million prior-year rules, the January 15, 2027 payment and how to catch up before the year closes.
- Why a Kentucky Business Files a Local Tax Return in Every City It Works In
Kentucky cities and counties tax business net profits with their own returns. How Form OL-S, Louisville's OL-3 and Lexington's Form 228 work: rates, due dates, estimates and penalties.
- Mississippi Repeals Its Franchise Tax in 2028. Here Is What a Corporation Still Owes Until Then
Mississippi's franchise tax drops to $0.50 per $1,000 for 2026 and $0.25 for 2027, then is repealed in 2028. What a corporation still owes, when it's due and the $25 minimum.
- Filing Ohio City Net Profit Tax Once With the State Instead of City by City
Ohio businesses that owe city net profit tax in several municipalities can elect to file one return with the state. Who qualifies, the April 15 opt-in deadline, estimates, Form MNP10 and a Toledo-Columbus example.
- South Dakota Taxes Most Services, So Here Is How a Service Business Works Out What to Charge
South Dakota taxes services by default. Which services are exempt, how to pick the city rate where the service is received, the $100,000 remote seller threshold, and when returns are due.
- The $85,165 Delaware Franchise Tax Notice Most Startups Don't Actually Owe
Delaware franchise tax notice says $85,165? Compare the Authorized Shares and Assumed Par Value Capital methods with a worked startup example, the $400 minimum and the March 1 deadline.
- What Mecklenburg County's 8.25% Sales Tax Changed for Charlotte Businesses, and What It Didn't
Mecklenburg County sales tax is 8.25% since July 1, 2026. What changed for Charlotte businesses, what stayed at 2% or 7%, sourcing, July 1 transition rules and the new Form E-500.
- When an Ontario Small Supplier Has to Start Charging 13% HST
When an Ontario small supplier passes $30,000: the one-quarter and four-quarter tests, the date you start charging 13% HST, the 29-day registration window and your first return.
- How Oregon Employers Withhold and Report the 0.1% Statewide Transit Tax
Oregon's statewide transit tax is 0.1% of wages, withheld from employees with no wage cap. Who it covers, Form OQ vs OR-STT-A, 2026 due dates and a worked Bend payroll example.
- Canadian Small Business Corporation Tax: the T2 Filing Deadline, When Balance-Due Day Comes First, and How Instalments Work
Canadian corporation tax dates: the T2 filing deadline, balance-due day two or three months after year-end, and how CRA instalments work.
- New Hampshire Has No Income Tax, but Your Business May Owe BPT and BET: 2025 Thresholds, BT-SUMMARY and Estimated Payments
New Hampshire business tax: who must file BPT and BET in 2025, the $109,000 and $298,000 thresholds, BT-SUMMARY and estimated payments.
- Rhode Island's $400 Minimum Tax for LLCs and S Corps: Who Owes It, the April 15 Single-Member Date, and Whether the PTE Election Still Pays at a 90% Credit
Rhode Island's $400 minimum tax for LLCs and S corps: who owes it, the April 15 single-member date, and whether the PTE election still pays.
- Arkansas Franchise Tax Report Due May 1: the $150 LLC Flat Tax, the 0.3% Corporation Calculation, and Late Penalties
Arkansas franchise tax report due May 1: the $150 LLC flat tax, how the 0.3% corporation calculation works, late penalties, and how to file with the Secretary of State.
- Kansas City and St. Louis Earnings Tax for Small Businesses: RD-108, E-234 and the 0.5% Payroll Expense Tax
Kansas City and St. Louis earnings tax for small businesses: the 1% net profits tax, RD-108 and E-234 filings, employee withholding, and the St. Louis 0.5% payroll expense tax, with dates and common mistakes.
- New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax for Service Businesses and Remote Sellers: CRS Registration, Destination Sourcing and the TRD-41413 Return
New Mexico gross receipts tax for service businesses and remote sellers: CRS registration, destination sourcing, and how to file the TRD-41413 return.
- North Carolina's Taxed PTE Election for 2026: the 3.99% Rate, Electing on the D-403 or CD-401S, and Whether It Still Pays
North Carolina's Taxed PTE election for 2026: the 3.99% rate, how to elect on the D-403 or CD-401S, what changed with the higher federal SALT cap, and when the election still pays.
- Ohio CAT in 2026: the $6 Million Exclusion, Who Still Files Quarterly, and What to Do With a CAT Account You No Longer Need
Ohio CAT in 2026: the $6 million exclusion, who still files quarterly or annually, a worked example of the exclusion across the quarters, and how to close a CAT account you no longer need.
- Massachusetts PTE Excise in 2026: the 5% Chapter 63D Election, the New 4% Chapter 63E Surtax Election and How to Decide
Massachusetts PTE excise in 2026: the 5% chapter 63D election, the new 4% chapter 63E surtax election, the 90% credit and how owners in Boston and Worcester decide.
- Michigan Flow-Through Entity Tax: the September 30 Election Deadline, Electing by Payment in MTO, the Three-Year Commitment and the $800 Estimate Rule
Michigan FTE tax: elect by MTO payment by September 30, the three-year commitment, the $800 estimate rule and a worked Grand Rapids example.
- Philadelphia BIRT After the $100,000 Exemption Ended: Who Files, How the Two Parts Are Calculated, the NPT Credit and Your Second-Year Estimates
Philadelphia BIRT after the $100,000 exemption ended: who files, how the receipts and net income parts work, the NPT credit and second-year estimates.
- South Carolina's 2026 Income Tax Overhaul: Two Brackets, the New SCIAD, the Lost QBI Deduction and How to Fix Your January 15 Estimate
South Carolina's 2026 income tax overhaul: two brackets at 1.99% and 5.21%, the new SCIAD, the lost QBI deduction and how to fix your January 15 estimate.
- Texas Franchise Tax for 2026: the $2.65 Million No-Tax-Due Threshold, Why the No Tax Due Report Is Gone, and What Small LLCs Still File
Texas franchise tax for 2026: the $2.65 million no-tax-due threshold, why the No Tax Due Report is gone, and the PIR or OIR small LLCs still file by May 15.
- Connecticut's Pass-Through Entity Tax Is Optional Now: Should Your LLC or S Corp Elect, and How CT-PET Works
Connecticut's pass-through entity tax is optional since 2024. How CT-PET works, the 6.99% rate and 87.5% credit, who should elect, and the deadlines for Hartford and Stamford LLCs and S corps.
- How to Read a Profit and Loss Statement: A Line-by-Line Worked Example for Small Business Owners
How to read a profit and loss statement line by line: revenue, cost of goods sold, gross margin, operating expenses and net income, with a worked Durham coffee shop example showing how a 70.1% to 67.0% margin slip costs about $4,300.
- Minnesota Paid Leave for Small Employers: the 0.88% Premium, the 0.66% Small-Employer Rate, Wage Detail Reports and the November 2 Deadline
Minnesota Paid Leave for small employers: the 0.88% standard premium, the 0.66% small-employer rate, the 0.44% employee share, wage detail reports and the Monday, November 2 Q3 deadline.
- North Dakota LLC Annual Report Due November 15: the $50 Fee, the Late Fee, Automatic Termination and the Letters to Ignore
North Dakota LLC annual reports are due November 15. The $50 fee, the late fee, automatic termination after six months, reinstatement, and the letters to ignore, for Fargo and Bismarck owners.
- Utah Estimated Tax Payments: Why Utah Doesn't Require Quarterlies, and the 90% Prepayment Rule That Still Applies
Utah estimated tax payments explained: Utah does not require individual quarterlies, but the 90% / 100% prepayment test, the 4.45% 2026 rate, TC-546 vouchers and the corporate TC-559 rule still apply. Worked Provo example.
- The 83(b) Election: The 30-Day Deadline Founders Miss
The 83(b) election has a strict 30-day deadline. What it does, how to file Form 15620, and a worked founder example of the cost of missing it.
- Selling to Canadian Customers From the US: When You Must Register for GST/HST, the $30,000 Small Supplier Rule, and Simplified vs Normal Registration
When a US business must register for Canadian GST/HST: the $30,000 CAD small supplier rule, simplified registration for digital sellers, normal registration, rates by province and worked examples.
- First Employee in Indiana: INBiz Withholding Registration, County Tax on WH-4, WH-1 and WH-3, and DWD Uplink
Hiring your first employee in Indiana: INBiz withholding registration, county tax on the WH-4, WH-1 and WH-3 filings, and DWD Uplink unemployment setup, step by step.
- The Month-End Close for Small Businesses With No Accountant on Staff
A 10-step month-end close a small business can run without an accountant on staff, with a worked bank reconciliation example.
- Nevada Modified Business Tax: Who Files, the $50,000 Threshold, and the 2026 Wage-Match Bills
A checklist for the Nevada Modified Business Tax: who files, the $50,000 quarterly wage exemption, the health insurance deduction and the 2026 wage-match bills.
- Oregon Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) for Small Businesses: Who Registers, Who Files, and How the 35% Subtraction Works
How the Oregon Corporate Activity Tax works for small businesses: the $750,000 registration trigger, the $1 million filing threshold, the 35% subtraction and a worked example.
- S Corp or LLC for a Small North Carolina Business: When the Switch Starts Paying Off
When an S corp election actually saves a North Carolina LLC owner money: reasonable salary, payroll costs, the NC franchise tax and a worked ,000 example.
- What a Bookkeeper Actually Does Each Month
What a bookkeeper actually does each month, week by week: transactions, reconciliations, payroll and sales tax checks, and the month-end reports.
- Wyoming LLC Taxes for Non-US Residents: No State Income Tax, the $60 License Tax, and the Federal Form 5472 Filing You Still Owe
Wyoming LLC taxes for non-US residents: no state income tax, the $60 minimum annual license tax and how it is calculated, and the federal Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 that foreign-owned single-member LLCs still owe each year.
- Estimated Taxes for Self-Employed North Carolinians: Sizing the January 15 Payment
How self-employed North Carolinians size the January 15, 2027 estimated payment: the $1,000 rule, the 100%/110% safe harbor, the annualized method, the NC-40 at 3.99%, and how to pay.
- Maine's New Pass-Through Entity Tax for 2026: the 7.15% Rate, the 90% Credit, Catch-Up Estimates and the First Return Due March 15, 2027
Maine's elective pass-through entity tax for 2026: the 7.15% rate, the 90% refundable member credit, who it helps, which 2026 estimates are actually required, and the first e-filed return due March 15, 2027.
- First Employee in North Carolina: Payroll Setup, Step by Step
The setup order for your first NC employee in 2026: EIN, NCDOR withholding, NC DES unemployment account, W-4, NC-4 and I-9, the 20-day new-hire report, deposits and the January filings.
- Q4 Tax Planning: 10 Moves to Make Before December 31
Ten year-end tax moves for small business owners before December 31, 2026: current books, S corp salary, retirement plans, equipment timing, estimates and more.
- Foreign-Owned US LLCs: EIN, Form 5472 and the $25,000 Penalty
Own a US LLC from abroad? Here is how to get the EIN, what Form 5472 and the pro forma 1120 cover, which transactions count, and how to avoid the $25,000 penalty.
- NC Sales Tax for Service Businesses That Started Selling Products
Your NC service business started selling products. Here is how to register with NCDOR, charge the right county rate, invoice mixed sales, and file Form E-500 on time.
- Bookkeeping Services in Raleigh, Wake Forest & Knightdale: What to Look For
Looking for a bookkeeper near Raleigh, Wake Forest, Knightdale or Wake County? What small business bookkeeping should include, what QuickBooks cleanup involves, and how to compare providers.
- Form 5471 Explained: Who Files, Categories, Schedules (B, C, E, J, R, Q) and Penalties
Got a question about IRS Form 5471? A plain-English guide to who must file, the five filer categories, what each schedule asks for, the $10,000 penalty, and how it differs from Form 5472.
- I Got a Letter From the IRS. What Is It? (CP14, CP2000, CP501, CP504, LT11 Explained)
Received an IRS notice? Find the code in the top right corner, then use this plain-English guide to what CP14, CP2000, CP501/503, CP504 and LT11/Letter 1058 mean and what to do.
- How to Reinstate a Dissolved LLC or Corporation in North Carolina
Your NC LLC was administratively dissolved for missed annual reports or taxes. Here is how the Application for Reinstatement works, what it costs, and how to avoid it next time.
- How to Dissolve an LLC or Corporation in North Carolina (Form L-07, B-05, B-06)
A plain-English walkthrough of NC Articles of Dissolution: which form you need (L-07 for LLCs, B-05/B-06 for corporations), the fee, filing online, and the tax steps people miss.
- Two years behind on the books: how a catch-up actually works
An illustrative walkthrough of a two-year bookkeeping catch-up: pulling statements, reconciling month by month, and getting bank-ready financials.
- Your first cap table: what to write down before you give anyone equity
Before you give anyone equity, write down five things per grant. A starter guide to cap tables, vesting and the 30-day 83(b) deadline.
- Starting an LLC in North Carolina: the filings nobody mentions after day one
Filing your NC LLC is the easy part. Here are the EIN, operating agreement, NC DOR registrations and $200 annual report that come after.
- Catch-Up Bookkeeping: How to Get Months of Messy Books Back on Track
Behind on your books? Here are the signs, the order to fix things in, and a realistic timeline for getting several months of bookkeeping caught up before year-end.
- September 15 Deadlines: Q3 Estimates and Extended Business Returns
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 is the due date for Q3 estimated taxes and extended S-corp and partnership returns. Here's what to check in your books in the next two weeks.
- Sales Tax Nexus for Online Sellers: When Do You Have to Collect?
Since Wayfair, you can owe sales tax in states where you have no physical presence. Here's how economic nexus and marketplace facilitator rules work for online sellers.
- Tracking Business Mileage the Right Way
What a mileage log needs to include, why commuting doesn't count, and how to choose between the standard mileage rate and actual expenses.
- The Home Office Deduction: What Actually Qualifies
Regular and exclusive use, principal place of business, and simplified vs regular method: what the IRS actually requires for a home office deduction, with a worked example.
- Hiring Your First Employee: A Payroll Setup Checklist
Your first hire brings new forms, accounts, and deadlines. Here's a practical payroll checklist, from W-4 and I-9 to Form 941 and year-end W-2s.
- Bank Reconciliation 101: Why Your Bank Balance Isn't Your Profit
Your bank balance and your books rarely match on any given day. Here's what a bank reconciliation is, how to do one, and why it's worth doing every month.
- June 15 Estimated Tax Deadline: How to Figure Your Q2 Payment
The Q2 estimated payment is due June 15, 2026, just two months after Q1. Here's how to size it using your books, safe harbor rules, and annualizing.
- Mid-Year Check for S Corp Owners: Are You Paying Yourself a Reasonable Salary?
S corp owners who work in the business need to take a reasonable salary before distributions. Here's how to think about it, and why May is a good time to check.
- Cash vs. Accrual Accounting: Which Fits Your Small Business?
Cash and accrual books can tell two very different stories about the same month. Here's what each method shows and when accrual starts to matter.
- Tax Season Is Over: Why Late April Is the Best Time to Fix Your Bookkeeping
The tax scramble is fresh in your mind, and next year's deadlines are far away. Here's how to use late April to set up bookkeeping that holds up.
- Filing an Extension: What It Does and Doesn't Do
An extension gives you more time to file, not more time to pay. Here's how Form 4868 and Form 7004 work, and what to pay by April 15, 2026.
- Why You Owe Taxes Even After Doing Everything Right (And How to Fix It)
Even if you max out your 401k, HSA, and claim dependents, you can still owe taxes. Here is why it happens and how to fix your withholding before next tax season.
- Wash Sales and a Common 1099-R Entry Mistake
Wash sale adjustments and 1099-R taxable amount entries are two areas that can easily cause reporting errors. Here is what they mean and what RKube checks to keep your return accurate.
- S Corporation and Partnership Returns Are Due March 16: Are Your Books Ready?
2025 Forms 1120-S and 1065 are due March 16, 2026. What's due, how the Form 7004 extension works, and why clean books come first.
- Your 2025 Tax Documents Checklist: What to Gather Before You File
A practical checklist of the W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, and business records to gather before filing your 2025 return, plus how to catch missing forms early.
- Q4 Estimated Taxes Are Due January 15: Who Needs to Pay and How Much
The last 2025 estimated tax payment is due January 15, 2026. Here's who needs to pay, how the safe harbor rules work, and how to pay online.
- How to Start a U.S. Corporation (Inc.) in 2026: Formation, Equity, and Compliance Step by Step
A complete guide for entrepreneurs forming a new corporation in the United States, covering state registration, federal tax setup, governance documents, accounting, payroll, fundraising, and employee stock options using a real four-founder startup example.
- How to Close Your Books for the Year Without Losing Your Holidays
A practical year-end close checklist for small businesses: reconcile every account, clean up receivables and payables, handle inventory and fixed assets, and prep for your preparer.
- Getting Ready for 1099 Season: Collect W-9s Now
2025 Forms 1099-NEC are due February 2, 2026. Here's who needs one, how the new $2,000 threshold works, and why December is the time to collect W-9s.
- Should You Buy That Equipment Before December 31? Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Explained
Thinking about a year-end equipment purchase for the tax break? Here's how Section 179 and bonus depreciation work in 2025, what changed this year, and when buying doesn't make sense.
- Year-End Tax Planning Checklist for Small Business Owners
November is the last comfortable month to make tax moves for 2025. Here's a practical checklist: clean books first, then estimates, retirement, and income and expense timing.
- 2026 Federal Tax Brackets Explained: What Individuals and Married Couples Should Expect
The IRS adjusts tax brackets each year for inflation. Here is a clear breakdown of the projected 2026 federal income tax brackets for single filers, married couples, and heads of household.
- The October 15 Extension Deadline: What to Do If You Still Haven't Filed Your 2024 Return
Filed an extension in April and still haven't finished your 2024 return? Here's what the October 15 deadline really means, how penalties work, and what to gather this week.
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