The structure of a small-business chart of accounts: numbering, the right level of detail, revenue and cost lines that show margin, owner and tax accounts, classes and tracking categories, and the templates we use for services, SaaS and e-commerce.

The steps, in order, that turn a bank feed into financial statements you can trust: reconciliations, revenue and payouts, payables and accruals, payroll and sales tax ties, fixed assets, owner accounts, review, and the numbers to look at when it is done.

Why the Shopify or Amazon deposit is not revenue, how to book payouts so sales, fees, refunds and sales tax are separated, how to get cost of goods sold right with inventory, and how marketplace and non-marketplace sales tax works.

Since Wayfair, selling into a state can create an obligation to collect its sales tax without setting foot there. Physical and economic nexus, the thresholds, marketplace facilitator rules, SaaS taxability, registration, filing frequencies, and what to do about past exposure.

Who gets a 1099-NEC, the threshold change from $600 to $2,000 for 2026 payments, contractors outside the US, the W-9 you need before paying anyone, the January 31 deadline, e-filing rules, penalties, and the 1099-K side of the same picture.

An honest comparison from a firm that works in both daily: US tax and payroll fit, sales tax, users and pricing structure, bank feeds, inventory, multi-currency, app ecosystems and which businesses end up happier on which.

How a catch-up project actually runs: what to send, how the books are rebuilt from statements and platform data, how long it takes, what it costs, and what changes so it does not happen again.

How outsourced bookkeeping helps US CPA firms cut costs, scale through busy season, and improve accuracy — what gets done, pricing models, and security.