Blog

*This guidance is based on CBP’s April 2026 CAPE/IEEPA refund guidance, current ACH refund enrollment rules, and general federal tax recovery principles as of May 15, 2026. Your facts may require coordination with your customs broker, trade counsel, and tax advisor. Key Takeaways You must manually enroll in ACH refunds via the ACE portal and […]

Key Takeaways As of April 20, 2026, the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) tool is the exclusive electronic system for reclaiming IEEPA tariff duty payments.  Importers must have an active ACE Secure Data Portal account and an authorized ACH direct deposit set up for payout.  This initial Phase 1 window is limited to […]

Key Takeaways Only the Importer of Record (IOR) or an authorized customs broker can claim a refund. If a carrier like UPS or FedEx is the IOR, you must coordinate with them rather than filing directly with the CBP.  Refunds are exclusively for IEEPA-related tariffs (reciprocal duties on Canada, Mexico, and China). Note that Section […]

Key Takeaways The IRS business rate for 2026 is 72.5 cents per mile, a 2.5-cent increase from the previous year.  To keep your options open, you must choose the standard mileage method in the first year your vehicle is used for business. If you start with actual expenses, you are locked into that method for […]

Key Takeaways  Missing documentation shifts the burden of proof to you. Without a receipt or digital log, the IRS can legally disallow business deductions, resulting in higher taxable income and unexpected penalties. Commingling personal and business funds is a major audit red flag. Mixing expenses makes it nearly impossible to defend your deductions and can […]

Key Takeaways Remote work can lower overhead, expand your hiring pool, and improve flexibility. But it can also create multi-state tax and payroll compliance issues.  In-person work can improve training, supervision, and team cohesion, but it often comes with higher fixed costs and less hiring flexibility.  The best model depends on the kind of structure […]

Key Takeaways How long you keep a document depends on what it is, which law applies, and sometimes your state’s rules as well.  A practical baseline is to keep general personnel records for at least two years, payroll tax records at least four years, benefits records at least six years, and certain medical or exposure […]

Key Takeaways A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool centralizes leads, customer communication, and deal tracking in one platform.  Most small businesses need a CRM when manual tracking leads to missed follow-ups or a lack of visibility into sales history.  The best CRM for a small business is the one your team will use consistently, regardless […]

Key Takeaways Effective time management is about implementing scalable systems that reduce administrative friction, not micromanaging employees.  Most businesses struggle in one of three specific areas: project management, time tracking, or scheduling.  Avoid feature overload and choose a tool based on your current team size and technical comfort level.  The goal of time management software […]

Key Takeaways The best payroll software for a small business is the one that fits your worker mix, pay schedules, compliance needs, and how you expect the business to grow.  At a minimum, your payroll system should automate calculations, support direct deposit, handle payroll tax filings and payments, integrate with your accounting system, and allow […]