Articles
Bookkeeping, explained without the jargon
Written for San Antonio owners who never wanted to be accountants and still need to know what their numbers are saying.
Bookkeeping basics
- San Antonio
A Chart of Accounts That Works for Contractors
The default chart of accounts hides the only number a contractor needs: what each job actually cost. Here is how to restructure it so jobs are visible.
6 min read
- San Antonio
What a Bookkeeper Does That Software Does Not
Accounting software records and categorizes. It does not verify, question or notice. Here is the specific work that still needs a person.
4 min read
- San Antonio
What Records to Keep, and How Long to Keep Them
Bank statements, receipts, payroll and asset records all have different retention needs. What to keep, for how long, and what to do about faded receipts.
5 min read
- San Antonio
Cash vs Accrual Accounting: Which One You Should Use
Cash counts money when it moves. Accrual counts it when earned. Which one fits your business, when you get to choose, and why lenders often ask.
4 min read
- San Antonio
What Clean Books Actually Look Like
A concrete standard for small business bookkeeping: what should be true every month, and the specific checks that prove your books are trustworthy.
4 min read
- San Antonio
Why Bank Feeds Lie and Reconciling Matters
Bank feeds drop transactions, duplicate them and misread amounts. Reconciling is the step that catches it, and skipping it makes every report a guess.
4 min read
- San Antonio
Do I Need a Bookkeeper, or Can I Do It Myself?
An honest look at when DIY bookkeeping works, when it starts costing more than it saves, and the specific signs it is time to hand it off.
4 min read
- San Antonio
How to Read Your Profit and Loss Statement
A plain-English walkthrough of the P&L for small business owners: what each line means, the order to read it in, and the numbers that mislead people.
5 min read
- San Antonio
Signs Your Bookkeeper Stopped Actually Working
Bookkeepers rarely quit outright. They go quiet and the work degrades first. Here are the specific signs, and how to check your own books this week.
4 min read
- San Antonio
Bookkeeper vs CPA vs Accountant: Who Do You Need?
Three job titles that get used interchangeably and mean different things. What each one actually does, and which one your business needs right now.
5 min read
- San Antonio
What Should You Actually Pay a Bookkeeper?
Quotes for the same business come back wildly different, and volume is not the reason. What actually drives the number, and what a cheap quote costs later.
6 min read
San Antonio specifics
Small business finance and Texas compliance
- San Antonio
Texas Has No Income Tax. Here Is What You Still Owe
No state income tax does not mean no state obligations. Franchise tax, sales tax, payroll and federal filings still apply to Texas businesses.
4 min read
- San Antonio
1099s for Contractors: Who Gets One and the January Deadline
Pay a contractor over the annual threshold and you likely owe them a 1099-NEC by January 31. Collect W-9s now, because chasing them in January fails.
4 min read
- San Antonio
Sales Tax in San Antonio: Rates, Filing and the 0.5% Discount
Texas charges 6.25% state sales tax plus up to 2% local, capped at 8.25%. Filing dates, the discount for paying on time, and the penalties for not.
4 min read
- San Antonio
How to Pay Yourself From an LLC Without Making a Mess
Owner draws, guaranteed payments and S-corp payroll are different things with different tax results. How to pay yourself and record it correctly.
5 min read
- San Antonio
Franchise Tax Forfeiture: How to Get Your Texas Entity Back
If Texas forfeited your right to transact business, here is what you lost, the order to fix it in, and why officers can be personally liable meanwhile.
5 min read
- San Antonio
Profitable But No Money in the Bank
Why your Profit and Loss shows a good month while your account is empty. The five usual causes, how to tell which one is yours, and what to do about it.
4 min read
- San Antonio
Stop Mixing Personal and Business Money
Mixing personal and business spending distorts your numbers, costs you deductions and weakens your LLC protection. How to separate it properly.
4 min read
- San Antonio
Texas Franchise Tax: No Tax Due Does Not Mean No Filing
Most Texas small businesses owe zero franchise tax and still have to file every May. Here is what you file, what it costs to skip, and how to fix it.
5 min read
- San Antonio
Texas Small Business Tax Deadline Calendar
Every federal and Texas filing date a small business has to hit this year, on one page. Quarterlies, franchise tax, sales tax, 1099s and W-2s.
2 min read
Catching up on messy or behind books
- San Antonio
Behind on Your Books? Here Is Where to Start
Being months behind is more common than you think, including at businesses doing well. A calm first step, and why the shame is the expensive part.
4 min read
- San Antonio
How to Catch Up on Months of Messy Books
A practical order of operations for getting behind books current again, written for San Antonio small business owners who have not reconciled in months.
3 min read