Austin Bookkeeping Resources & Guides

June 18, 2026

Customer Deposits and Retainers: Why Money Received Is Not Revenue Yet

Why an advance deposit or retainer is a liability, not income, when to recognize the revenue, and how an Austin business handles refunds in the books.

June 18, 2026

Handling Cash Sales and Petty Cash in Your Books

How an Austin business records cash sales that never hit a bank feed, runs and replenishes a petty cash fund, and keeps cash income accurate and reportable.

June 11, 2026

Bookkeeping for Stripe, Square, and PayPal: Recording Fees and Deposits

Why bank deposits from Stripe, Square, or PayPal never match your sales, how to record processing fees, and why gross sales matter for Texas sales tax.

June 11, 2026

Common Bookkeeping Mistakes Austin Small Businesses Make

The bookkeeping mistakes that show up most often in Austin small business books, how to spot each one in your own records, and what fixing them involves.

June 11, 2026

Debits, Credits, and the General Ledger: Double-Entry Basics

What debits and credits actually mean, the normal balance for each account type, and how journal entries and the general ledger record every transaction.

June 11, 2026

How to Record a Business Loan in Your Books

Why loan proceeds are not income, how to set the loan up as a liability, and how to split each payment between principal and interest in your books.

June 9, 2026

Categorizing Business Expenses the Right Way

Why consistent expense categories matter for taxes and decisions, common categories small businesses use, and how to avoid the catch-all that hides your spending.

June 9, 2026

Owner's Draw vs. Salary: How to Pay Yourself in Texas

How Austin business owners pay themselves. Owner's draw vs salary, how each is recorded in your books, and how your entity type changes the rules.

June 9, 2026

Separating Business and Personal Finances

Why mixing business and personal money causes tax, legal, and bookkeeping problems, and the simple steps an Austin owner takes to keep them cleanly apart.

March 16, 2026

Bookkeeping vs. Accounting: What Austin Businesses Need to Know

Understand the key differences between bookkeeping and accounting, and which services your Austin business needs.

March 16, 2026

Cash vs. Accrual Accounting for Texas Small Businesses

Cash basis vs accrual accounting explained for Texas small businesses. Learn which method is right for your Austin business.

March 16, 2026

DIY vs. Professional Bookkeeping: When to Hire Help

Should you do your own bookkeeping or hire a professional? A guide to help Austin business owners decide.

March 16, 2026

Setting Up a Chart of Accounts for Your Austin Business

How to set up a chart of accounts for your Austin small business. A step-by-step guide to organizing your financial categories.

March 16, 2026

What Is Bookkeeping? A Guide for Austin Business Owners

Learn what bookkeeping is and why it matters for your Austin business. A beginner's guide to financial record-keeping essentials.

June 18, 2026

Markup vs. Margin: The Pricing Math That Trips Up Owners

Markup and margin are not the same percentage. Learn both formulas, how to convert between them, and how your P&L shows whether pricing actually works.

June 11, 2026

Break-Even Analysis: How Much Do You Need to Sell?

How break-even analysis works: fixed and variable costs, contribution margin, the formula, and where the numbers come from in your bookkeeping.

June 11, 2026

Preparing Your Books for a Business Loan Application

What lenders typically request from your books for a business loan, and how to get statements, reconciliations, and a debt schedule ready before you apply.

June 11, 2026

Simple Internal Controls That Protect Small Businesses from Fraud

Internal controls for a small team: separating duties, owner-reviewed bank statements, spending limits, and monthly reconciliation to reduce fraud risk.

June 9, 2026

Accounts Receivable Aging: Knowing Who Owes You

What an AR aging report is, why unpaid invoices quietly hurt cash flow, and how tracking receivables by age helps an Austin business get paid faster.

June 9, 2026

Budgeting and Forecasting for Small Business

The difference between a budget and a forecast, why both rely on good bookkeeping, and how an Austin owner uses them to plan instead of react.

June 9, 2026

Inventory and COGS Bookkeeping for Small Business

How inventory moves from an asset to cost of goods sold, why it is not an expense when you buy it, and how to track it without distorting your profit.

June 9, 2026

The Monthly Close: A Checklist for Clean Books

What closing the books each month means, the steps in a monthly close, and why this routine keeps an Austin business's financials accurate and useful all year.

March 16, 2026

Bookkeeping for New Austin Startups: A Checklist

Essential bookkeeping checklist for new Austin startups. Set up your financial systems correctly from day one.

March 16, 2026

Cash Flow Management Tips for Austin Small Businesses

Practical cash flow management tips for Austin small businesses. Improve your cash flow and keep your business financially healthy.

March 16, 2026

How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost in Austin TX?

Bookkeeping pricing guide for Austin businesses. What to expect to pay for professional bookkeeping services in Austin, TX.

March 16, 2026

How to Read Your Financial Statements

Learn how to read and understand your financial statements. A plain-language guide for Austin business owners.

March 16, 2026

Signs It's Time to Hire a Bookkeeper

Is it time to hire a professional bookkeeper for your Austin business? Key signs you need bookkeeping help.

June 11, 2026

Can You Do Bookkeeping in Excel? When Spreadsheets Work and When They Fail

An honest look at running your books in Excel or Google Sheets, what a spreadsheet system needs, where it breaks down, and when to move to software.

June 11, 2026

Common QuickBooks Mistakes and How to Spot Them

The QuickBooks errors small business owners make most, from a swollen undeposited funds balance to duplicate bank feed transactions, and how to spot each one.

June 11, 2026

QuickBooks Solopreneur vs. QuickBooks Online: Which Do Freelancers Need?

How QuickBooks Solopreneur differs from QuickBooks Online, what the cheaper plan leaves out, and how an Austin freelancer can tell which one fits.

March 16, 2026

Best Bookkeeping Software for Small Businesses in 2026

Compare the best bookkeeping software options for small businesses in 2026. QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, and more reviewed.

March 16, 2026

QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop for Austin Businesses

Compare QuickBooks Online and Desktop for your Austin business. Features, pricing, and which version fits your needs.

March 16, 2026

QuickBooks Setup Guide for Texas Small Businesses

Step-by-step QuickBooks setup guide for Texas small businesses. Get your accounting software configured correctly from day one.

March 16, 2026

Xero vs. QuickBooks: Which Is Right for Your Austin Business?

Xero vs QuickBooks comparison for Austin businesses. Features, pricing, integrations, and which is the better fit.

June 11, 2026

Form 1099-K and Payment Apps: What That Form Means for Your Books

What Form 1099-K from PayPal, Venmo, or Square reports, why the gross amount looks bigger than your income, and how to check the form against your books.

June 11, 2026

Got an IRS Notice? What to Do First (and What Not to Do)

What to do when an IRS notice arrives: confirm it is really the IRS, find the notice number and deadline, gather your records, and involve a tax professional.

June 11, 2026

Hiring Your First Employee in Texas: The Paperwork and Payroll Setup Checklist

The one-time setup steps for your first Texas hire: EIN, W-4 and I-9 paperwork, state new hire reporting, TWC registration, and the workers comp decision.

June 11, 2026

Hobby or Business? How the IRS Draws the Line

How the IRS decides whether a side activity is a hobby or a business, the profit motive factors it weighs, and what each answer changes on your taxes.

June 11, 2026

Texas Business Personal Property Rendition: What Austin Owners Must File

What the Texas business personal property rendition is, when Austin businesses file with the appraisal district, and how asset records make it painless.

June 11, 2026

Texas Sales Tax on SaaS, Software, and Digital Products

How Texas sales tax applies to SaaS, software, and digital products, including the data processing rules amended in 2025 and the 20 percent exemption.

June 11, 2026

The Texas Small Business Tax Calendar: Every Deadline in One Place

Every recurring tax deadline for an Austin small business in one view: estimated taxes, 1099s, sales tax, franchise tax, renditions, and payroll filings.

June 9, 2026

Depreciation and Section 179 Basics for Owners

Why big equipment purchases are not expensed all at once, how depreciation spreads the cost, and what Section 179 changes, explained for Austin business owners.

June 9, 2026

Employee vs Contractor: Why Classification Matters

The difference between an employee and an independent contractor, why misclassifying workers is risky, and how it affects an Austin business's bookkeeping and taxes.

June 9, 2026

How Long to Keep Business Records and Receipts

How long an Austin business should keep tax records, receipts, and financial documents, why retention matters, and how digital records simplify it.

June 9, 2026

Quarterly Estimated Taxes: A Guide for Austin Owners

What quarterly estimated taxes are, who has to pay them, how good bookkeeping makes them painless, and why missing them leads to penalties.

March 16, 2026

1099 Filing Requirements for Texas Businesses

1099 filing requirements and deadlines for Texas businesses. Who needs a 1099, when to file, and how to stay compliant.

March 16, 2026

Common Tax Deductions for Austin Small Businesses

Top tax deductions available to Austin small businesses. Maximize your deductions and reduce your tax liability.

March 16, 2026

Texas Franchise Tax: What Austin Businesses Need to Know

Texas franchise tax explained for Austin business owners. Filing requirements, deadlines, and how to stay compliant.

March 16, 2026

Texas Sales Tax Bookkeeping for Austin Retailers

Texas sales tax bookkeeping guide for Austin retailers. Collection, reporting, and compliance requirements explained.

March 16, 2026

Year-End Bookkeeping Checklist for Austin Businesses

Complete year-end bookkeeping checklist for Austin businesses. Ensure your books are ready for tax season and the new year.