How to Apply for an ITIN: A Step-by-Step Guide
Who needs an ITIN, which documents the IRS accepts, how Form W-7 works, and how to renew one before it expires — explained plainly.
Payroll1099 vs. W-2: Classifying Workers Correctly
The difference between an employee and an independent contractor, the tests the IRS and Rhode Island actually apply, and what misclassification costs.
Starting a BusinessHow to Start an LLC in Rhode Island
Every step to form a Rhode Island LLC — name search, registered agent, Articles of Organization, EIN, and the annual report that trips people up.
Starting a BusinessHow to Get an EIN for Your Business
What an EIN is, who is required to have one, how to apply for free directly with the IRS, and how to avoid the sites that charge for it.
TaxesRhode Island Sales Tax: A Guide for Small Businesses
When you have to collect sales tax in Rhode Island, how to register for a permit, what is exempt, and how filing and remitting actually work.
TaxesQuarterly Estimated Taxes, Explained
Who has to pay estimated taxes, how the quarterly schedule works, how to calculate a payment, and how the safe harbor rule prevents penalties.
PayrollRhode Island Payroll Taxes, Explained
TDI, TCI, Employment Security, and the Job Development Fund — the Rhode Island payroll taxes every employer has to withhold or pay, and who pays which.
Starting a BusinessWhat Records to Keep, and for How Long
A practical recordkeeping system for a small business — which documents matter, how long to keep each one, and what an auditor will ask for.
TaxesTaxes After Moving from Puerto Rico to the Mainland
How your filing obligations change when you move from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island, which income gets reported where, and the mistakes that cause notices.
Credits & RefundsThe Earned Income Tax Credit: Do You Qualify?
One of the largest refundable credits available to working families — who qualifies, what disqualifies you, and why so many eligible people never claim it.
Credits & RefundsClaiming Dependents: Rules That Actually Matter
The qualifying child and qualifying relative tests, what happens when two people claim the same child, and how ITIN dependents are treated.
TaxesSelf-Employment Tax: What Contractors Need to Know
Why self-employed people owe more than employees, what self-employment tax actually funds, and the deductions that legitimately reduce it.
PayrollRhode Island Wage and Hour Rules for Employers
Minimum wage, overtime, pay frequency, pay stubs, and the Sunday and holiday premium rules that are specific to Rhode Island.
Starting a BusinessBusiness Licenses and Permits in Providence
Which licenses a new Providence business actually needs, which agency issues each one, and the order to do them in so you are not waiting twice.
Starting a BusinessNotary Services in Rhode Island: What to Expect
What a Rhode Island notary can and cannot do, what to bring to your appointment, and why a notary is not the same as an attorney or a translator.
Starting a BusinessBookkeeping Basics for a Small Business
Separating business and personal money, the categories that matter at tax time, and a monthly routine that takes under an hour.