Editorial policy: how our answers are written and reviewed

How answers are written

Answers are written by our e-commerce bookkeeper, [[FILL: bookkeeper's full name]], for online sellers who want to understand their own numbers.

Primary sources only. Every fact comes from the organization that publishes it: the IRS and other government sources for tax rules, and a marketplace's or software company's own help, fee and pricing pages for how its product works and what it charges.
Fetched and dated. Each answer lists its sources at the foot, with a link and the date we read the page, and a numbered marker beside the sentence that relies on it.
Worked examples are labeled. Examples use Demo Outdoor Co., a demo store, and carry the label SAMPLE · DEMO STORE · NOT A CLIENT. Every figure in an example is recalculated so the totals tie.

How answers are reviewed

Every answer is reviewed by a named reviewer, [[FILL: reviewer's full name]], [[FILL: credential, exactly as held]], before it is published and again at each scheduled re-check. The reviewer checks each fact against the source it cites. The reviewer's name and the review date appear on every answer.

source-check / form-1099-k / fact-1FROM A PUBLISHED ANSWER

CLAIM
Payment apps and online marketplaces file Form 1099-K when the payments you receive for goods or services are more than $20,000 and more than 200 transactions in a calendar year.
SOURCE
Understanding your Form 1099-K (IRS, page last reviewed 28 Jun 2026) www.irs.gov
FETCHED
7 Oct 2026
REVIEWED BY
[[FILL: reviewer's full name]] · [[FILL: date]]
PUBLISHED
Why doesn't my 1099-K match what I actually made? ✓

How AI assistance is used

We may use AI tools to help draft and edit answers. A person checks every fact against the primary source it cites, and the named reviewer reviews every answer before it is published. The people named in each byline are responsible for what the answer says.

How answers stay current

Each answer is re-checked on a set schedule, and sooner whenever a source it cites changes. Answers about annual forms, like Form 1099-K, are re-checked every January; the answer on what bookkeeping costs is re-checked quarterly; the rest are re-checked yearly. Each answer shows the date it was last reviewed.

Re-check schedule for each answer
Answer	Re-checked	Last reviewed
I'm months behind on my books — what happens and what do I do first?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
How do I calculate cost of goods sold for an online store?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
Why doesn't my 1099-K match what I actually made?	Every January, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
What is landed cost, and how do I work it out for my products?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
Do I need an e-commerce CPA, an accountant or a bookkeeper?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
How much does an accountant or bookkeeper cost for an online store?	Quarterly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
Is inventory a current asset or an expense?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
Cash or accrual accounting: which should an online store use?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
FIFO or LIFO: which inventory method should a seller use?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
How do Amazon sales get into QuickBooks?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]
Do online sellers pay self-employment tax?	Yearly, or when a source changes	[[FILL: date]]

Corrections

If you spot something that looks wrong or out of date, email [[FILL: corrections email]] with the answer's address and what you found. We check it against the source, correct the answer when it needs a change, and update its review date.

What the answers cover

Answers explain bookkeeping for online sellers: how payouts, fees, inventory and cost of goods sold work, and how to keep them straight in your books. Decisions about your own tax return belong with your tax preparer, and clean, reconciled books give them what they need to make them.