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Plain-language notes on U.S. tax deadlines, IRS letters, cross-border reporting and running a small business, written by the CPAs who handle these questions every day.

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All topics315 YCL news, community & stories7 Tax law & IRS updates45 Individual & family tax49 Small business & company tax82 Foreign assets & reporting15 Going global: US companies68 Immigration & residency tax22 IRS notices & penalties27

Going global: US companies · Nov 9, 2026

A Chinese Factory Selling to Lowe's: Import Vendor or a U.S. Subsidiary on the Marketplace? Importer, Tariffs and U.S. Tax

Lowe's 2026 QA requirements split suppliers in two: import vendors, for whom Lowe's is importer of record, and domestic vendors, who import themselves. A Chinese factory as an import vendor generally needs no U.S. company and Lowe's pays the duty; a U.S. subsidiary selling on Lowe's Marketplace keeps more margin but takes on imports, duties, Form 5472 and state tax.

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Going global: US companies · Nov 9, 2026

DDP or DDU When Shipping From China to U.S. Shopify Customers After De Minimis

The $800 de minimis exemption ended for China on May 2, 2025 and was suspended for all countries on August 29, 2025, so direct-mail parcels clear customs and pay duty. Under DDU the customer pays and refusals rise; under DDP you or your forwarder pay. The importer of record carries the duty, the liability and any refund.

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Small business & company tax · Nov 9, 2026

IEEPA Tariff Refunds Have Arrived: How to Book Them and Report Them for Tax (Inventory, COGS and Who Gets Paid)

The Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026 that IEEPA does not authorize tariffs, and from April 20 CBP has processed refunds through the CAPE function in ACE, open only to the importer of record or its filing broker. Book refunds by where the goods went: reduce inventory for goods still on hand; for goods already sold, generally income or a COGS reduction in the refund year; interest is interest income.

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Going global: US companies · Nov 9, 2026

Chinese Sellers Using Shipped by Newegg: No Newegg Importer of Record, and Is There U.S. Income Tax?

Newegg won't act as importer of record for SBN inventory, and inbound shipments must be DDP. A Chinese company selling continuously from SBN warehouses in California and Indiana is generally in a U.S. business; the U.S.–China treaty can protect storage-only activity, but usually requires Form 1120-F with Form 8833, and state taxes aren't covered.

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Going global: US companies · Nov 9, 2026

Supplying Perigold From an Overseas Furniture Factory: Contract Directly or Set Up a U.S. Company?

Perigold uses Wayfair's supplier agreement, which overseas companies can sign, but it requires a North American warehouse and is not the importer of record. Supplying directly puts importing, storage and collections on the foreign company and may mean Form 1120-F; a U.S. C corporation is smoother but files Form 1120 + 5472 every year.

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