A U.S. Tax & Accounting Knowledge Base for Chinese Companies
50+ in-depth bilingual articles organized into 8 topics, covering the full lifecycle from U.S. market entry to ongoing compliance. Every article cites official sources and shows its own publication and last professional review dates.
All articles are written and reviewed by a Florida-licensed CPA and IRS Enrolled Agent. About the Author →
8 topic clusters
U.S. Market Entry & Entity Structure
From C Corp, LLC and branch to Delaware vs. your real operating state, pre-opening costs and building in the U.S. — entity choice, tax classification, funding and exit in one model.
See all articles in this topic → 5 articlesFederal, State Income Tax & Investment
Federal and state corporate income tax, franchise and gross receipts tax, multistate apportionment, P.L. 86-272 and foreign-owner information reporting.
See all articles in this topic → 10 articlesInternational Tax & Cross-Border Payments
Treaties, PE/ECI, branch profits tax, the W-8 series, 1042/1042-S, transfer pricing, customs valuation, related-party payments, Section 1446, 5471/8865/8858 and FBAR.
See all articles in this topic → 8 articlesSales Tax & E-Commerce Channels
Registration and zero returns after nexus, marketplaces, Amazon FBA, 3PL, SaaS and digital goods, exemption certificates, VDAs and drop shipping.
See all articles in this topic → 10 articlesAccounting, Close & Information Reporting
Bridging PRC to U.S. books and tax basis, bilingual close, cash vs. accrual, Form 3115, inventory and Section 263A, marketplace reconciliation, intercompany, W-9/1099 and reimbursements.
See all articles in this topic → 8 articlesPayroll, People & Mobility
Employees vs. contractors, remote multistate workers, PEO/EOR, the substantial presence test, executive compensation, Social Security/Medicare and Form 941/W-2 reconciliation.
See all articles in this topic → 3 articlesCustoms, Landed Cost & U.S. Operating Models
2026 tariff and de minimis changes, importer of record, DDP, landed cost, and the tax differences between distributor, commission-agent and DTC models.
See all articles in this topic → 5 articlesTax Operations, Notices, Diligence & Exit
Fractional tax leadership, the first 72 hours after a notice, penalty relief for international filings, pre-deal diligence, quality of earnings and closing a U.S. company.
See all articles in this topic → 5 articlesFinancial Management & Growth Decisions
Choosing between controller, CFO and tax leader, seven controller review priorities, the 13-week cash forecast, management packages for China headquarters, and e-commerce channel contribution vs. cash.
See all articles in this topic →Start here
A Fractional Controller's First 90 Days: What Gets Delivered Every 30 Days - B&G US Tax
A 90-day roadmap for bringing a fractional controller into the U.S.
Read article → Federal, State Income Tax & InvestmentAnnual Compliance Calendar for the U.S. Subsidiary of a Chinese Company: Federal, State and Internal Deadlines Month by Month - B&G US Tax
Month-by-month compliance calendar for a U.S.
Read article → Federal, State Income Tax & InvestmentA U.S. company incorporated in August: which year-end should it pick, and when is the first Form 1120 due? - B&G US Tax
A U.S.
Read article → Federal, State Income Tax & InvestmentBuying equipment before year-end: 100% bonus depreciation is back, but Florida and California do not follow - B&G US Tax
Federal law restored permanent 100% bonus depreciation for equipment acquired and placed in service after January 19, 20
Read article → International Tax & Cross-Border PaymentsThe 12 Most Common Form 5472 Mistakes: A Review Checklist for Chinese-Owned U.S. Companies - B&G US Tax
The 12 most common Form 5472 errors by Chinese-owned U.S.
Read article → International Tax & Cross-Border PaymentsWhen Does a Chinese Company With U.S.-Source Income File Form 1120-F? Due Dates, Protective Returns and Form 8833 - B&G US Tax
Form 1120-F is the U.S.
Read article → International Tax & Cross-Border PaymentsDividends From a U.S. Subsidiary to Its Chinese Parent: 7 Steps From E&P to Form 1042-S - B&G US Tax
The full process for a U.S.
Read article → International Tax & Cross-Border PaymentsHow a Chinese Company Completes Form W-8BEN-E: Line by Line, the 10% Treaty Rate and
Line-by-line guide to Form W-8BEN-E for a Chinese company: Part I line 4 Corporation, line 5 Active or Passive NFFE, lin
Read article → International Tax & Cross-Border PaymentsPro Forma Form 1120 and Form 5472 for a Foreign-Owned Single-Member LLC: Step by Step - B&G US Tax
A foreign-owned single-member LLC (disregarded entity) files a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 every year: who must f
Read article → Customs, Landed Cost & U.S. Operating ModelsIEEPA tariff refunds: who gets paid, how to book it, and whether it is taxable - B&G US Tax
CBP pays only the importer of record, not whoever actually bore the cost.
Read article → Financial Management & Growth DecisionsBookkeeper, Controller, CFO or Tax Leader? Start with the Missing Responsibility
Identify the finance role your U.S.
Read article → Financial Management & Growth DecisionsWhat Should a Controller Review After the Books Are Posted? Seven Priorities
A practical controller review framework covering supported balances, revenue and cost timing, inventory and intercompany
Read article → Financial Management & Growth DecisionsWhy a Profitable U.S. Business Still Needs a 13-Week Cash Forecast
Model collections, inventory payments, payroll and taxes by week to identify cash pressure early: how to define availabl
Read article → Financial Management & Growth DecisionsA U.S. Subsidiary Management Package Should Explain More Than Profit
Build a monthly management package that connects U.S.
Read article → Financial Management & Growth DecisionsWhy E-commerce Growth Does Not Always Bring More Profit or Cash
Look beyond sales and ROAS to channel contribution, working capital and cash requirements for Amazon, Shopify and other
Read article → Tax Operations, Notices, Diligence & ExitExtended to October 15? The extension covers filing — not payment, and not the state
Form 7004 moves the Form 1120 filing deadline six months; the tax was still due April 15, and each state runs its own ex
Read article → U.S. Market Entry & Entity StructureThe First 90 Days After Forming a U.S. Company: A Practical Compliance Checklist
State approval is not the end of the formation process.
Read article → Federal, State Income Tax & InvestmentU.S. Income Tax Filing for Foreign-Owned Businesses: Obligations Often Missed
“The company had no profit, so there is no U.
Read article → International Tax & Cross-Border PaymentsThe U.S.-China treaty is not an automatic exemption: PE, ECI and Form 8833
A treaty may limit federal income tax only when the taxpayer, business facts, income category, and procedural requirements support the position.
Read article → Sales Tax & E-Commerce ChannelsWhat Is Sales Tax Nexus? The Most Common Traps for International E-Commerce Sellers
Sales tax nexus is the level of connection between a business and a state that allows the state to impose registration, collection, filing, and recordkeepi
Read article → Accounting, Close & Information ReportingFive Common Reasons QuickBooks Becomes Unreliable—and How to Fix It
A QuickBooks file can contain monthly revenue and expense numbers and still be unreliable.
Read article → Payroll, People & MobilityBefore Hiring Your First U.S. Employee, Complete These Eight Steps
Opening payroll after an employee has already begun working is usually too late.
Read article → Customs, Landed Cost & U.S. Operating Models2026 tariff and de minimis changes: rebuilding the U.S. landed-cost model
A purchase price plus one fixed tariff percentage no longer supports 2026 U.
Read article → Tax Operations, Notices, Diligence & ExitWhen Does a Business Need a Fractional Tax Leader?
Growing companies are often presented with two choices: outsource everything to a CPA firm or hire a full-time tax director.
Read article →Browse every article by topic
Pick a topic to show only its articles. Every piece cites official sources and shows its publication and last-review dates.
A Fractional Controller's First 90 Days: What Gets Delivered Every 30 Days
A 90-day roadmap for bringing a fractional controller into the U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsThe 12 Most Common Form 5472 Mistakes: A Review Checklist for Chinese-Owned U.S. Companies
The 12 most common Form 5472 errors by Chinese-owned U.S.
Read article → Federal & state income taxAnnual Compliance Calendar for the U.S. Subsidiary of a Chinese Company: Federal, State and Internal Deadlines Month by Month
Month-by-month compliance calendar for a U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsWhen Does a Chinese Company With U.S.-Source Income File Form 1120-F? Due Dates, Protective Returns and Form 8833
Form 1120-F is the U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsDividends From a U.S. Subsidiary to Its Chinese Parent: 7 Steps From E&P to Form 1042-S
The full process for a U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsHow a Chinese Company Completes Form W-8BEN-E: Line by Line, the 10% Treaty Rate and
Line-by-line guide to Form W-8BEN-E for a Chinese company: Part I line 4 Corporation, line 5 Active or Passive NFFE, lin
Read article → Federal & state income taxBuying equipment before year-end: 100% bonus depreciation is back, but Florida and California do not follow
Federal law restored permanent 100% bonus depreciation for equipment acquired and placed in service after January 19, 20
Read article → Federal & state income taxA U.S. company incorporated in August: which year-end should it pick, and when is the first Form 1120 due?
A U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsPro Forma Form 1120 and Form 5472 for a Foreign-Owned Single-Member LLC: Step by Step
A foreign-owned single-member LLC (disregarded entity) files a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 every year: who must f
Read article → Customs & landed costIEEPA tariff refunds: who gets paid, how to book it, and whether it is taxable
CBP pays only the importer of record, not whoever actually bore the cost.
Read article → Tax ops, notices & exitExtended to October 15? The extension covers filing — not payment, and not the state
Form 7004 moves the Form 1120 filing deadline six months; the tax was still due April 15, and each state runs its own ex
Read article → Finance leadershipWhy a Profitable U.S. Business Still Needs a 13-Week Cash Forecast
Model collections, inventory payments, payroll and taxes by week to identify cash pressure early: how to define availabl
Read article → Finance leadershipWhat Should a Controller Review After the Books Are Posted? Seven Priorities
A practical controller review framework covering supported balances, revenue and cost timing, inventory and intercompany
Read article → Finance leadershipWhy E-commerce Growth Does Not Always Bring More Profit or Cash
Look beyond sales and ROAS to channel contribution, working capital and cash requirements for Amazon, Shopify and other
Read article → Finance leadershipBookkeeper, Controller, CFO or Tax Leader? Start with the Missing Responsibility
Identify the finance role your U.S.
Read article → Finance leadershipA U.S. Subsidiary Management Package Should Explain More Than Profit
Build a monthly management package that connects U.S.
Read article → Accounting & close2026 W-9 and 1099-NEC vendor onboarding
A Form 1099-NEC process should not begin with a January AP export.
Read article → Accounting & closeAccounting for e-commerce returns, chargebacks, gift cards and returned inventory
Refunds, chargebacks, store credits and gift cards all reduce or defer cash differently, but they represent different re
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceAmazon collected the tax—why might the seller still have filing duties?
Marketplace-facilitator laws commonly shift collection and remittance for specified platform transactions to the marketp
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceHow Amazon FBA and 3PL inventory create physical presence
Inventory is company property.
Read article → Accounting & closeA bilingual 10-day month-end close for China-U.S. teams
A slow close is rarely a lack of effort.
Read article → Accounting & closeBridging PRC GAAP books to U.S. GAAP and U.S. tax basis
Directly “converting the Chinese books” often destroys the audit trail.
Read article → Accounting & closeCash vs. accrual accounting and when Form 3115 is needed
Cash or accrual is more than a QuickBooks display option.
Read article → Tax ops, notices & exitClosing a U.S. company: final returns, Payroll, state withdrawal and tax accounts
Stopping sales, filing Articles of Dissolution and closing a bank account are different events.
Read article → Customs & landed costDistributor, commission agent, or DTC: three U.S. operating models compared
These are not sales-channel labels.
Read article → Payroll & peopleEmployee or independent contractor in 2026? IRS, DOL and state tests
A contractor label, project-based fee or remote arrangement does not decide status.
Read article → Accounting & closeEmployee reimbursement, shareholder advance, or wages? Accountable-plan workflow
The same airfare purchased on a founder's personal card could be a business reimbursement, shareholder advance, related-
Read article → Tax ops, notices & exitThe first 72 hours after an IRS or state tax notice
A notice is not always an audit conclusion, and forwarding it to the return preparer is not a complete response.
Read article → Customs & landed costImporter of record and DDP: who owns duty, records and cash-flow risk?
DDP is a commercial delivery arrangement; Importer of Record is a customs reporting and responsibility role.
Read article → Accounting & closeIntercompany reconciliation and foreign currency for China-U.S. books
A renminbi ledger and a U.S.
Read article → Accounting & closeInventory, COGS, landed cost and Section 263A
A product traveling from a Chinese factory to a U.S.
Read article → Tax ops, notices & exitLate Form 5472, 5471 or 8865? How to Write Reasonable Cause and Get the $10,000–$25,000 Penalty Removed
Filed Form 5472, 5471, 8865 or FBAR late? Reasonable cause is not an apology letter.
Read article → Federal & state income taxMultistate apportionment and sourcing for goods and services
Nexus determines whether a state may require a filing; apportionment determines how much multistate business income is a
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceAfter Nexus: registration, filing frequencies and zero returns
A nexus conclusion starts the coordination of permits, tax engines, orders, returns and the ledger.
Read article → Federal & state income taxWhat P.L. 86-272 still protects in the digital-commerce era
P.L.
Read article → Sales tax & e-commercePast-due state taxes: VDA, back filing, or prospective registration?
Registering online immediately after finding an old exposure may feel responsible, but it can surrender options before t
Read article → Payroll & peoplePEO, EOR, or your own U.S. Payroll?
The meaningful differences are not only launch time and price.
Read article → Accounting & closeReconciling Amazon, Shopify and Stripe settlements
The bank sees a net payout, but one deposit may contain sales, refunds, discounts, Sales Tax, processing, advertising, r
Read article → Payroll & peopleReconciling Form 941, W-2, Payroll registers and the general ledger
A year-end difference between Form W-3 and four Forms 941 is rarely just a form problem.
Read article → Payroll & peopleWhat a remote employee in another state can trigger
One employee's address change can affect Payroll, unemployment, business tax, state registration and labor obligations.
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceResale and exemption certificate management for audit readiness
An exemption certificate is not complete merely because a PDF reached a shared drive.
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceWhy Sales Tax certificate chains break in drop shipping
A drop shipment has one movement of goods but commonly two sales: supplier to retailer and retailer to customer.
Read article → Payroll & peopleSocial Security and Medicare for China-U.S. assignees
Income-tax treaties, tax residence and FICA are different regimes.
Read article → Payroll & peopleU.S. day tracking for Chinese executives and the substantial-presence test
U.S.
Read article → Tax ops, notices & exitU.S. tax due diligence and quality of earnings before an acquisition or fundraise
Quality of earnings asks whether profit is repeatable; tax due diligence asks what was filed, what remains open and who
Read article → Payroll & peopleWhere is a Chinese founder's or executive's compensation taxed?
The bank account, currency, contracting location and paying entity usually do not determine where compensation is source
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceWhere are SaaS, software and digital products taxable?
There is no durable national list of states that tax “SaaS.” The same subscription may be classified as prewritten softw
Read article → Federal & state income taxBeyond Sales Tax Nexus: income, franchise and gross-receipts taxes
Reaching Sales Tax Nexus does not answer whether a business also owes an income, franchise, B&O or CAT filing.
Read article → International tax & paymentsDoes a U.S. company need an FBAR for China or Hong Kong accounts?
FBAR is a Bank Secrecy Act report filed electronically and separately with FinCEN, not an attachment to the business inc
Read article → International tax & paymentsWhen a U.S. company owns a China or Hong Kong entity: Forms 5471, 8865 and 8858
The foreign registration name does not choose the form.
Read article → International tax & paymentsU.S. partnerships with Chinese partners: Section 1446 withholding
Section 1446(a) generally withholds on effectively connected taxable income allocable to a foreign partner, not only whe
Read article → International tax & paymentsManagement fee, interest, royalty, or dividend? A cross-border payment matrix
The same cash flow can follow entirely different sourcing, withholding, deduction, treaty, and reporting rules depending
Read article → International tax & paymentsOne shipment, two rulebooks: reconciling IRS transfer pricing and CBP customs value
The IRS asks whether U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsDefensible transfer pricing for intercompany service fees
A contract and year-end invoice show how much was charged.
Read article → International tax & paymentsPayments to a Chinese parent: Form 1042/1042-S and withholding workflow
Deductibility, withholding, deposit timing, and information reporting are connected but distinct questions.
Read article → International tax & paymentsW-8BEN-E vs W-8ECI vs W-8IMY vs W-9: Which Form Does Your Vendor or Chinese Parent Sign?
A quick decision guide for U.S.
Read article → International tax & paymentsHow branch profits tax changes the branch-vs.-subsidiary decision
Comparing corporate income-tax rates misses branch profits tax—the second layer designed to approximate a dividend—and t
Read article → Federal & state income taxBuilding a U.S. facility in 2026: production assets and depreciation opportunities
A depreciation opportunity is not a percentage selected at return time.
Read article → Market entry & entitiesHow to account for pre-opening and organizational costs
A business that has not opened its doors cannot automatically expense every payment.
Read article → Market entry & entitiesFunding a U.S. subsidiary: equity, intercompany debt, or both?
How cash enters the United States affects deductions, withholding, repatriation, the balance sheet, and future diligence
Read article → Market entry & entitiesForm 8832 check-the-box elections: defaults, effective dates and late relief
Form 8832 is not a clerical checkbox.
Read article → Market entry & entitiesWhy foreign shareholders usually cannot own an S corporation
An S corporation is a federal tax election, not a smaller version of a C corporation.
Read article → Market entry & entitiesIncorporated in Delaware but Operating in California or Texas? What Foreign Qualification, Taxes and Filings You Owe
Delaware answers where the company was formed; the state where you have employees, inventory or an office decides where
Read article → Market entry & entitiesC Corp, LLC, or U.S. branch for a Chinese parent?
The structure with the lowest formation fee is not necessarily the structure with the lowest total cost.
Read article → Customs & landed cost2026 tariff and de minimis changes: rebuilding the U.S. landed-cost model
A purchase price plus one fixed tariff percentage no longer supports 2026 U.S.
Read article → Market entry & entitiesThe First 90 Days After Forming a U.S. Company: A Practical Compliance Checklist
State approval is not the end of the formation process.
Read article → Payroll & peopleBefore Hiring Your First U.S. Employee, Complete These Eight Steps
Opening payroll after an employee has already begun working is usually too late.
Read article → Federal & state income taxU.S. Income Tax Filing for Foreign-Owned Businesses: Obligations Often Missed
“The company had no profit, so there is no U.S.
Read article → Tax ops, notices & exitWhen Does a Business Need a Fractional Tax Leader?
Growing companies are often presented with two choices: outsource everything to a CPA firm or hire a full-time tax direc
Read article → Accounting & closeFive Common Reasons QuickBooks Becomes Unreliable—and How to Fix It
A QuickBooks file can contain monthly revenue and expense numbers and still be unreliable.
Read article → Sales tax & e-commerceWhat Is Sales Tax Nexus? The Most Common Traps for International E-Commerce Sellers
Sales tax nexus is the level of connection between a business and a state that allows the state to impose registration,
Read article → International tax & paymentsDoes the U.S.–China Tax Treaty Exempt Your Company? Permanent Establishment, ECI and Form 8833 Explained
The U.S.–China tax treaty does not automatically exempt a Chinese company from U.S.
Read article →No published articles in this topic yet.
