A trial balance makes it easy to scan your books for potential mistakes. Here’s how to prepare one properly.

Trial Balance: Best Practices, Definitions and Examples

Donations can benefit the local community while potentially allowing farmers to reduce their tax bill. Here’s how to file for them properly.

How to File Form 8283 for Food and Other Donations

To elect S corp tax status, you’ll need to file Form 2553, ‘Election by a Small Business Corporation,’ first. Here’s how it works.

How to Elect S Corp Status With Form 2553

Livestock leases can help owners earn additional income while providing lessees with new genetics and expanded production without having to purchase more animals outright.

A Simple Guide to Livestock Leases

Electing S corporation status offers a unique combination: the tax benefits of a partnership or LLC, the liability protection of a corporation, and potential savings on self-employment taxes. 


S Corporation Status: A Decision Guide for Agricultural Producers

Holding onto your receipts might not seem like a big deal at first, but it can help you get funded, shrink your tax bill, encourage better financial habits and give you peace of mind.

Five Reasons Why it Pays to Hold Onto Your Receipts

If you lease your livestock or pasture to other farmers, it pays to learn how the ‘passive activity’ loss rules work—especially if you have any losses to report.

How to File Form 8582 for Passive Activity Losses

Caitlyn Kelly

Succession planning is about much more than “handing over the keys.” It has huge tax implications for retiring agricultural producers and their successors.

Tax Strategies for Farm & Ranch Succession Planning

Federal crop insurance is a crucial risk management tool, but the way it works can get complicated.

A Simple Guide to Crop Insurance

Having these records ready in a go bag can maximize your chances of securing disaster assistance for your ag business, and in some cases even accelerate your application.

Disaster-Proof Your Records: A Checklist

A state-by-state breakdown of tax credits, deductions, exclusions and other tax breaks farmers, ranchers and ag businesses can apply to their state tax refund.

State Tax Credits for Farmers: A State-by-State Guide

Livestock insurance is an important safety net for farmers and ranchers, protecting livelihoods from unexpected losses, disease, disaster and other risks. Here’s how it works.

A Simple Guide to Livestock Insurance

Hiring independent contractors might be cheaper in the short term, but it also comes with some risks.

1099 Contractors vs. W-2 Employees: What’s the Difference?

Explore funding opportunities in food marketing, agronomic practices, habitat conservation, dairy research, agriculture education and more.

Farm Funding Deadlines: July 2025 Edition

A definitive list of federal tax credits for farmers, ranchers and ag businesses.

16 Federal Tax Credits for Farmers

If you earn passive rental income from your farmland, you could avoid paying self-employment taxes on it by filing Form 4835. Here’s how to know if you qualify.

How to Report Farm Rental Income and Expenses With Form 4835

Recent tax changes mean that more businesses are receiving Form 1099-Ks than before. Here’s what to expect when you get one. 

Form 1099-K: How to Report Payment Card and Third Party Transactions

Explore funding opportunities in land conservation, dairy research, new markets development, agriculture entrepreneurship and more.

Farm Funding Deadlines: June 2025 Edition

Transitioning an agricultural operation—whether a farm, ranch, or other ag-based business—can be a complicated and daunting process. Familiarizing yourself with these basic succession planning concepts is a great place to start.

The Succession Planning Starter Kit: Checklist, Definitions and Resources

A farm operating loan can be a powerful tool for managing seasonal cash flows, but finding the right lender and terms is crucial.

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