Cannabis Entrepreneur's Guide to Accounting, Taxation & Financial Compliance: A CEO's Competitive Advantage

Book Synopsis: Whether you are a pioneer in the marijuana industry and doing battle within corporate America for the first time, or a seasoned entrepreneur capitalizing on the "Green Rush", you cannot ignore the unique tax, legal and accounting challenges that are exclusive to cannabis businesses. Many cannabis company founders pour their blood, sweat and tears into their craft - safe and accessible marijuana products; however, expertise in the cultivation, extraction, branding and delivery to the customer must be complemented with world-class finance & accounting functions. Not only is this necessary for survival, but it’s a requirement if you are looking to entice investors, secure lenders, and to maximize the value of your canna-business if you choose to sell it.

This book aims to keep you out of trouble with regulators and is a guide to the rules and tools you need to be aware of to establish a competitive advantage through your finance & accounting functions. Your profitability can hinge on how you navigate the punitive tax law § 280E by properly applying the tax laws for inventories. A vast majority of those in the industry are screwing this up royally, even some with "cannabis accountants". IRS and state compliance audits can lead to fines, penalties and back taxes. Worse, your business may be shut down by regulators or fail due to poor record keeping and misinterpretation of applicable laws. This guide prepares you for the struggles of minimizing taxation and maintaining an audit ready cannabis business. The Courts have provided their insights in recent cases that give us some guidance in how to proceed, and we touch on them in this book. We tell you why §280E exists, when it applies, and what you can do about it. Industry best practices in bookkeeping, record keeping, and cost accounting are discussed. The need for financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to pay the least tax possible and provide transparency to investors is explained.

You will walk away with a keen sense of which services you will need to not only properly count the beans, but to grow your profits.