<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Matthew Thomas Books]]></title><description><![CDATA[Construction bookkeeping for New England contractors under $5 Million - job costing, cash flow management, and cleanup specialist based in Westfield, MA]]></description><link>https://www.matthewthomasbooks.com/resources</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:24:38 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.matthewthomasbooks.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Hidden Cost of DIY Bookkeeping for Contractors]]></title><description><![CDATA[What if I told you that nearly every contractor I've seen managing their own books has left themselves exposed to costly penalties, missed deductions they were entitled to, and generated financial data they can't actually use to run their business? After completing 45+ accounting cleanups for construction businesses over the past four years, I've seen only a handful that didn't need major renovations. The rest — the overwhelming majority — had the same problems hiding in the same places. The...]]></description><link>https://www.matthewthomasbooks.com/post/the-hidden-cost-of-diy-bookkeeping-for-contractors</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a427915f0b33a1db57ff307</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:09:02 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Matthew Thomas</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Buying a New Truck Might Be the Worst Tax Advice You've Ever Received]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tax gurus love to tell contractors how to save on taxes and one piece of advice comes up so often it's practically a cliché: "Buy a new truck. Register it in the business name. Take Section 179 to write off the full cost in year one." It gets passed around job sites, contractor Facebook groups, and accounting offices like it's universal wisdom. And to be fair, it can be great advice. But only for the right contractor, at the right time, in the right financial position. The problem is most...]]></description><link>https://www.matthewthomasbooks.com/post/why-buying-a-new-truck-might-be-the-worst-tax-advice-you-ve-ever-received</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4277a969b2dfbbf12897a6</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:53:03 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Matthew Thomas</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Job Costing for Contractors: Why Not Knowing Is Costing You More Than You Think]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you run a construction business, you probably know roughly what you made last month. But do you know which specific job made you money and which one quietly cost you? Most contractors track their business the same way. Bank account balance up, good month. Bank account balance down, bad month. It's intuitive, it's simple, and it's completely inadequate for making real business decisions. Here's the problem with that approach: one really profitable job can carry you through two jobs where...]]></description><link>https://www.matthewthomasbooks.com/post/job-costing-for-contractors-why-not-knowing-is-costing-you-more-than-you-think</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a424ebe69b2dfbbf1284241</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:57:18 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Matthew Thomas</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>