Pay it Forward – Metro Atlanta Area Charity Events

Mark your calendars.

Spread the word and help a neighbor in need.

Warehouse & Hospitality Hiring Fair

Snelling Staffing Services: Meet representatives, get help completing applications $7.50 – $10.00/hr.

When?	Friday, June 1 10:00 am 2:00 pm
Where?	1407 Cobb Parkway, Marietta, GA
Cost?	FREE
Download?	Click HERE for PDF Flyer
More Info?	Beth Ray bray@mustministries.org

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Rated Chess Tournament & Benefit to Aid MUST

Program to Feed Hungry Children Through the Summer.

Who?	Scholastic Players, K-12 based on the 2011-2012 school year. Sections: Unrated of K-5 and 6-12 Rated of 0-499, 500-899, 900-1199, And Championship above 1200. (Sections may be combined if there are insufficient players in a section)
When?	Saturday, June 2 Time: 9:30 Check-in Game Times: 10:00, 11:30, 1:00, 2:30, and 4:00
Where?	Cumberland United Methodist Church, 2375 Paces Ferry Rd., Smyrna GA 30080
Cost?	$25.00 Entry or $20.00 and five dollars worth of non-perishable food.
Register?	Download Registration Form Here
More Info?	Ben Johnson or Renee Leathers 404-309-7143 or smyrnachess@yahoo.com

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Summer Lunch Fundraiser

Girl Scout Troop 2687 will be at the Chick-Fil-A washing cars to raise money for the MUST Summer Lunch Program. A local business is willing to match up to $2500! Be sure to go by and show your support!

When?	Saturday, June 16 9 am – 2 pm
Where?	Chick-Fil-A on Dallas Highway near Barrett Parkway (2555 Dallas Highway SW, Marietta GA 30064)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Peachtree Roadrace

If you are already registered to run in the Peachtree Roadrace, you can choose MUST Ministries as your charity of choice!

When?	Wednesday, July 4
Where?	Starts in Buckhead near Lenox Square Mall and ends in Piedmont Park
More Info?	http://www.peachtreeroadrace.org/participant-information/general-information
Donate:	http://www.crowdrise.com/mustministries

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

ServSafe

The ServSafe Food Handler Program is a complete solution that delivers consistent food safety training to employees. The program covers five key areas: Basic Food Safety, Personal Hygiene, Cross-contamination & Allergens, Time & Temperature, and Cleaning & Sanitation. If you are an employer in the hospitality arena and would like to become involved, contact Beth Ray by e-mail bray@mustministries.org

When?	July 16, 17, 18
Where?	1407 Cobb Parkway, Marietta

QuickBooks Critical Notice

Reminder: The Payroll Service for QuickBooks 2009 will be discontinued.

Inuit is providing customers with additional time to upgrade their QuickBooks software. They have extended the date of the payroll service discontinuation to June 30, 2012.

After that date, QuickBooks 2009 will no longer automatically calculate correct payroll taxes or provide payroll tax forms. Payroll subscriptions for customers with QuickBooks 2009 will be inactivated on July 1, 2012.

For additional information read the original discontinuation notice at QuickBooks Support. While the payroll services are the most critical service being discontinued, be aware that all technical support, credit card processing, QuickBooks email and online banking will be discontinued  as of today, May 31, 2012. The extension time through June 30th is only offered for the payroll services. This affects all 2009 versions of QuickBooks for Windows and Mac.

To minimize disruption to your business, customers are encouraged to upgrade their QuickBooks software as soon as possible.

IRS Flexible?

Hard to believe but the IRS is getting a bit more flexible with their Fresh Start incentives. They announced more flexible terms in their Offer in Compromise policies. Read the latest in the Forbes article by my favorite tax attorney, Robert McKenzie – New IRS Offer In Compromise Policies – Forbes.

These new terms allow some taxpayers the chance to resolve their tax issues in about two years rather than four to five years under the previous terms. With the flexible policies, many taxpayers are now eligible for consideration of tax issue resolution that may have not qualified under the old terms.

If you have tax problems haunting you, I recommend you consult with a trusted tax advisor to discuss how these changes might help you resolve your tax issues.  Make sure your advisor has experience with handling offers in compromise with the Internal Revenue Service and is familiar with your rights as a taxpayer in representing you before the IRS. If you do not have a trusted tax advisor, visit the National Association of Enrolled Agents online to find an Enrolled Agent in your area. Amongst my esteemed colleages, you will find me. If I can assist you with your tax issues, please contact me. Let the Fresh Start program give you a fresh start!

Related articles

• New IRS Offer In Compromise Policies (forbes.com)
• TurboTax – Video: IRS Definition of Wage Earner Offer in Compromise (turbotax.intuit.com)

Today’s Challenge – Rent or Buy Your Home

With today’s economy it is often difficult to determine the best course of action for your finances. Home ownership is one of those difficult decisions. Do you take advantage of the low interest rates and purchase a home while it is a buyer’s market? Do you wait until the economy is more stable before you commit to a large long-term loan obligation? Kiplinger supplies you with a guide to determine what might be best for your unique financial situation and the market conditions of your area. Follow the link to read their article, Should You Buy or Rent Your Home? – Kiplinger.

There are tax advantages to owning a home over renting. Typically the combination of your mortgage interest and real estate property taxes added to state taxes, charitable donations and miscellaneous deductions will give you enough deductions to itemize rather than taking the lower standard deduction. This effectively lowers your taxable income and reduces your overall tax liability. While this is a great tax advantage, I recommend you do not include this in your assessment of your personal finances when determining if home ownership is right for you. If your assessment of your personal financial situation determines home ownership is the best move for you, let the tax savings be an added benefit to be used to increase your savings. There are far too many unknowns in the future as to what tax deductions may be eliminated or reduced, to enter into a long term obligation, dependent upon a tax deduction that is available today. Assess your finances without consideration of the possible tax savings based on current tax law and you will be in a far stronger financial situation no matter what changes are made in the future.

Planning is the key to financial success. Weigh your options carefully before choosing. Each individual must make a true assessment of their personal financial situation in relationship to their short-term and long-term goals. Separate your emotions from the numbers. What do the numbers tell you? Let the numbers guide you.

Related articles

• Why renters should consider buying a home (cbsnews.com)
• A 30- or a 15-year mortgage, which is right for you? (freedommortgage.com)
• TurboTax – Tax Deduction Wisdom – Should You Itemize? (turbotax.intuit.com)
• 9 New Reasons to Rent Instead of Buy (rentersinsurance.com)

Plan to Have Fun This Summer and Stay in Budget

Everyone loves to get out and enjoy life during the summer. There are a lot of activities to do, events to attend and places to visit. All this fun adds up quickly and can squeeze the life out of your budget. Plan now to budget for your summer fun. DailyWorth helps make this easier with an easy summer budget worksheet. Follow this link to get Your Easy Summer Budget Worksheet.   

Customize the worksheet to add your events like attending your cousin’s wedding, buying a house warming gift for you friend or enjoying a vacation at the beach. Consider all costs for each event such as childcare, travel costs, cost of gift, or dry cleaning your party clothes. Planning now will allow you the added benefit of enjoying the fun while knowing you are on track within your budget.

Have a great summer!

Waving Red Flags to the IRS?

“Worried about an IRS audit? Avoid what’s called a red flag. That’s something the IRS always looks for. For example, say you have some money left in your bank account after paying taxes. That’s a red flag.” – Jay Leno

Jay Leno’s definition of red flags differs from most tax professionals. The professionals at Kiplinger have a video that explains three red flags from their complete list. Find the complete list on their website.

Red Flags for IRS Auditors Video

Red flag items indicate these are areas the IRS watches for deductions they can potentially disallow. It is important to understand the rules for eligibility for these deductions to ensure you qualify to take the deduction. Equally important, you must retain your receipts for these deductions. Even if you are eligible to take the deduction, without receipts, you may be disallowed the deduction during an audit.

If your tax return includes red flag items, I advise you to consult with a tax professional. Understanding tax law, your rights as a taxpayer and how best to apply these to your personal tax situation, requires a seasoned professional who stays current on developments with the ever-changing laws. Fear of audit should not dissuade you from taking a legitimate tax deduction, but being prepared will help ensure you are allowed the deductions during an audit. Contact a tax professional to discuss your personal tax situation to maximize your deductions and minimize your tax liability.

Related articles

• What’s the Difference Between an Audit, Correspondence Audit, and an Adjustment Letter? (turbotax.intuit.com)
• Tax Audit Red Flags: 11 Things That May Get the IRS to Pick You (dailyfinance.com)
• TurboTax – Handling Notices from the IRS (turbotax.intuit.com)
• TurboTax – Top Five Ways to Avoid a Tax Audit (turbotax.intuit.com)

QuickBooks Payroll Users – Critical Maintenance Alert

Intuit QuickBooks Payroll

 
Important System Maintenance Announcement

The Intuit Small Business Division, including QuickBooks and QuickBooks Payroll product lines, will be performing a system-wide upgrade starting on Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 6pm PT and ending on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 5am PT.  Our goal with this upgrade is to provide you with a complete view into all of the Intuit products and services you use and improve your overall support experience by getting you to the right team Customer Care team member quickly.

As a result of this upgrade, some of the services you receive today on the Intuit.com websites, as well as within your QuickBooks and/or QuickBooks Payroll products will be temporarily unavailable at various times throughout the weekend.

Description	Unavailable from May 25 8pm - May 26 2am	Unavailable from May 24 6pm - May 29 5am	Unavailable from May 25 6pm - May 29 6am	Available all weekend
Creating direct deposit paychecks	Χ
Processing payrolls that do NOT include direct deposit checks				Χ
Electronic filing and electronic payments (efile and epay)				Χ
Activation of products already purchased, Upgrade to different service level		Χ
Access to account information from within your QuickBooks product		Χ
Online purchases at Intuit.com, QuickBooks.com, Payroll.com		Χ
Self help support at Payroll.com				Χ
Payroll phone support*			Χ

*Payroll phone support is available during normal operating hours: 6am-6pm PT, Monday through Friday.  Payroll phone support is not available on weekends or bank holidays, including Memorial Day.

What does this mean to me?

• If you need to create direct deposit paychecks:  QuickBooks Payroll will not process direct deposit checks dated for Monday, May 28, 2012 due to the Memorial Day holiday.  In order for your employees to receive their paychecks before Monday, May 28, you should change your paycheck date to Friday, May 25 and send your payroll by 5pm PT on Wednesday, May 23.  For more options and a detailed direct deposit schedule, click here.

If you need to access your account information from within QuickBooks, we encourage you to do so prior to May 24 or after May 29.  You can access account information in QuickBooks by selecting Employees, then selecting My Payroll Service, then Account/Billing Information.

Things to do before May 24th:

1. Download the latest tax table: version 21210.  Go to Employees and then select Get Payroll Updates.  If you are not using tax table version 21210, click on the Update button and follow the download instructions.
2. Print and share this email.  Please share this information with anyone else who has access to your QuickBooks or QuickBooks Payroll products.  You can also visit our maintenance website here for more information.

We appreciate your patience as we upgrade and improve our systems.  If you have any questions about this upgrade or would like to contact our Customer Care team, please visit our website for the latest information. Payroll customers can use the support feature located at payroll.com/support.

Personal Finance Advice for Military Families-Free Live Chat with Kiplinger

Just in time to honor our military and their service with Memorial Day around the corner, Kiplinger will host a live chat on Thursday, May 24th from 3:30 to 4:30 PM EST. Call to speak to Kim Lankford, Contributing Editor and military spouse to get answers to personal finance specific to military families. For more information visit Kiplinger.

Related articles

• Military Families-Personal Finance Guide (holtpros.wordpress.com)

Social Media to Market Your Business

Social Media is alive and well and getting bigger. About.com defines Social Media as a social instrument of communication. With traditional methods of communication such as a newspaper or magazine you are simply given the information. Social Media interacts with you while giving you the information. Today, if a customer has a need, they turn to the internet and their friends. Social Media allows the two to combine by allowing interaction through the ability to make and read reviews on products and services. I attended a seminar that showed the Nielson Ratings for consumer trust by advertising type. Radio, billboards, magazines, newspapers and TV rated between 55% to 61%. The top two ratings were from consumer opinions online at 70% and recommendations from someone known at 90%. (Understand the consumer opinions online are from anyone and not usually known by the customer searching for the information.) Social Media is a must for marketing a business in today’s environment.

Need to learn about Social Media? Tune in for the Social Media educational session streamed live from the National Small Business Week Conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 22 from 3 – 4:30 PM EST.

This panel includes insights on ever-changing advancements in social media and how small business can take advantage of them. Speakers include experts: SBA guest blogger and GrowBiz Media CEO Rieva Lesonsky, Wall Street Journal’s Brian Moran, and business leaders from Yelp.com, Constant Contact, Twitter and Google. Special guest Sarah Bernard, Deptuy Director for the White House Office of Digital Strategy, will also join the forum.

For more information on how to watch these live webcasts, visit the National Small Business Week website. You can also follow SBA on Twitter and Facebook for more details nearer the time.

Let me hear from you and how you are connecting to your clients through social media. Hope to see you out there tweeting and blogging with the best of them!

The Power of a Tweet

Paying it forward with Social Media to connect those with excess with those in need through the efforts of beremedy.org.

Tweeting Helps Those in Need

Tweeting for Charity results in Miraculous Response

Connecting Those in Need with Those that can Help.

Every city has needs. Often these needs go unmet because the message doesn’t get out. There are those who want to help, but don’t know how. beremedy is an organization using social media to connect those in need with those in their community who can help.

Helping others…at the Speed of Social Media. 

Via Twitter and Facebook, we relay messages of need efficiently and receive responses instantaneously! Help is in the hands so much faster than traditional methods. Imagine a world where helping others happens at the speed of social media!

How can you be a remedy to the problems around you?