The Tax Questions Blog

Archive for December, 2008

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First I should let you know that I use to be a Tobacco Cigarette Smoker and was getting fed up with every time I turned around the price to smoke was continually going up due to increased taxes. Then I am having to put up with being told that I either could not smoke in an establishment were I was able to smoke before due to local ordinances or had to be secluded to a back room or 50 feet away from the building altogether making me feel like I was a Leper .

Its like catch 22 the government dose not want you to quit smoking after all they like spending your taxed money from them. They just want you to smoke in your house, in your bedroom with the door locked and a sign on it saying WARNING SMOKER IN ROOM. Now every smoker today has a choice called E-Cigarettes the give you your nicotine without the smoke I use them and prefer them to regular cigarettes.

I switched to E-cigarettes about six months ago and have been tobacco free ever since. I do not cough anymore and my lungs feel great. I can smoke again in public and the cost is much less. I

If you are not familiar with them let me explain. An electronic cigarette or "e-cigarette" is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by delivering a vaporized liquid nicotine solution. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation. When a user inhales through the device, air flow is detected by a sensor, which activates a heating element that vaporizes a nicotine solution stored in the mouth piece. It is this vapor that is inhaled by the user. An LED on the opposite end of the device is also activated during inhalation, which serves as an indicator of use, and also to simulate the glow of actual burning tobacco.

Now let's go over the benefits.

1. You will not be smoking 4,000 Chemicals 40 of which are known carcinogens .Nicotine by its self has very little health risks.

2. There is no second hand smoke remember this is just vapor so they will not be affecting people around them, so you now can smoke or what we call Vape anywhere and because there is no odor their Breath, Clothes, Home, Car you name it will no longer smell like an ash try. You will also satisfy that hand to mouth habit which for some people is as hard to quit as nicotine

3. The cost of smoking an E-Cigarette will be less then half of what you are now paying for regular tobacco cigarettes. In fact you will be paying around $2.00 to $2.50 for what would be a traditional pack of cigarettes. A traditional smokers saving in one year can easily give them a Free Vacation to Cancun. Some flavors will taste just like Marlboro's or Menthol and nicotine levels that also are comparable to a Regular Cigarette, Light or Ultra Light. So if you are tired of being segregated and wasting your money on tobacco cigarettes you owe it to yourself to give e-cigarettes a try. Also you may have a loved one or just a friend who is a smoker, if so this really is the perfect gift and Christmas is just around the corner. You can buy Quality Kits for as low as $45.00. I hate quoting an old cliché but it is oh so true "Without your health you have nothing" and while not perfect e-cigarettes are a Cheaper more Sociably Accepted and far Healthier Alternative to Tobacco Cigarettes. Vape on.......

J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2013: For Preparing Your 2012 Tax Return $12.96 America's number one bestselling tax guide offers the best balance of thoroughness,organization, and usabilityFor over half a century, more than 39 million Americans have turned to J.K. Lasser foreasy-to-follow, expert advice and guidance on planning and filing their taxes. Written by ateam of tax specialists, J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2013 includes all theoutstanding features that have made t...

Suze Orman's easy money to-do list

I know money is tight. I know you're busy. And I know tackling money issues isn't fun. But here's what I also know: You wish you could once and for all get your financial house in order.

Only So Much We Can Do

Question: Is inheritance from great grandmother taxable?

Great grandmother left me $10,000; so is that a taxable inheritance? Someone told me it's not b/c i'm a direct decendant.

Answer: Inheritances are never taxable to the person who receives them. Any taxes would have been paid by the estate before the inheritor recieves the inheritance. The only state that I am aware of that taxes an inheritance is Pennsylvania. The only other way that the $10,000 would be taxable was if it was a regular IRA. In that case you would have to take distributions of it over time, and the distributions would be taxable to you. But if it's $10,000 in cash that you received, then only if you lived in Pennsylvania would the inheritance be taxable to you on the state income tax.

2010 sunset leads to eerie US predicament on death and taxes

WASHINGTON, Tues: America’s millionaires and billionaires can die now, and not pay later under a quirk in the US estate tax law that Congress failed to act on in 2009.

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Mashable’s Social Media Marketing & Web Event Guide

It’s a brand new week, which means it’s time for Mashable’s guide to upcoming social media and web events, parties, and conferences. For more upcoming event listings, check out Mashable’s Events section . Is your event not on this list? Contact us at least one month before your event and let’s establish a media partnership. Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly ...

IRS Resources for Small Business Owners

The Single Woman's Guide to Retirement $10.45 If you’re one of the 25 million single women over the age of 45 living in the United States today, AARP’s The Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement is your new best friend. Walking you through the challenges of retired or pre-retired life, from managing your finances to staying healthy in body, mind, and spirit, dealing with divorce, and even looking for love or work, the book covers the issues...

Retirement Income: Risks and Strategies $19.50 As members of the baby boom generation head into retirement, they face an economic environment that has changed noticeably since their parents retired. Most of these new retirees will not be equipped, as many in the earlier generation were, with private pension plans, early retirement options, and fully paid retiree health benefits in addition to Social Security and Medicare. Today it is increasin...

Wiley Registered Tax Return Preparer Exam Review 2012 (Wiley Tax Return Preparer Competency Exam Prep: Individual Tax Filing) $9.99 The most effective system available to prepare for the new Tax Return Preparer Competency ExamIn recent years, the role of third party assistance in tax return preparation within the United States has become more significant. To acknowledge this trend, the IRS is strengthening partnerships with tax practitioners, tax return preparers, and other third parties in order to ensure effective tax admini...

Don't panic about your tax return

THE deadline is looming for completing self-assessment tax returns, which must be filed by 31 January to avoid a £100 penalty. This is also the date by which self-assessors m

Urgent end of year planning for Super - post budget

Retirement & Bankruptcy

The combination of accessible credit to anyone, with or without good credit, and our consumer culture of overindulgence is a recipe for financial disaster. There were more than 2 million bankruptcies filed last year. Of these bankruptcies nearly 35 percent were filed by people under the age of twenty-five. Think about it—just as a young couple start out with the future and all its possibilities ahead of them, they file for personal bankruptcy.

Not only are individuals both young and old accumulating enormous debt, but the average personal savings has fallen dramatically in recent years. The net household savings rate average is below two percent. That is down from 10 percent in the 1980s. This is the lowest savings rate since the Great Depression. For adults in their late fifties, the median savings is less than $10,000 ( How much YOU have in your savings account).

Furthermore, fewer than half of those now entering retirement have $50,000 available to them.Many retirees have no retirement savings at all.Without saving more and planning ahead, families will have to work more years and accept more limited lifestyles.

Are you destined for this meager existence with your current plan?

Credit vs. Cash

It is not credit card companies alone who promote the use of credit, but businesses now advocate their use as well.

A short time ago, McDonalds announced that they would allow credit cards to be used in all of their franchises. The reason? Consumers spend an average five dollars when using cash, but about seven dollars when using a credit card. That is a 40 percent increase per purchase! As we move to a cashless society, our connection with real money, the cash and coins you carry in your wallet or pocket, becomes almost sacred.

We hold on to our cash while we go ahead and swipe the credit card or write the check. When you "swipe" or "write," it does not feel like you are actually spending money.Why do you think casinos use chips instead of cash? In contrast, when you hand the cashier your $20 bill, you feel the pain. You actually notice there is less money in your wallet.

It has been noted that if you use cash over credit cards or checks you will actually spend an average 12-18 percent less when you shop. The reason is simple: cash is real; it looks real, it feels real; you've known it all your life.When cash is gone, it is gone. There is no backup or reserve. The feedback is instantaneous. If you buy on your credit card, the feedback does not show up until your next statement, and then you just write a check anyway— and often not for the full amount!

In it's basic form the formula to eliminate the above problems is found in 3 steps.

1. Spend less.
2. Save at least 10% of every dollar &
3. Make more money, preferably in YOUR own homebased business (for both the cash flow & HUGE tax write offs)!

If you are honest with yourself after reading this article & realize you need help . . .

I can show you how to accelerate the profitable results of point #3 above when you subscribe to my FREE Network Marketing Solutions Newsletter.

Obama's Ill-Advised Small-Business Tax Cuts

The president's plan will actually deter businesses from growing and succeeding.

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