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Week of December 12, 2008 • Issue No. 028
This Week in the iNews:
▲ LUNCH & LEARN SERIES PROGRAM #5 – PART 2 - YEAR END TAX PLANNING
▲ SKIP THE TURTLE DOVES, BUT GO FOR THE GOLDEN RINGS
▲ TIPS ON YEAR END CHARITABLE DONATIONS
▲ FOCUS ON SOFTWARE PIRACY: SMALL BUSINESS
▲ Lunch & Learn Series Program # 5 – Part 2 - Year End Tax Planning
Please join us for the last program for 2008 of our Lunch & Learn Series at noon on Tuesday, December 16th in the Prangley Marks, LLP lunch/conference room. This is the second in our two-part programs on year end tax planning. We will also have an update on year end payroll, W-2 and 1099 issues. Bring your year end tax planning or accounting issues for discussion. Keep in mind that there will only be two weeks until the end of the year from December 16th, but there still may be time to act!
Please contact mripley@pmcpa.com or call Michelle at (616) 774-9004 to reserve your spot.
Complimentary lunch, program and parking provided.
Seating is limited.
▲ Skip the turtle doves, but go for the golden rings
Given the economic downturn, even the most romantic might balk at the $86,609 price tag for the items in the carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.
That’s this year’s cost, according to the annual “Christmas Price Index” compiled by PNC Wealth Management, which tallies the single partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming purchased repeatedly as the song suggests. The price is up $8,508 or 10.9 percent from $78,100 last year.
“True loves may take it on the chin for a peck on the cheek”, said Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, which has been calculating the cost of Christmas since 1984.
In this tight economy, what’s a romantic to do? The creative but cash strapped consumer might consider some modifications. After all, who needs dozens of birds?
Instead of two turtle doves ($55) why not two Dove chocolate bars at about a buck each? Don’t have $4,414 for 10 lords-a-leaping? How about a “Riverdance” DVD? Plenty of leaping there, and it’s only about $25 on Amazon.com. Save a couple grand by skipping the 11 pipers piping and getting a CD of Scottish bagpipe music for less then $20.
“The price of creativity, I think has to be measured against the value of the true love,” Dunigan said.
While some sources suggest the gold rings actually refer to ring neck pheasants, Dunigan advises sticking with jewelry.
“At least in my experience, gold rings probably wouldn’t be a bad idea”, he said.
Plus, they are down about 11 percent from $395 last year to $350.
The List
What to pay the piper
Prices of times in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” according to the PNC Wealth Management:
▲Tips on Year-End Charitable Donations
There have
been several law changes affecting charitable donations that have
significant tax ramifications including the ability to continue to
make donations from individual retirement accounts (IRAs), the
requirement that household goods and clothing need to be in good used
condition, and that such requirement is waived in cases where a
qualified appraisal is attached, and the requirements to be able to
deduct cash contributions.
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 amended the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers over age 701/2 to donate up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to a qualified charity. Although the contribution was not tax deductible, the distribution to the charity was not included in income and counted towards any required minimum distribution. This tax-favorable provision has been extended through 2009. This ability to donate directly from a retirement account to a charity does not include distributions made from employer-sponsored retirement plans which include SIMPLE IRAs and simplified employee pension (SEP) plans.
Eligible charities do not include donor-advised funds or supporting organizations.
The IRS also
reminds people that household goods and clothing must be in good used
condition in order for their fair market value to be deductible. The
IRS has yet to define the term “good used condition.” Taxpayers who
make several donation of clothing and household goods would be well
advised to take a digital photograph and keep the memory card with
their tax records as insurance in the event of an audit.
All taxpayers are reminded that any charitable donation of money, no
matter how small, must be substantiated with a written communication
showing the name of the charitable organization, the date of the
donation and the amount of the contribution.
The following additional tips were included to help individuals with
their holiday-season and year-end giving:
—Contributions are only deductible in the year they are made.
—Donors should make sure that a charitable organization is a qualified 501(c) organization.
—Individuals may only claim charitable contributions if they file Schedule A, Itemized Deductions.
—Motor vehicle donations are limited to the amount of the gross proceeds from their sale.
—All noncash donations in excess of $500 must have a properly completed Form 8283 attached to the return to be deductible.
▲ Focus on Software Piracy: Small Business
Small businesses may inadvertently become “software pirates” and consequently may face financial penalties. The following articles discuss how some businesses can avoid the risk of penalties.
Part 3 of 3 – Education Needed
A recent quote by a prominent IT association representative commented that, “ ….. if they were going after actual pirates, that would be a different story, but they are going after hardworking companies, ….. .”
The BSA has some software management tools and guidance on its web site www.bsa.org. In addition, the BSA recently partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration to develop and publish educational materials on software compliance.
Common mistakes made by companies include:
• A company legitimately buys software, but fails to follow the letter of the licensing agreements that accompany the software.
• An employee transfers to a new machine software for which a company has only one license agreement, without deleting it from the old machine.
• A company is unaware whether the licensing agreement permits sharing software or use by the same person on a home and an office computer.
• The company purchases used computers. If the company can’t produce receipts for the computers, the BSA considers the software pirated. The BSA does not recognize software boxes or certificates of authenticity as evidence of purchase.
If you have questions about software licensing or other computer control concerns, please call our office. We will be happy to respond.