Articles & Videos
The Top 10 Inventions in 2016
The Top 10 Inventions in 2016 Wireless Headphones $159 Wireless headphones have been around for years, but Apple’s new Airpods offer some unique features that make them stand out. You can listen to music, but they also come with microphones so you can control your phone with your voice and they can even detect when…
Networking: Is Your “Game” up to Par?
Networking: Is Your “Game” up to Par? By Alan Olsen How’s your “game?” Everyone wants “game” and most people claim to have “game” but how good is your game when it really comes time to be tested? If your game isn’t really where you want it to be then it’s time to start trying to…
Top 5 Best Places to Own a Home Overseas
Are you looking for the top 5 best places to own a home overseas? If so, we have a few suggestions for you. Medellin, Columbia At first thought, you might not expect to find Columbia on this list, but the city of Medellin has so much to offer, making it a great place to own…
Don’t Gamble With Your Taxes: Read the Fine Print About Incorporating in Nevada
Don’t Gamble With Your Taxes: Read the Fine Print About Incorporating in Nevada Source: FTB Publication 689 Posted: 3/2/2010 Ever wonder about those ads that promise big tax savings for incorporating in Nevada? While there is nothing inherently wrong with incorporating or registering in Nevada or any other state for that matter, we do see…
Doing Business in the United States
Doing Business in the United States By Alan Olsen, CPA 67 Pages $24.95 + $2.00 S/H Alan L. Olsen, CPA, MBA (tax) Foreign Corporations, Individuals and Trusts The booklet can be purchased vis this “link“. It discusses the basic issues of foreign corporations and individuals wishing to do business in America. This booklet contains detailed…
The Wash Sale Rule of Capital Gains Tax
The Wash Sale Rule of Capital Gains Tax Awash sale is a trading activity in which shares of a security are sold at a loss and substantially identical security is purchased within 30 days. The subsequent purchase could occur before or after the security is sold, creating a 61-day window that must be monitored to…
Employers linking employee premiums to health screen programs
Employers linking employee premiums to health screen programs As more employers require employees to take greater financial responsibility for their own health care as part of the consumerism movement, some employers are going even further, tying employees’ premium contributions to their participation in health risk appraisals and, in some cases, to improvements in health status.…
Persistence – Use Good Judgment
Persistence – Use Good Judgment Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press…
Feeding a Dream
Feeding a Dream Taking Tex-Mex to Bangalore by Elizabeth Bowden-David Christopher Columbus, as the story goes, pursued a dream of India and landed on American shores. I, too, set out on a journey to India, but my dream was launched from American shores. Eight years ago, I moved with my Indian-born husband from California to…
Increase Employee Compensation for Work-Related Expenses
Increase Employee Compensation for Work-Related Expenses The California Supreme Court recently tested the boundaries of Labor Code section 2802, ruling that employers may increase employee compensation by a fixed amount instead of reimbursing employees for work-related expenses. California Labor Code section 2802 requires employers to indemnify (reimburse) employees for all necessary expenses incurred as a…
Motivating Employees Through Today’s Economic Crisis – Executive Strategies
Are you motivating employees through today’s economic crisis, you will find some executive strategies below helpful. Tough Times Call for Tough Measures, Rallying the Troops, Circling the Wagons, Bunkering Down may all seem like maxed-out maxims in today’s ailing economy, but what other rallying cries can today’s executives call on? As layoffs and cutbacks ravage…
Are You Looking for a Tropical Tax Haven?
Are You Looking for a Tropical Tax Haven? Tax Haven The idea of moving overseas in an effort to escape the high price of taxes is not a new one for rich Americans. Many ultra-wealthy Americans have looked at all kinds of different options in hopes of lowering their tax bill. As the federal government,…
Ten Ideas to Enhance Cash Flow
Ten Ideas to Enhance Cash Flow Managing cash flow is what separates good companies from the truly successful ones. Indeed, your ability to monitor the cash flow of your business can be the vital difference between profit and loss. Here are 10 ideas to enhance cash flow: Assess Your Risk Up Front When you do…
“C” Corporation versus “S” Corporation Entity Selection Decision
Your “C” corporation versus “S” corporation entity selection decision is often step one when starting a company. This comes up very often. How do we decide on whether to be a “C” Corporation or an “S” Corporation? You might also want to operate as a Limited Liability Company which is much like an S Corporation.…
Best Performing Stocks of 2016
Best Performing Stocks of 2016 Now that 2017 is in full swing, people are looking forward to this coming year, including the investment industry. Which stocks will be the big winners this year and which ones will leave investors shaking their heads? There is a lot still up in the air, especially with all the…
Would a Carbon Tax Make Sense for America?
Would a Carbon Tax Make Sense for America? By Kent Livingston Unless you don’t own a TV or a computer then at some point you’ve heard the so-called environmental experts and political pundits speak of the dangerous effects of greenhouse gas emissions on global warming. There are two sides to every story, but most people…
Willfully or Not, That Is the Question
Willfully or Not, That Is the Question “I didn’t know; it was an honest mistake.” “No one told me that I had to do that.” “But honestly, I didn’t understand what that meant.” Do these phrases sound familiar? Of course, they could be applied to many different situations in life and most of us have…
Will the Wealthy Benefit From Trump’s New Tax Plan?
By Alan Olsen Trump will have a cooperative GOP house and senate and it is likely that overall tax rates for the wealthy will be heading lower starting in 2017. Therefore, now is the time to begin your tax planning. That means it’s time to put the campaign and the election behind us and start…
Why Are Taxpayers Leaving Behind Billions of Dollars at Tax Time?
Why Are Taxpayers Leaving Behind Billions of Dollars at Tax Time? The 2018 tax season is officially over. Most Americans are happy to have their tax returns in the rearview mirror. After all, nobody really enjoys doing taxes. Why is that? For the most part, it’s because doing taxes is such a complicated, frustrating experience…
What to Expect When Trading Collectibles in Foreign Auctions
What to Expect When Trading Collectibles in Foreign Auctions For many people with an abundance of money, collecting goods like fine art is a popular pastime. However, no matter what kind of goods you collect or trade you will always have to be aware of the tax side of your hobby. Many people buy, sell…