As business owners know, we are smack dab in the middle of tax season. Yay! But with the tax code spanning over 70,000 pages, most entrepreneurs don’t have the time to comb through it to figure out which tax credits are available. Have no fear, FindLaw is here. Before you scramble to submit your tax return the day before its due, consider these three business tax credits that could really pay off for you:...
For some small businesses, legal compliance can often be a point of contention. Depending on what type of business is being run, the location can make a big difference when it comes to which regulations are enforced. For example, on the local level, a business located in a residential area may have to worry about things like a noise violation. In addition to all the local ordinances that small businesses have to keep up with, there are also the larger, state and federal level violations that even small businesses are subject to....
Many divorcees wonder about how to reduce spousal support, or alimony. When are you allowed to request a reduction or modification? If the conditions under which spousal support payments can be changed, reduced, or terminated are not specifically addressed in a divorce agreement or court order, then the paying spouse may be able to go to court and show that circumstances have changed to support a modification or reduction in spousal support....
Yet another court has ruled on FedEx’s ongoing legal dispute regarding the employee status of its drivers. Small and medium-sized business owners should once again be paying close attention. The latest ruling comes from the Kansas Supreme Court. Similar to the ruling by a federal appeals court earlier this year, the Kansas Supreme Court held that hundreds of FedEx drivers who the company had claimed were independent contractors were actually employees under Kansas law....
Almost half of the United States is suffering from extreme heat, and millions of people are experiencing power outages. For tenants in apartments without power, they have the option of suffering through the heat in their units or going out and spending time at a place where there is air conditioning like an indoor mall or a friend’s house. But tenants who have no choice but to remain home may be wondering if they have any recourse for their suffering in the dark....
It’s great to be able to communicate with so many people all over the world using the Internet. But it also means that there are more opportunities for defamation, or people publishing false and injurious comments that result in damages after lawsuits. You can sue a website for the defamatory statements it posts to a limited extent. But Facebook can’t be blamed for the inane things people say on it all the time....
The death of a close friend or family member is often very difficult emotionally. You would probably like to retreat and deal with your grief immediately. But someone has to make sure that everything is organized. That is why it’s a good idea to know about what needs to be done before the unfortunate but inevitable occasion actually arises. There are important practicalities to address immediately after a person close to you passes away....
Are your frequent flier miles taxable? This is the question that stumped many consumers who received 1099 tax forms from Citibank. The bank sent the forms to customers who opened a checking or savings account last year and received American Airline miles. The bank asserts the airline miles can be taxed. Is that right? Or, is Citibank crossing a line? Unfortunately for consumers it’s likely the former. David Lazarus, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, delved a little deeper into the issue....
Now that Detroit’s filing for bankruptcy, what’s next? Many people may be unfamiliar with Chapter 9 bankruptcy, in part because they are filed infrequently. With more than $18 billion in debts, Detroit’s recent Chapter 9 filing is the largest in U.S. history. Here are the next steps in the Motor City’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy process: By the end, the city will need to win support from creditors for its reorganization plan....
General Motors is recalling more than three-quarters of a million cars because of safety issues linked to six front-seat fatalities. But GM also blamed some of the deaths in part on drivers themselves. GM announced that the 778,562 affected cars are at risk for the ignition switching out of the “run” position, turning off the engine “and most of the car’s electrical components,” Reuters reports. How do these GM cars suddenly shut off, and which GM vehicles are affected?...
A fatal fall from a golf cart ended a young Illinois man’s life on Sunday, reminding us just how dangerous golf cart accidents can be. Stephen Canfield, 20, was found by police around midnight after falling out of the back of a golf cart. Canfield suffered a broken neck which killed him, reports the Sun-Times Media Wire. The cart’s driver and two other passengers were not injured, but police suspect alcohol may have been involved in the incident....
It’s no secret that getting a divorce can be expensive. But it doesn’t have to break your bank. And one of the many potential ways to keep divorce costs down is to be less combative with your soon-to-be ex and be more collaborative instead. A collaborative divorce is one in which the parties use mediation and negotiations to settle contested issues in their divorce rather than battling it out in the courts....
Paying for employee health insurance can take a bite out of a small business’ budget. That’s where the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit can come into play. The tax credit is specifically designed to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations cover the costs of employee health insurance, NJToday.com reports. It can be especially helpful if you’re a small business that’s offering employee health care for the first time. However, not all small businesses can claim the health-care tax credit....
Starting a business is no simple task. It takes money, planning, time, effort, more money, fine tuning, and gumption. Unfortunately, business owners can let all that they’ve worked to accomplish be put at risk if they’re not ready to withstand, fight, and pay for lawsuits. Whether it’s a contract dispute from a vendor, a customer slip and fall, or a wrongful termination case, being on the receiving end of a lawsuit can be a nightmare....
We’ve all heard the adage: The easiest way to start a fight on a plane is to ask the person next to you how much they paid for their ticket. We’re so used to airlines charging passengers different amounts for essentially the same seats that we don’t even discuss it. Dynamic pricing, known also as price discrimination, is the practice of charging different prices for identical products. So is it legal for airlines and other companies to engage in price discrimination?...
There are a couple reasons you want to hire the best possible employees. First, you want the best ideas and the best production. Second, if they’re working for you, they’re not working for the competition. But what if your competition already got their hands on them? Is poaching a competitor’s employees illegal? For the most part, you’re allowed to hire anyone who wants to work for you. But in certain cases, hiring someone who’s already working for a competitor can get you in trouble....
Yesterday on the House floor in Washington DC, lawmakers took their cues from TV, after an amendment intended to protect LGBT rights was narrowly voted down. Shouting, “Shame! Shame!” Democrats blamed Republicans for extending the vote until it failed, pressuring representatives, and snatching “discrimination from the jaws of equality.” Shouts of “shame” were in reference to a dramatic scene from Game of Thrones in which a queen is forced to walk naked in the streets....
Sometimes you come up with a great idea for yourself, sometimes you come up with one for someone else. Or maybe you don’t have the resources right now to take advantage of your good idea, but someone else does. So how do you make sure you’re taken care of while someone else takes care of your big idea? A licensing contract or agreement can allow you to share your intellectual property and get compensated if someone else is making money off your ideas....
When married couples get divorced, the non-custodial parent must contribute financial support. Child support can be agreed upon between parents or court ordered, depending on how contentious the divorce is and the extent of disputed issues. The amount a non-custodial parent will have to pay is determined based on the family’s financial circumstances, or ability to pay, and statutory guidelines. When circumstances change the support order can be adjusted to reflect new realities....
Political Scandal has hit New York…again. In the saga that brought an evidence tampering investigation against New York Governor David Paterson, the aide involved in the domestic dispute will now face assault charges. The Halloween 2009 incident involving Paterson’s aide David Johnson, and his then-girlfriend Sherr-una Booker will result in misdemeanor charges for Johnson. The story behind the story in this case involves David Paterson’s role in the domestic ordeal. Although ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing (but the investigating judge did note that Paterson showed poor judgment in dealing with the situation), Paterson called Booker after the incident – a phone call that brought suspicion of witness tampering, according to Reuters....
