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When then-majority leader Nancy Pelosi said "we have to pass the bill [Affordable Care Act, or ACA for short] so you can find out what is in it," she wasn't kidding. The law, which is now more than 6 years old, contains confusing terminology that we're still trying to decipher. What's more, there are significant conflicts in the terms used for ACA compared with other federal laws.
Here are some examples ... and hopefully some clarity.
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Wellness Programs for Your Small Business
The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 83% of large employers (200 or more employees) offered wellness programs and that 46% of small businesses also offered wellness programs. Companies of all sizes offer these programs to encourage employees to get and stay healthy, which has the effect of reducing absenteeism, increasing productivity, and reducing the company's health care costs. If you're a small business owner, here are some of the considerations in deciding whether to start, expand, or change your wellness programs in 2017 so you can get ready now.
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What to Do if You Can't Pay Your Employment Taxes?
Cash is tight and you are in a quandary about whether to pay your quarterly employment taxes to the federal government or pay your supplier for inventory you need to stay in business. A rock-and-a-hard-place barely describes the dilemma. Here are some thoughts on what to do.
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What to Do Now about Your 401(k) Plan
Many small businesses have 401(k) plans in place to help employees save for retirement. And even solo entrepreneurs may use such tax-advantaged retirement plans to shelter their profits and build up a retirement nest egg for themselves. Looking toward 2017, now's the time for certain actions to be taken. Here are some to consider if you have a 401(k) plan or are thinking of setting one up.
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What Does a Trump Presidency Mean for Small Business?
Congratulations to Donald Trump, who is now the President-Elect. With the election in our rear view mirror, now's the time to focus on the future. Here are some of the areas of concern to me, and what's ahead for small business.
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What to Do about Drugs in the Workplace
The numbers aren't good. The number of employees testing positive last year has increased steadily over the last 3 years, and is up to a 10-year high, according to Quest Diagnostics. The analysis of testing nearly 11 million workers also found that marijuana positivity increased 47% since 2013.
The problems for companies with employees who are impaired include absenteeism, loss of productivity, more accidents, more health insurance claims, and other problems that translate into significant costs for the companies. Further complicating the matter is the growing state-level legalization of marijuana.
What's an employer to do?
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Holiday Giving at Work
The old expression "I gave at the office" is something to consider at this time of the year. Owners are thinking about what to give to employees, managers are mulling over gifts to those they supervise, and rank-and-file employees are considering giving to each other and to owners and managers. Here are some office-gifting considerations.
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Impressions of China: A Business Perspective
A recent 12-day vacation in China gave me some insight into what's going on there.
The Great Wall was truly great. And the break from my work routine was very helpful.
The trip also gave me the opportunity to learn a thing or two about business in China.
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Gratitude on this Thanksgiving
Gratitude is defined as "the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness." There's been research showing that practicing gratitude can be beneficial to your health and satisfaction. On this Thanksgiving, I'm feeling a lot of gratitude for many things and I'd like to share them. Here are some famous quotations on the subject.
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J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes 2017
I'm proud to say it's the 23rd year of the original publication, and it's all new for 2016 returns and year-round tax planning. As had been my practice, I've written my own book review to explain the purpose of the book, what's new, and what's ahead --
find it here.
Tax season is just around the corner! Why wait? Get the expert help you need now.
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Tax Credit for Hiring Veterans
Many employers have come to learn that veterans make excellent employees. They usually are easily trainable and possess desirable characteristics, such as honesty, loyalty, and responsibility. If these attributes were not enough to induce employers to hire veterans, the tax law offers even more.
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5 Changes to Information Returns - Coming in January
The year 2017 may seem like a long time from now, but it will be here before you know it. There are some important changes impacting businesses required to file certain information returns. The sooner you gear up for this tax responsibility, the easier your filing responsibilities will be.
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IRS Enforcement of the Affordable Care Act: What It Means to Small Businesses
Small businesses and the self-employed are getting hit with higher health premium costs, and businesses that are required to provide health insurance for their employees also face daunting IRS compliance and reporting, which can be burdensome and expensive due to the complexity of the Obamacare law.
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Hear My Recent Radio Conversations with featured guests:
Dave Fuller, author of "Profit Yourself Healthy" discussing why small business owners are overwhelmed and what they can do about it;
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You don't want to miss out!
"100+ Big Ideas for Your Small Business"
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Best Small Business Blog 2016
by FitSmallBusiness.com
and is included in this excellent list of
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December, 2016 | Copyright
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Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc.
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