Life Less Taxing Blog
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Are people more intense these days?
Just an observation, but are people more intense these days? Look at our Federal government. Is it necessary that our political leaders in Washington dig in their heels along party lines, drag out the lawmaking process, publicly berate each other then create complicated tax laws? Who suffers…we all do! Thanks to the recent fiscal cliff legislation signed into law so late on January 1st, our Redlands CPA firm along with all taxpayers in America had to wait until January 30 to e-file tax returns. I can’t imagine that this type of negotiation and complicated tax law is what they had [...]
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Technology tips for the New Year
Ever wonder if our lives would be better if we didn’t have all the smartphones, tablets and computers we do? Ever feel like this guy? I remember when hand held calculators came out (OK…I just dated myself a bit). This new tool gave students the ability to do math equations quickly and accurately. Those first handheld devices were a great tool. Fast forward about 35 years. The technology advances now can do so much to improve our lives. The key to make the best use of those tools is to remember what they are….tools. As you carry out your 2013 [...]
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Thanks for family
Now that the last remnants of Thanksgiving leftovers are disposed of and my clothes not quite as tight from overeating, I took a moment to reflect about how truly blessed I am for my family. When a loved one passes away, family members must deal with financial matters such settling an estate at the same time as dealing with grief. The emotions involved can often lead to some challenging dynamics. Typically one member of the family is designated by a will as executor of the estate or by a trust as trustee. Even if there’s a high level of trust and understanding [...]
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Do What Counts!
I have been converted! No…I am not referring to my religious beliefs. I no longer feel validation or importance by having a long to do list. ; It is really interesting how this conversion took place. As recently as last year I would come home from work exhausted and proudly let my beautiful wife know that I started the day with 30 items on my task list and got through more than 20 of them. I would wait for the “wow” reaction or look of pride from her. She wisely would simply nodded and smiled. Not the reaction I expected. [...]
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David to provide post-tax election advice
David will be speaking on post-election tax advice in Redlands on December 4th and December 5th. All are invited but please RSVP.
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Who ya going to call….
Wouldn’t it be great if you had someone to do those things that you don’t like to do? Let me take the question up another level. Wouldn’t it be great if you had someone to do those things so you can do what is important to you? Wait a minute..isn’t that why we have kids? In my blog post Help for a Complicated Life a few weeks back, I suggested outsourcing tasks that you do not enjoy or cannot do in a time effective way. Can this be done in a way that makes it worth the cost? I say [...]
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Time Waits for No One
This Rolling Stones song title rings true. Time continues to move and there’s no slowing it down. At the end of each day, have you accomplished all that you set out to do? I’m a time-control freak and you should be one too. When you factor in 8 hours of sleep, you really have only 16 hours to work with each day. By taking charge and organizing my day in advance and keeping my focus throughout the day, my energy can go solely into what I have scheduled and those tasks that pop up that require my immediate attention. Deadlines [...]
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Help for a complicated life
Life is complicated. Not very profound we’re only part to blame. What makes our life more complicated are those outside factors that want a piece of our time, our immediate attention or our money. Ever feel like this? In hockey, a player that scores three goals has earned a hat-trick. Fans will then throw hats on the ice to honor the feat. I hereby coin the phrase “complicated life hat-trick”. A complicated life hat-trick is an outside force that wants our time, our immediate attention and our money. Here are some examples: Your son interrupts you at work and needs [...]
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Welcome to Dallyland
Most everyone knows the story of Peter Pan originally written by Scottish novelist J.M. Barrie and made famous by Disney and stage productions. Peter Pan is the leader of the Lost Boys who live in Neverland. No…the picture below is not me in green tights and those saluting are not our hard working staff of accountants and client administrators. Let me give you a brief glimpse into life at our Redlands CPA firm over the next month. We call it Dallyland. Dallyland is a magical place where we complete any remaining individual income tax returns and efile the forms [...]
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Who’s the better President for your taxes
How do Barack Obama and Mitt Romney view taxes? Just my guess but I bet they don’t like to pay them but know taxes are needed to run a government. Who should pay them…that’s where it really gets interesting. Each candidate has stated his position publicly on various tax policies. In order to give you a chance to form your own opinion, here are links from three different sources. http://www.smartmoney.com/taxes/income/on-taxes-romney-vs-obama-1346791676707/ http://2012.presidential-candidates.org/Taxes.php http://www.grantthornton.com/staticfiles/GTCom/Tax/TF_TLU_TPU%20files/Tax_platform_comparison_final.pdf Truth is that a President cannot change tax policy on his own. If either party wins the White House and also wins a good majority in Congress, you [...]