TaxMamas TaxQuips: Reviews and Recommendations

Small Business Software

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:28:00 -0700

Today TaxMama hears from Leah in Georgia who wants to know. “What is the best small business tax software? I have doubts about QuickBooks and Quicken for business.”

Dear Leah,

Hmm…I can understand your doubts about QuickBooks and Quicken as tax software, since neither of them are. They are bookkeeping programs. Tax programs, for professional use, include software like ProSeries, Pro fx, Drake, ATX and more, programs you can find here: http://taxsites.com/software.html

Are you asking about the best software to use for bookkeeping? That’s a different matter. The best software depends on the level and complexity of information a company needs. You can get accounting programs costing several thousand dollars, or just a couple of hundred dollars. http://taxsites.com/software2.html

You’re right about Quicken. I see it used for business. But the reports are a total pain. Too much personal stuff gets mixed into it. It is terrific for managing and understanding personal finances. And it has some nice features I particularly like. But..no – not for business.

Personally, for working with small business offsite, I prefer QuickBooks online.
http://www.taxquips.com/index.php?id=552

Why? Without having to visit the client’s office or business location, I can do all the bookkeeping from my office. We can get on the phone and look at the same information at the same time. They don’t have to stop working, while I have their books – and I am not limited to the accounting adjustments in the accounting back up of QuickBooks.

Besides, everyone seems to be traveling for business these days. My clients can log in from anywhere in the world and enter their daily cash expenses, or issue checks.

It’s gotten much faster and more versatile than it used to be. AND, now you can convert a regular QuickBooks file to the online version when you set it up. That was not a possibility in the past.

The software has always been flexible. You can always make entries for prior periods, out of order – so you don’t have to wait until you have all the check information or invoice information. You can correct entries when you reconcile the checkbook. And if you learn all the capabilities of the system, you can use QuickBooks for just about any kind of business and generate just about any kind of reports. Those are just some of the reasons why I prefer it.

Stay tune to TaxQuips #1269 the comments from other tax and accounting professionals for their favorite software.
http://taxquips.com/index.php?id=1269

And remember, you can find answers to all kinds of questions about bookkeeping and other tax issues, free. Where? Where else? At TaxMama.com

[Note: If you were subscribed to the e-mailed TaxQuips, you’d be getting other exciting news and tips by e-mail, that never appear on the site. Please click on the subscribe link and join us.]

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online
TaxSites.com :: List of Tax Software
TaxSites.com :: List of Accounting Software
TaxQuips #552 :: Review of QuickBooks

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Corporate Myths About Filing Tax Returns - and Extensions are due!

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:28:00 -0700

Someone brought something interesting to my attention yesterday. And he made a good point. I’ve noticed it, too, especially in the nature of questions I get from readers who’ve set up a quickie corporation.

Folks who’ve incorporated, but never really got around to using the corporation seem to think they don’t have to file anything. Uh, unclear on the concept? Look, you set up a corporation. You alerted IRS that you exist by getting your federal ID number. IRS is looking for paper. They don’t know that you didn’t do a thing; that you never even opened a bank account; that you didn’t sell a dime’s worth of products or services.

How is IRS supposed to know that? Only if YOU tell them. That means you must file a tax return. Even if it’s all zeroes. And you have to file it by March 16th this year.

If you don’t really know what to do, at the very least, buy yourself 6 months of breathing space. File an extension. That would be Form 7006. It’s automically approved. No explanations needed. That will give you time to get advice and help, if you need it.

To make sure that your extension is received by the IRS on time, the best way to do this is to file electronically. Get 25% of by using this link with coupon code taxmama25. http://snurl.com/filelater

For those with corporations that have actual activity – like, running a real business, you may find yourself having to pay money with your extension. http://snurl.com/filelater is designed to let you pay electronically and to get a receipt for the payment. The neat thing about the way they’ve set up the payment system is that the money comes directly from your bank, instead of via a credit card – no ‘convenience fees’!

Although many states accept the IRS extension, the state in which you’ve incorporated may not. Look up your state’s rules here. You’ll also find links to the right state forms.

Incidentally, you can use http://snurl.com/filelaterto file your personal extensions and get an electronic receipt, too. Those are be due on April 15th.

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online
FileLater :: Convenient Extension service for business and personal returns

What Would You Tell Obama?

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:08:00 -0800

When filling in for an absent guest with Brent Clanton this week, he asked me an interesting question. “What if President Obama came to you right now and asked your advice on how to re-start the economy? What would you tell him?”

What would YOU tell him?

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online

Redistributing the Tax Burden - and the Wealth

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:44:00 -0700

In the course of addressing the concept of people helping each other, and this presidential campaign where the candidates talk of pushing the tax burden on the very rich, the top few % of the population – there’s a great deal of criticism or sarcasm. Marx’s concept of ‘FROM each according to his ability; TO each according to his need’ which was so brilliantly, and scornfully exposed in most of Ayn Rand’s novels doesn’t hold true in today’s economy.

Today, the average ‘taxpayer’ is working more hours than ever on jobs that are paying less than ever before. They are not slacking off. They are not freeloaders. They just aren’t earning what they are worth. The median income level for 116 million American households for 2007 was $50,233
http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf
Can you really support a family of four on that in an urban area where just the rent/mortgage is about $14,000 per year?

IRS statistics (2005) show that less than 3% of the population has income over $200,000.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/05in01hi.xls (and less than 3 million people with net worth of $1.5 million or more.)

The problem is, among the 1/3 million taxpayers whose net worth is over $5 million are many executives on Wall Street and publicly held corporations who have been paid millions of dollars for doing a sub-standard, or even criminal job – or for selling sub-prime loans, knowing the homeowner would never be able to make the payments when the honeymoon rate ended. These people are not the Randian or Nietzschian superman who perform to top standards or create great works.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/04in01pw.xls
Since they won’t have to face legal fees or criminal prosecutions, do you really mind if they pay a little extra tax to cover the cost of unemployment, health care, and housing for those whom they’ve bankrupted?

In an interview with the Libertarian candidate Bob Barr on one of the news shows last weekend, he was asked what he would have done if he were president during this troubled time. Barr said one of the first things he would have done is to instruct the attorney general to start some criminal investigations in the misconduct by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (Why haven’t I heard anyone else say that?) One of his press releases says , “We need an independent investigation of the money spent and tactics used by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that enabled them to so abuse the public trust.”

I don’t know very much about this Libertarian fellow who used to be a Republican Representative from Georgia. What he does tell us about himself is – that Bob Barr supports firearms, and is for marriage for everyone. But doesn’t even mention a woman’s right to chose on his list of issues at all. (Don’t you want to know which way he leans?) He is an advocate of less government – in keeping with the Libertarian philosophy.
http://www.bobbarr2008.com/about

Let’s face it, we all like the idea of less government – and having the government stay out of our business. In fact, we just saw the results of the government staying out of the mortgage industry. They stopped overseeing the transactions and removed the regulations. Did the market forces take care of things themselves? Heck no! Perhaps the laissez faire concept doesn’t work as well as theorists think it should?

Barr does want to reform the tax system, perhaps replacing income taxes with a consumption tax, like the Fair Tax System. It’s like a national sales tax of 23% (wow!). As a consumption tax, it’s a regressive tax. The burden is higher on the taxpayer who spends the largest percentage of her income on consumables – poor and middle class. Sure, the wealthy may pay more in absolute dollars (think of the tax on a yacht). But as a percentage of their income, the Fair Tax is a small percentage. I’d still rather see a flat tax on taxpayers and businesses – where everyone who earns more than 2x or 3x minimum wage pays a fixed amount of tax. Period. With no fudging or cheating, the overall tax rate can be lower.
http://www.fairtax.org/

Hey, this is neat. The Fair Tax folks compared McCain’s and Obama’s tax plans to the Fair Tax.

By the way, looking at the IRS statistics from 2005 tax returns, have you come to realize that Barack Obama wants to shift the largest part of the tax burden for the entire country onto the shoulders of about 3 or 4 million taxpayers? As angry as we might be at the country’s current economic situation, that’s impractical and ridiculous. We need a president who’s in touch with financial reality.

We’ve already talked about McCain’s proposal to switch health care costs and choices directly to the taxpayer by giving each household $5,000 to cover the cost of over $12,000 worth of premiums for a family of 4. What a clear understanding of family finances that is!

Unfortunately, so far, none of these candidates make me feel secure about our future.

Please, please, someone tell who we can trust to lead our country?

We’re getting down to the wire and I can’t figure out who is going to the least damage if elected!

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online
Census Bureau Reports :: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
IRS Stats :: Analysis of 2005 Tax Returns
IRS Stats :: Top Wealth Holders of $1.5 million or more 2004
Bob Barr, Libertarian Presidential Candidate :: Call to Investigate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Bob Barr, Libertarian Presidential Candidate :: About Bob Barr and his policies
The Fair Tax :: A National Sales Tax of 23%
The Fair Tax :: Comparison of Presidential Tax Plans

Shameless Promotion Month

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:01:00 -0700

Since this is Shameless Promotion Month, I suppose I’m obligated to promote myself – shamelessly.
So let’s see what’s going on this month, OK.

1) Join me and some extremely interesting speakers at Knotts Berry Farm on September 25-27th at NATP California’s Annual Conference and Meeting. I’ll be teaching two workshops on exciting things like preparer penalties and how to do a terrific client interview so you glean every bit of useful information from your client – to keep their taxes the lowest possible, legally. You’ll learn all about this year’s Tax Court Exam (they only offer it every two years); reporting issues for same-sex marriages; the mortgage relief rules – and all the California and Federal updates.
http://taxquips.com/index.php?cat=TaxEducation
http://taxquips.com/index.php?cat=TaxEducation

2) The live class for the EA Exam Review is wrapping up. We’ll be finished by Saturday the 20th. Don’t despair. All the recorded and written lectures are available for Enrolled Agent candidates to use to help you pass this year’s exam on a self-study basis. You can still team up with study buddies around the country – heck, around the world! (I am hearing from students every day about their experiences passing each successive segment of the exam.)
http://irsexams.com/board/blog/irs_exam/index.php?cat=7

3) I will be recording a video series of tips for small businesses in October for a powerful and fascinating small business site to launch next year. The good news is, once they are placed on a new site launching next year, you’ll have access to them at no charge. In fact, you’ll have access to top of the line information from a dozen business experts on the same terms.
(links to come)

4) I need to finish up the proposal to McGraw-Hill who wants to issue a new edition of Small Business Taxes Made Easy. Next year, you’ll get a book filled with tips to help you build a business properly, and take the best tax advantages.
http://www.taxmama.com/AskTaxMama/book/

5) In the meantime, I’ll be updating the ever-evolving e-book, The 100% Home-Based Business Solution
and teaming up with Tom Buck, CPA to package it with his recorded audio lecture series – and a monthly webinar we will present jointly to help small businesses deal with your tax questions.
(links to come)

6) I am recording a one-hour interview with Ed Gandia, of www.TheProfitableFreelancer.com to go with a kit for folks contemplating starting their own business. It will be out this year.
www.TheProfitableFreelancer.com

7) This month, I will be recording two video courses for The Learning Annex – one is the “Do-it-Yourself Offer in Compromise”, the other is 10 Businesses you can Start Cheaply – or even for free.

8) You will find TaxMama quoted in dozens of major publications (print newspapers, magazines, trade journals and online) over the next few months, since I speak with at least one journalist a day.

There’s probably more…when I remember, I’ll add it in.

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online
NATP-California Chapter Annual Conference and Meeting ::
TaxMama's EA Exam Review Course :: Take the Self-Study Course
TaxMama's Book :: Small Business Taxes Made Easy
TaxMama's evolving e-book :: The 100% Home-Based Business Solution

QuickBooks 2008 - Update - additional Resources

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:23:00 -0800

NEWS FLASH!

QuickBooks releases useful customization tips compiled from feedback Intuit’s received from experienced QuickBooks customers.

Here are three customization videos on YouTube that you could use as well.

Basic Customization

Additional Customization I

Additional Customization II

——-

Ah yes, just what the world needs –
another edition of QuickBooks. Sigh.

You know how I feel about “if it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it”, right?

And last year, I told you, for the first time, QuickBooks 2007 is a must-have.

So, do you think that I’m about to recommend an upgrade two years in a row?

Well, it all depends.

If you’re using some version of QuickBooks now – and you’re happy with it and understand how it works, and can do what you need to do – stay where you are.

For those of you who are using QuickBooks right now, and who find it confusing, or who often have questions about how to use a feature or what to do – YES. Absolutely!

Also, if you’re one of those people in business for yourself, who can’t seem to get your billing together and get invoices sent out until months later – you’re losing money. And YOU need the new edition of QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier Edition 2008 is all about help.

Help – There’s a permanent Help tool that you can keep open in the right-hand column. Whatever you’re working on, it will give you tips. Intuit has learned more about context-sensitive functions. So, whatever field you’re in, in whatever form or screen, the Help tool will display links to explanations specifically about that. Another new feature – you’ll be able to click a link that takes you directly into the QuickBooks Community Site. The link will take you directly to right discussion page. Oh, I nearly forgot. There’s a video tutorial you can watch to walk you through a variety of tasks.

Road Map – In fact, when you open your company’s QuickBooks 2008 file, you’ll see a string of icons highlighted, to walk you through the ‘what do I do next?’ maze. Just mouse-over any icon to see the whole workflow.

Set-up – When you set up a new business now, the QuickBooks development team has cut the steps down from about 100 to about 30. They’ve come to the realization that you can make some decisions as you go along, once you have a better grasp of your company’s needs.

Invoicing – (available in Premier only) There’s a vastly improved time tracking function. When you finish a job or project, or week, or day, or whatever your billing increment is – you’ll be able to press a key and produce all your invoices, ready for your review. Once you’ve made your adjustments for time or expenses you don’t want to bill; or for things/functions that have special prices (higher or lower) – just click that key and it will e-mail all your invoices to your clients. In fact, using QuickBooks new Online Time Tracker (sold separately) you can integrate it directly with your Outlook appointment/time tracking software. So you’ll only need to enter time and related out of pocket expenses once.

Mileage – Incidentally, did you know that they added a mileage tracker 3 years ago, that integrates into the billing system?

Outlook Integration – QuickBooks 2008 integrates client data, e-mails and other from Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express – so you can enter all the data into one place and save a lot of time and keypunch errors.

Unit of Measure – It’s always been a pain to enter something as an “Item” being sold in certain quantities, like one unit, or a box, or a pound – then end up selling it as a pair, or a case or a carton or a package deal. You’ll easily be able to set up instant conversions.

Reports – You’ll be able to generate pretty reports with graphs and charts to get a visual feel for how your business is doing. You’ll also be able to see key account balances at a glance, right on the screen.

Business Plan – (available in Premier only) – You can create a business plan, projecting income and expenses for up to 3 years. Of course, it’s exportable to Excel for any further tweaking and prettifying. And you can create a PDF version so you can lock the data in and share it with managers, investors, bankers, etc.

Multi-User – There’s a 3-user version which can be expanded up to 5-users with a Local Area Network (LAN) and additional upgrades.

Visiting Folks – Before you go to see a client, vendor, employee, or other office, simply pull up their record in QuickBooks 2008. It will link you to a map, with driving directions, which you can print out, complete with the address. In fact, if your travels take you to several people – just change your “from” address to the previous stop’s location – and you can print out directions for each stop of your day.

Internet Visibility – Last year, Intuit introduced their partnership with Google Ads. You got:

1) Integrated Google AdWords – new users would get a $50 in AdWords credits
2) Integrated Google Maps – users could easily create a Web presence by listing their businesses on Google Maps
3) QuickBooks Product Listing service – which would allow businesses to list their products on Google Base so they’d show up on Froogle, etc

This year, with their new WebListings, that’s been expanded to include Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, Yellowpages.com and superpages.com. And all the business has to do is enter their data once, and it populates all those local listings

Accountants – The Accountants version is also backward compatible with 2007 and perhaps a couple of other years. Like 2007, your clients can keep working and making entries while you make your adjustments – no matter how long it takes. BIG IMPROVEMENT – your clients can create an accountant copy with a press of key AND e-mail it directly to you, with ENCRYPTION.

Incidentally, there are 5 free webcasts you can attend to learn more about how to use QuickBooks 2008 – and get CPE. You can get 1-2 hours of CPE, depending on the workshop. Click here.

Get your copy of QuickBooks 2008 here.

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
Reviews and Recommendations :: QuickBooks 2008
TaxMama's QuickBooks Shop ::
QuickBooks Training with CPE ::
Free - QuickBooks Training :: Basic Customization
Free - QuickBooks Training :: Additional Customization I
Free - QuickBooks Training :: Additional Customization II

8 QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN PARENTS AND THEIR ADULT CHILDREN

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:22:00 -0800

By Sally A. Dalton, EA in Orgeon, Ohio

Mom & dad getting older? It’s not easy to discuss your parents’ wishes for the future, but it may be one of the most important talks you’ll ever have.

1.Who are your doctors? In the event of a medical crisis, you should know who their doctors, therapists, dentist, and pharmacists are. Also, you should have a list of the medications that they are taking and the results of the latest tests.

2.What medications are you taking? Get a list of prescription drugs, vitamins, supplements and over the counter drugs as well as any allergies. Keep an annual
update of this list.

3.What do you want me to do when you can’t make your own decisions about your health? Your parent should have a living will-a legal document that spells out their end-of-live wishes-is a must. Also, a durable power of Attorney for health purposes is also a must. This enables a person of their choice to make medical decisions when your parent is not competent to do so. Give copies of these forms to your parents’ doctors and close family members.

4.Where do you keep your financial papers? Reassure your parents that you don’t need to know their assets, just where they keep the important information. Social Security and Medicare info, pensions, investments, interest. Bank account numbers, credit card numbers, insurance policies, location of any safety deposit box and any debts should be kept in one file.

5.Where do you think you want to live? There are many options-home health care aides, assisted living, retirement communities and nursing homes. Knowing
what you parents want and can afford helps in making the decision when that time comes. Your parents have visited friends in alternative living situations and have some sort of opinion about where they would like to live. It may surprise you, but most parents do not want to live with their children.

6.What is your goal in life right now? How do your parents want to spend their golden years. Do they want to live long enough to see their grandchildren married and to meet their great-grand children? Do they just want to be around if they can tend to their garden? Do they want to travel? Is golfing necessary for their happiness? Find out what your parents can’t live without and then you’ll have an insight into what decisions to make on the tough life or death issue.

7.What type of final arrangements would you like? This is a tough topic to discuss with your parents. But knowing if they have pre-planned or pre-paid their
funeral expenses and what funeral home, is a topic for parents and children to discuss. What cemetery, do you have a plot, do you want to be buried or cremated? If you know the answers to these questions then you will be less vulnerable to the sales pitch of a funeral home owner. This is a discussion for the entire family, so that everyone understands your parents’ wishes.

8.How do you want your possessions distributed? The object here is to honor your parents’ wishes and to also keep peace in the family. In a perfect world, there would be a will instructing how all possessions should be distributed. Without a will, family members can get into very heated arguments over who gets what. Remember, if there is no will, the government will get their share and some judge may decide how the estate will be divided. This leads to family fights and
Permanent severed relationships. At least, discuss their most sentimental items and who they want to inherit them.

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online
Reviews and Recommendations ::

Emergency Tips

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:20:00 -0800

Looks like we’re having really bad weather all over the country. I am hearing from many people about bad storms and power outages.

If you’re in an area where storms are about to hit this winter, please do whichever of these things is approporiate to your situation:

Cut tree limbs – if there’s anything near your home, porch, garage, etc. – cut them off now, before the next storm hits.

Look at your tree trunks to see if there are any cracks. In high winds, large branches or entire sections of trees will come crashing into your home.

If your area normally floods, or if you’ve had fires or erosion near you – pick up sand bags NOW and start filling them and placing them to protect your home. You can’t place them properly during a storm – the ground where you should have place them is too unstable.

Does your area have tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.? If you don’t have storm windows, it’s time to get them and install them. Same with areas that haven’t had high winds like that, but have started to have them.

Get a generator, candles and lots of batteries. Make sure your generator is fully fueled – and that it works.

Get extra batteries for your laptop, just in case you can’t plug it in for a few days. It may help you communicate with the outside world – and perhaps even keep working, if your power goes out.

Oh, yes, get a decent transistor radio, or portable radio – with batteries, so you can tune into emergency broadcasts.

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
www.TaxQuips.com :: The number ONE free tax podcast online

ThinkGeek.com

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:33:00 -0700

The other day I got this e-mail from . It talked about a watch that had me drooling.

Not only is this watch water-resistant to 20 meters, it’s also a USB memory storage device that holds 2 GB of data!

Of course, I can only wear one watch at a time, so it’s out of the question to splurge on this, right? But the very the next day, my watchband broke – so I’m free to order this now! Ain’t life grand?

Then, exploring the site, I came across Dr. Who’s Sonic Screwdriver. Can you just see Rick with this? My husband is an avid Dr. Who fan. In fact, he introduced me to The Doctor, in all his many manifestations, when we first started dating.

Who’s your favorite Dr. Who?

They’ve got the coolest gadgets and stuff here. Some of which is really useful, too. Like the spy camera inside the lighter. Shades of James Bond?

There’s generally something on sale. That’s a good place to start.

DEFINITELY ONE OF THE FUN PLACES TO VISIT!

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
TaxQuips :: The number ONE tax podcast online
ThinkGeek :: Clearance Sale

AN APOLOGY FROM FARMERS? Hardly!

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 08:05:00 -0700

This is in response to the e-letter I sent to Farmers Insurance’s President, Paul N. Hopkins

The subject line read: Paul N. Hopkins – Consumer Complaint

I got the following apology from someone named, Bill Matlock. I believe that he is Farmers State Executive Director. But I could be wrong. He didn’t include his signature, title or contact information in his apology e-mail. In fact, he didn’t even include his name. I got that off the e-mail address.

Here’s what he said (with analysis):

Mrs Rosenberg,
[note: not even a ‘Dear’ – am I being chided or am I getting an apology?]

On behalf of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, we apologize for the inconvenience this matter has caused you. We will work accordingly with Mr. Ramano [note: he spelled the name of his own agent incorrectly] to have your husbands [Note the punctuation] name removed from their mailing list.

We take great pride in professionally representing the insurance industry in all facets and meeting the needs of the clients that are a part of the Farmers family.

Again, I truly regret the inconvenience this matter has caused and if you wish to further discuss, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

[Note: That’s it. No name, nothing more – and certainly NO contact information!]
—-

Did you see what is glaringly missing here? No?

Read my response, then:

Dear Mr. Matlock,

Thank you for your note.

I appreciate your clearing us off your rolls.

But this is a bigger problem.

You haven’t addressed the company policy of permitting, or encouraging, your agents or brokers to send out sensitive information on postcards or other publicly visible media.

If this were just about me, I wouldn’t have addressed my ncerns to the president of your company. (Still waiting for a response.)

I would appreciate getting a response about your corporate policy on this practice.

[No response from him, Farmers Insurance’s president, or their public relations folks. I did, politely request a reply by yesterday, so I could post it today. Naturally, I assumed the reply would be – ‘Oh goodness! We had no idea this was going on. We will immediately issue a directive to stop this behavior in the future.’

Really. I AM naive enough to believe in the integrity and goodness of corporate executives. Am I being silly again? ]

Note: Discussion of this issue is going on here:
http://taxquips.com/index.php?id=483

Someone else is not happy about the way Farmers
does business either. It’s almost as if they
want me to register a complaint with the State
of California’s Insurance Commissioner,
Steve Poizner to address advertising ethics.
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/

What do you think?

Ask TaxMama :: Where taxes are fun and answers are free
TaxQuips :: The number ONE tax podcast online
Tax Insider :: Open Letter to Farmers Insurance
TaxQuip #483 :: Personal Violations