For more than sixty years every U.S. president since Franklin Roosevelt has declared the month of March Red Cross month and asked that Americans show their support by donating whatever they can. Each year millions of dollars are raised and put towards helping Red Cross help others. Donating your car is a great way to help raise money, show your appreciation and provide significant resources for such a wonderful organization.

Your car donation will go toward helping Red Cross assist those who need them most nationally and worldwide. For more than a century Red Cross has been responding to nearly every emergency imaginable including everything from house fires to natural disasters. In order to continue to offer their services Red Cross depends on donations from generous Americans. The car donation program is a great way to give back because it allows you to get rid of something that you no longer need at no cost to you while giving Red Cross access to resources that are essential to being able to respond in an emergency.

Helping those in need requires planning, organization, dedicated volunteers and resources. While volunteering may not be an option for most donating a car can be Being able to provide assistance when its needed which is often at a moment’s notice requires planning when it’s not. A car donation helps Red Cross get the essential materials such as blankets, foodstuffs, first aid kits and more that are often needed during emergency situations.

It’s amazing how much good a fast and effortless car donation can make one phone call or the click of a mouse can do. Donating your car is a great way to help and it’s free and easy.  By donating a car that no longer runs or you no longer want to Red Cross you could be helping a family in need find shelter after a fire or giving a child access to much needed first aid. Your vehicle donation can even end up helping you during a disaster. Help make this Red Cross month one to remember and donate your automobile.

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St. Patrick’s Day may have passed but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop being green. Spring is very near and you may be trying to decide what to do with your old car, why not donate your car to a green charity? When you donate your car to an environmentally friendly charity you’re doing much more than earn some extra money on your taxes. You are helping to improve the condition of the planet by reducing pollution.  

Green charities recycle donated cars and disposed of whatever leftover materials there may be safely and efficiently which creates a healthier living space for all us. The metal portions of the car are usually melted down and turned into new materials. The fluids that kept the car going while it was being used like the brake and wiper fluid, oil and antifreeze are disposed of safely as to prevent them from leaking into the air and soil. Junk yards don’t dispose of the liquid materials or leftover scrap metal; instead the car is compacted down to a large blob of metal and left to decompose while damaging the planet for many years to come. Donating your vehicle to a green charity that will properly recycle the materials can prevent such unnecessary events from occurring.

If you’re thinking about holding on to your old car that is no longer in the best condition because the weather is breaking don’t risk the possibility of breaking your back and your wallet and you’ll finally be able to work on it, don’t. Often times car improvements done at home don’t go as plan if they ever happen at all. During the process of attempting to fix the car harmful chemicals can leak into the soil and damage the ecosystem if not properly handled. Not mention the money that may be thrown away on a car that wasn’t worth repairing. Save yourself some time and money by donating your vehicle to the green charity of your choice today.

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 When setting up a new business you can choose from several legal business forms :

• Sole Proprietorship
• General Partnership
• Limited Partnerships (LP)
• C Corporation
• S Corporation
• The Professional Corporation
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)

Please note:  There is not one “do all, end all” business entity type that is right for all situations.  Sorry, but every situation is different and may require a particular  business type that is more beneficial in your particular circumstances than other entity types.  How do you know which  business type is best for you?  This is a major area of importance whereby you  should seek “  legal counsel” and do your own due diligence.  There is probably no area of business planning that I have seen that people make the wrong decision than the area of the type of entity choice.  Seek “wise counsel”.

Warning:  The following general narrative description of each entity type is not intended to be a complete comprehensive study of each entity type.

 1.  Sole Proprietorship:  The  best advantage of operating a new business as a sole proprietorship is that it is simple and does not require any formal action to set it up.  You can start your business today as a sole proprietorship – there is no need to wait for an  legal counsel to  create and file documents or for the government to approve them. 

 Of course, you may need an industry specific business license, and a few states require you to register to do business.   On the county level you can register the name of your business as a D.B.A (Doing Business As).

 When you run your  new business as a sole proprietorship, you are the business.  As the owner, you will be personally liable for any debts or taxes of the business or claims, such a legal damages resulting from a lawsuit.  This is the main reason why many entrepreneurs  opt for a different form of entity.

As a sole proprietorship, the business’ income and deductions are filed on Schedule C attached to your Form 1040.  You also pay self-employment tax on your business net income. Their are many benefits however when it comes to small business tax deductions.  It would be wise to investigate these  tax deductions in advance of your business formation choice.

2.  The General Partnership:  When you enter into an agreement (verbal or written with another party to do business together) you are acting in Partnership with one another.  The business is operated as if it were one person.  This is like the sole proprietorship, except with twice the  risk .  Each is responsible for everything each of you own, owe, do and have done.  You have joint and several liabilities with your partners.  This means you are completely liable for everything, whether you are involved or not.  The partnership files a separate tax return Form 1065 and each partners’ respective income flows to their personal return via a K-1.

 Partnerships are a lot like marriages; they usually start out with a great deal of trust but have a high break-up rate.  Be advised that partnerships are easy to get into, require a lot of patience and understanding to live with, and are often costly and painful to get out of.

 3.  Limited Partnerships:  LPs are pass through entities that have the same basic characteristics as a general partnership expect that the LP has limited partners who typically have neither liability for business activities nor management responsibilities.  These limited partners are liable or at risk only to the extent of the amount they have invested in the LP.  The general partner, having responsibility and fully liable for the activities of the partnership, provides full direction and management of the LP.

 The LP files a separate tax return Form 1065 and each partners’ respective income flows to their personal return via a K-1.  The general partner, however, may be an entirely different form of entity and reports its respective share of income via a K-1, also.

4.  The Corporation:  A Corporation is a separate legal entity overseen by state law.  It operates through its bylaws as well as resolutions written and adopted by its shareholders and directors.  It must not function as the alter-ego of its stockholders.  In other words, you must remain separate from your corporation.  Corporate formalities (the flow of activity and paperwork) must be followed to maintain a corporation as a separate legal entity.  The main reason most businesses incorporate is to limit owner liability to the amount invested in the business.  The Corporation files its own tax return (Form 1120) and pays its own taxes on the business net income.  

5.  The “S” Corporation:  The first thing to understand about S Corporations is they are just like any other corporation in terms of corporate law requirements, limited liability of shareholders and all other corporate aspects, except regarding tax treatment.  Once a corporation has elected to be treated as an S corporation, its shareholders will generally report their share of the corporation’s taxable income on their personal tax returns.  The S Corporation files Form 1120S, and each shareholder respective income flows to their personal return via a K-1.

 6.  The Professional Corporation:  Although most of us consider ourselves a professional in our field, there are select groups that the IRS considers “professional”.  These professionals of health, veterinary services, law, engineering, architecture, accounting, actuarial science, performing arts, or certain consulting services are admired so much that when incorporating, they are required to file as a Professional Service Corporation (PSC).  This PSC is also admired with its own flat tax rate of 35%. ( Yikes!)  Your options for relief as a PSC are few but effective.  The S Corporation is a viable alternative.

 7.  The Limited Liability Company (LLC):  The LLC is a relatively new form of business organization that offers advantages and benefits not otherwise obtainable when operating as an S Corporation or partnership.  The LLC combines the corporation characteristic of limited liability for all investors with the income flow-through attributes of a partnership and offers flexible allocation of profit and loss. 

As an LLC, you have to elect how to be taxed:

• Proprietorship (Available to only single member LLC)
• Partnership
• C Corporation
•  S Corporation

Please note:  Do your due diligence in choosing the proper legal and tax form of business entity.  Some business structures can create  unneeded taxes.  It would be  very wise to investigate all of the small business tax deductions that are available.  Also, keep in mind that you may want to and be able to  change business entity types during the  duration of your business.     Last but not least , you should also consider the tax ramifications within your chosen entity type of your “exit strategy”.

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Social media has become an integral part of all of our daily lives. Simply put, it’s any online space where people interact with people. You may be a part of Twitter, Facebook or MySpace or at least know someone that is. The internet is a place for the young and old to connect and the Red Cross, at one hundred twenty-seven years young, has made its presence on the web. The Red Cross has been connecting with people through the aid, relief and support they have been offering people who are victim to diaster. Just as the Red Cross depends on the generosity of people who donate money, blood and time, the Red Cross looks to car donation to fund their life saving services. If you are interested in helping a worthy cause and are surfing the web for the right organization, when you donate a car to the Red Cross your vehicle donation helps the Red Cross help people during their neediest times.

The internet has its good and bad points, but one of its greatest benefits is its bringing attention to the work non-profit organizations do. The Red Cross and its familiar symbol may seem to need no inrroduction, but people may not be aware of the Red Cross’ vehicle donation program. Like other organizations in need of funds, the Red Cross looks to people who can donate a car to charity to help them meet the needs of thousands of people afflicted by disaster. Wherever there is loss due to fire, flood or any calamity, the Red Cross is on the scene meeting the basic needs of people suffering with blankets, food or temporary shelter. As people may not know that the red Cross works with auto donation, they may also be surprised to know that the Red Cross is a non-government agency. They depend on car donation to bring much needed funds to meet those needs and more. Car donation helps the Red Cross’ army of volunteers reach out to more communities during their times of need. As the Red Cross builds its presence through social media, you can help them get the word out about car donation by passing the word on as you travel the web. And if you find yourself with a car you no longer need, donate a car to the Red Cross and help them expand their reach.

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Though the first major winter storm of the season is over, the clean up is just beginning and it may be awhile before we see soil again. With some parts of the northeastern coast getting up to two feet of snow, people are busy digging out driveways sidewalks and cars. If that unwanted car sitting in your driveway or yard for months now has become a nuisance as you dig it out, it’s not too late to donate a car to the Red Cross. If you can dig it out, the Red Cross needs your car donation to keep providing the life saving services they offer people who are in need of relief during disaster. Just as they depend on other donations to keep them going, the Red Cross has a vehicle donation program that helps fund the services they provide to people at their most dire time of need.

The Red Cross’ life saving services are needed by thousands of people all year long, however, this need intensifies during the winter months and especially after a record breaking storm. House fires are on the rise during the winter and with it are the number of people who find themselves homeless and in need of basic essentials. Red Cross volunteers can be counted on to come to the aid of people of have lost their home to fire, providing blankets, food and temporary shelter. The Red Cross works to teach people about misusing sources of heat in their homes during the winter, but they are also there when disaster strikes. They depend on people who can donate a car to charity to help them take care of the people who come to their shelters in need of the warmth of a blanket and hot food. During the winter the Red Cross puts up shelters for people stranded during a blizzard or whose home has lost its power. When you donate a car to the Red Cross, your vehicle donation is a roof over the head of people stranded during a storm or homeless due to fire. The Red Cross has been gearing up for the cold weather and you can help them help others this winter with your car donation. Your car donation can provide food and a roof over the heads of people who would have nowhere to go without the Red Cross. Don’t get stuck digging out that unwanted car the next time the snow starts falling. Donate a car to the Red Cross and skip all that hard work while reaching out to someone else.

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The Red Cross’ mission is to provide relief, aid and support during someone’s hardest time. For more than a hundred years, the Red Cross has been willingly and ready to help the American people when a disaster occurs natural or otherwise. Whether suffering from loss of home and property due to flood, hurricane or fire, the Red Cross provides food, essentials and shelter to victims. If you are struggling financially and feel a meager donation can’t possibly make a difference, the Red Cross accepts auto donation to help fund the life saving services they provide. When you donate a car to the Red Cross your car donation provides funds that would otherwise be lacking if they only depended on monetary donations. Thanks to vehicle donation, the Red Cross can continue to meet the needs of victims of disaster.

The Red Cross is not a government agency and has relied on the generosity of the American people to continue serving victims of disaster. The Red Cross needs people who can donate a car to charity. In addition to their support during disaster, the Red Cross also teaches preparedness and prevention and without car donation their volunteers would not be able to reach out to communities across the country. The Red Cross’ programs that teach preparedness and prevention focus on safety inside and outside the home. Especially during winter, when house fires increase, the Red Cross strives to help people use safe sources of heating in their homes. Your car donation brings much needed funds to the Red Cross, helping them expand their volunteer program and keep more people safe during winter. Vehicle donation means the Red Cross can provide blankets, personal items, food and more to the people who have lost their homes and belongings to fire, flood or any disaster. At a time when many organizations are seeing a loss in monetary donations due to the economy, auto donation has become more important than ever to the Red Cross. If you think you can’t afford to donate to charity, you can lend a hand to the Red Cross
When you donate a car.

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In pursuing the dream of lower taxes, it is never necessary to resort to tax cheating, risky loopholes, or even to question the legality of the tax  system .  There is a big difference between cheating, loopholes, and tax saving/reduction strategies.

 If you do not understand another word I say, understand this:  “It is not what you earn that matters, it is what you get to keep that counts!!!”

Tax cheating is understating your income or claiming tax deductions for assets that you don’t own or expenditures that you never made.

Risky loopholes, on the other hand, are gray, mostly untested areas of the tax law that allow you to claim “default deductions” that Congress and the IRS probably would have ruled against had they had the foresight to see the possibilities.  Since a specific “no” does not exist, you create a loophole by saying, “yes” to a  grey area  deduction.

One question that I am asked over and over again by small business owners, “Is paying taxes really patriotic, and moral?”  For some unknown reason people seem to confuse our tax system with the United Way, whose slogan is “Pay Your Fair Share”.  By following the tax laws and  rules when you use tax saving and tax reduction strategies, you automatically pay your fair share, even if your fair share amounts to zero.  YES, ZERO.  For example,two neighboring families, each with a $30,000 annual income and two  kids , could both be paying their fair share of income taxes, even if one family paid $5,000 in taxes and the other family paid absolutely nothing at all.  It is the way the American tax  code was designed.

The question of legality and morality of small business tax deductions was settled once and for all over 40 years ago by the United States Court of Appeals in an opinion written by Judge Learned Hand.

”Anyone may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be low as possible.  He is not bound to choose a pattern that will best pay the treasury.  No one owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.”

This  legal decision should govern both your tax plan and your tax attitude.   

Rearranging and designing your affairs to create small business tax deductions where you had none before is the key to paying fewer taxes.

“It is not what you earn that matters, it is what you get to keep that counts!”

Please note: There is not “one” big tax deduction in the sky that will reduce your taxes like you want, it is through the use of combinations of tax strategies that taxes  can be reduced.

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When the weather warms up, Goodwill Industries does even more to help the Washington, D.C. community. . Summer in this city can be cruel and at times unbearable but business must continue and Goodwill wants to make sure that as many people as possible will be working this summer. In fact, Goodwill does many of its biggest and best events in June, July, and August. The theme this summer, according to those in charge, is to get people out and helping any way possible. Sure, they might ask you to donate a car or something of the like, but really it is about making the most of your resources. Goodwill is going to be hosting more and more donation drops this summer, where you can go drop off anything that is valuable that you don’t need anymore.

These things, like clothes, electronics, and furniture, will be sold in the Goodwill thrift stores and also given to community members to help out in times of need. Though most people can’t donate a car and they can’t help out with huge amounts of money, any little thing will help. This summer will also bring about a more dedicated effort in the vehicle donation program. For those people who might be looking to donate a car, the advertisements will be running on how to make that happen, and it is important that you take the chance to make a donation if you are able. Money and resources are needed in order to earn resources for the many new programs that are going to be coming out in the new year, in addition to the things that are already taking place. Goodwill Industries knows all about the challenges that it is facing, as well as some of the limitations that go along with living in this day and age. Still, they are going to be going forward with all of the community efforts that have been helping D.C. in the last couple of years, especially the unemployment services.

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With Christmas only a week away, if your still searching for the right gift or even in need of holiday supplies like paper and ribbon, Goodwill® has a lot to offer. Though you might have shopped the Goodwill® stores, for convenience Goodwill® has an eBay site. The site offers combines the best of Goodwill’s® products with the eBay style of bidding. You bid what you want to pay for the item of your choice. Shop Goodwill® stores for a huge selection of toys and books for kids that won’t drain your wallet. If you have a jewelry lover on your list, Goodwill® receives daily jewelry donations that are in the display cases in their stores as well as the eBay site. And for the amateur chef in your life, you can find just about any kitchen item you’re looking for at a Goodwill® store. If you’re finished with your holiday shopping and ready to sit back and relax, you might be able to give Goodwill® a gift this holiday season with a car donation. Though vehicle donation is especially vital during the holiday season, Goodwill® works with auto donation all year long. When you donate a car to Goodwill®, your car donation enables Goodwill® to work their mission each and every day.

Goodwill® has been the leader in training, employment and career services for over a century. Meeting the demands of thousands of people who come through the door of Goodwill® seeking training to help them find a job requires a steady flow of funds. It has become harder to meet that demand as more people find themselves in need of help due to the economic downturn. Vehicle donation has become a valuable source of donation money for Goodwill®. Many people who find themselves with an unwanted car would like to donate a car to charity but are unsure about how to go about it. Auto donation takes little time and gives so much to Goodwill®. Thanks to auto donation, Goodwill® can offer a variety of training programs that meet the goals and abilities of the disabled and disadvantaged community. Once they have completed a Goodwill® training program, many people find work in the field of their choice or right within the heart of Goodwill® in a Goodwill® store or working in customer service. With your car donation Goodwill® is able to continue its mission that began as helping the poor find gainful employment and now encompasses teaching life skills like financial management as well as help finding day care. Today you can shop or donate a car to Goodwill® – either way you can brighten the holidays for someone in need.

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Christmas is one week away and while many people are scurrying about in preparation for the holiday, the residents of southeastern Louisiana are trying to find food and shelter. Heavy rains have flooded people out of their homes and closed several roads and schools and it continues to fall. Currently the the Red Cross’ Lafourche Parish shelter has distributed over one hundred seventy clean up kits, two hundred seventy-six meals and five hunred fifty-two snacks since the floods began. The rain continues and the shelter will be open as long as it is needed. Flooded sewer systems throughout the affected parishes are backed up and many residents are without power. You might think that the shelter is jammed packed with so many clean up kits, meals and snacks but those numbers are for twenty-seven people. Just imagine how those numbers grow with so many people in need of the Red Cross’ services every day. Keeping up with the demands during disaster is grueling, but with the help of people who can donate a car to the Red Cross they can reach out during hard times. Car donation has become a vital source of funding in order for the Red Cross to continue to provide critical assistance to people when they are in desparate need of relief. If you have a car you no longer need, you can donate a car to a one of a kind organization that plays an unparalleled role during disaster.

Though many organizations have turned to vehicle donation in order provide important services to the communities they serve, the Red Cross helps people survive and recover during traumatic disaster. When Clara Barton witnessed the life saving work of the Red Cross while visiting Europe, it became her mission to bring these humanitarian services home to the United States. More than a century later, Barton’s mission not only brings aid, relief and support to people here but around the world. Floods, hurricanes and fire leave thousands of people homeless each year. The Red Cross is a non-government agency that depends on the generosity of everyone and auto donation is one way anyone can help.
When you donate a car to the Red Cross your vehicle donation makes it possible for them to supply victims of disaster with food, hygiene items and shelter they need. As the rain continues in Southeast Louisiana and you make your holiday preparations, if you can donate a car to the Red Cross you will be giving someone the gift of relief when they need it most.

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