The Internal Revenue Service for the first time will require the nation's approximately 1 million tax preparers to register with the federal government, with a large percentage of them having to pass competency tests and stay up-to-date on tax laws by taking 15 hours of classes a year.
Christmas on ... Independence Day? Determined to avoid a repeat performance of last year’s lackluster sales, retailers have moved up “Christmas creep” even earlier than usual, stocking shelves with gifts during the summer months.
Picture a muscled bully snatching candy from a skinny kid. That, according to aggrieved entrepreneurs at the American Small Business League, is what’s going on in federal government contracting – where big conglomerates are grabbing almost $60 billion a year that’s supposed to be going to small businesses.
Wilma Erwin is fuming. Despite an 18-year track record of paying her bills on time, the retired principal got a notice April 15 from Discover Card that her card's 10.99 percent rate will jump to 15.24 percent.
For almost half a century, attorney J. Harlan Stamper has sorted through U.S. tax law. He's only recently stepped back from preparing other people's returns.
You see the B12 bus go by in the Bronx and an ad for Jackson Hewitt Tax Preparation services saying, "Loan money now; get your money right up front," with the image of a smiling family. Or you get something in the mail talking about how you will get a free Metro Card, or how you can instantly get a refund loan without having to wait for the IRS.
