Author: Tony Novak
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US citizens were sold out by 227 deplorables today
Today is a sad day for our nation. 227 elected Republican party congressmen voted to support a bill that cuts the taxes of the wealthiest 1% by Trillions of dollars and increases taxes for many low income people. Even more shocking, the voted to increase the national debt by an an amount that we cannot…
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How to save money on workers compensation insurance costs
Three primary and effective strategies are available to help small business owners reduce the cost of workers compensation insurance: Qualify for an exemption from coverage Qualify employees for a better rating category Arrange employee benefits to be specifically excluded from taxable wages. (This strategy reduces both wage taxes and workers compensation insurance costs). The details…
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Just say NO to tax reform that increases public debt
What they told you: “The average family will save $1,182 a year under our Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” What they didn’t tell you: The cost of the massive public debt incurred by giving away almost $2 Trillion to the top 1% will hurt you far more than the measly $1,182 tax savings. The wealthy pay…
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QuickBooks “Pay Bills Online” (New feature)
I just set up and tested the internal “Pay Bills Online” feature of QuickBooks. Actually this is an integration between QuickBooks and Bill.com. The benefit is that bills can be paid without leaving the accounting software. (Prior to this I had to pay bills on my bank web site and then enter the payments manually…
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How to defeat tax reform (short version)
(This is the short version of a longer blog post.) Here are two easy ways to help defeat this proposed tax reform legislation: 1. Contact these seven Senators on Twitter to voice your concerns: Lisa Murkowski @lisamurkowski John McCain @SenJohnMcCain Jeff Flake @JeffFlake Rand Paul @RandPaul Susan Collins @SenatorCollins Bob Corker @SenBobCorker Ron Johnson @SenRonJohnson…
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The clear and simple path to defeat this tax reform bill
**A short version of this blog post is posted here.** The post was updated 11/15 to reflect Senator Johnson’s opposition. Republicans in Congress have an obligation to their ultra-wealthy backers to pass a tax reform package that the majority of Americans do not want. While most of us recognize that tax reform is a good thing and…
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18 reasons to oppose the tax reform bill
The U.S. Congressional tax reform plan is still evolving and its effects are still under analysis. Yet it is already easy to take a stand against the bill form a high level analysis of public policy principles as outlined in #1 to #5 below. Objections to specific effects on taxpayers are listed starting at #6.…
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Community-supported dock-to-table seafood launch
Today I launched the Philadelphia area’s first (as far as we know) attempt at a community supported dock-to-table seafood venture for Nantuxent Seafood. The intent is to test the water on this concept that has worked well in other regional markets. If this initial small project is successful in gaining 150 supporters then I’m sure…
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Odd experience with employee benefit documents
Over the years I’ve collected sample employee benefit documents from former employers, the IRS, insurance and investment companies, members of Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc., and my own clients. They’ve been loaned back and forth and changed, mashed, updated and reviewed many times. They used to be posted in an online library but I don’t…
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How to cope with out-of-network medical providers
A friend asked a question about coverage with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. This is not a carrier I run into often in the areas I work but it is a major insurance in the region. A description of Highmark Blue Cross plans and 2018 rates is published online. The question was what to do when…