NEW OFFICE HOURS

Emmaus office:

Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tuesday – Thursday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Friday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Our office is closed every day from 12:00 – 1:00 pm for lunch.

Bethlehem office:

Tuesday & Friday (Pick-up & Drop-off only) 10:00 AM - NOON

All other hours by appointment only.  Call 610-967-4711 for assistance.

independent contractors

With Congress pressuring the IRS to close the $300 billion tax gap (the difference between what taxpayers owe and what they pay) the IRS is taking a hard look at independent contractors.  The IRS is reminding employers that generally anyone who performs services for the employer is an employee if the employer can control what will be done and how it will be done.  An employer that classifies an employee as an independent contractor and has no reasonable basis for doing so may be liable for employment taxes for that worker, the IRS warned.

PA TO TAX MAIL-ORDER CIGARETTES

Pennsylvanians who purchased cigarettes over the Internet, or from out-of-state mail order companies, will soon receive a letter from the PA Department of Revenue asking them to pay state taxes on the purchases.    

Under the federal Jenkins Act, vendors that ship cigarettes into another state are required to release information about the purchases to state taxing authorities.   

The Revenue Department mailed cigarette tax forms and letters explaining Pennsylvania’s cigarette tax law to 4,329 people who purchased at least 100 cartons of cigarettes from out-of-state sources since January 2005.   

The department estimates that the commonwealth is owed about $9.3 million in cigarette taxes and another $1.1 million in sales and use taxes from these purchases.  These individuals purchased a total of 694,126 cartons of cigarettes; the average number of cartons purchased was 160.  If recipients of the letters respond by the due date listed, the department will waive late-payment penalties.  Deferred payment plans are available for those who cannot afford to pay the taxes they owe at one time.     

All cigarettes sold legally in Pennsylvania are marked with a Pennsylvania cigarette tax stamp on the bottom of the pack to show that the appropriate tax has been paid.  The cigarette tax is imposed on the ultimate consumer, but licensed cigarette stamping agents remit the tax, currently $1.35 per pack of 20 cigarettes, to the commonwealth.   

Possessing or selling untaxed cigarettes in Pennsylvania is illegal.  By law, Pennsylvanians may possess no more than one carton of out-of-state cigarettes (not bearing a genuine Pennsylvania cigarette tax stamp on the bottom of the pack).  However, the person who possesses the cigarettes is still responsible for paying the appropriate cigarette and use taxes to the state Revenue Department on a Consumer Cigarette Excise Tax Return (REV-791).  Cigarette purchases from Native American reservations are also subject to Pennsylvania taxes.  

Source:  http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/revenue/CWP/view.asp?Q=270889&A=208

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Weekly Tax Tips

September 6, 2010
August 30, 2010
August 23, 2010
August 16, 2010

Monthly Tips

Business September 2010
Financial September 2010

MACUNGIE RELAY FOR LIFE

Head out to Macungie Memorial Park on Friday evening, May 4th & Saturday May 5th, 2007 to support the 2007 Macungie Relay for Life!  This 24-hour walk-a-thon supports the American Cancer Society and once again, the team at Stortz & Associates will be there!  Stop by our booth, say hello and help support this important cause!

If you’d like to make a contribution to the American Cancer Society, visit the Philanthropy page of our website to make an online donation.

stortz & associates gets healthy!

Congratulations to the team members who braved the rainy, cold weather conditions on Sunday, April 15th to participate in the Emmaus 4 Mile Road Race - over 150 runners came together for a memorable event!

This year's Lehigh Valley Half Marathon & 5K was held on Sunday, April 29th.  As Presenting Sponsor for the 5K, many team members from Stortz & Associates joined hundreds of athletes from the region for a great run at Allentown's Cedar Beach Park.  Congratulations go out to our team's Kelley Young for finishing in 3rd place in her age division!

Finally, a group of about 10 Stortz team members ran a "Biggest Loser" weight loss contest from January 8 - April 13.  They collectively lost just over 100 pounds!  Congratulations to Claudia Stortz (1st Place) and Tara Shellhamer (1st Runner Up)!

NEW POSTAGE RATE

On May 14th, 2007 the national first-class postage rate will increase from 39¢ to 41¢.  Rates for boxes, parcels, postcards and large envelopes will also change - visit www.usps.com for complete guidelines.

COMPUTER SECURITY

If you share a computer with someone else or if you work in a multi-user environment where it is possible for others on your network to gain access to your hard drive, you may want to assign password protection to your sensitive accounting data.  Both Peachtree and QuickBooks allow this security setting.

Each user must be created and assigned a unique user ID and password.  You can grant different levels of access to each user.  For example, an Accounts Payable person can be limited to Accounts Payable and not have access to financial reports.  After setting up individual user accounts, you will be prompted to enter a user ID and password next time you log into your company data. 

• To start this process in Peachtree, go to “Maintain/User Security”.
• To start this process in QuickBooks, go to “Company/Set up Users”.

The first user you set up in both programs must be an administrative user with full rights to each area of the software and the ability to set up and maintain user records and passwords.  Once the administrator is set up, he/she can then add other users to the system.

• Passwords and user ID’s are case sensitive
• Avoid using ANY personal information such as name, birth dates, or Social Security numbers.
• A strong password is a lengthy one, combining numbers, symbols and letters.
• Add your Accountant as a user with full access.  This will safeguard you in case you forget or misplace your password.

DISABILITY INSURANCE AWARENESS MONTH

This month marks a nationwide effort to encourage Americans to think about protecting one of their greatest assets – their ability to work and earn an income.  Disability Income Insurance helps people cover their day-to-day expenses when disability happens and they can no longer work.  Consider these facts:

• Over half of all personal bankruptcies and mortgage foreclosures are due to disability.
• 3 out of every 10 workers will experience an accident or illness that keeps them out of work for three months or longer.
• Disabilities happen not only from accidents, but also from common injuries and illnesses (i.e. cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and back pain).
• Americans can’t rely on social security benefits to help.  Less than half of the 2.1 million workers who applied for social security disability benefits were approved in 2005.  The average monthly benefit is only $938.

Call us today for more information and rate quotes for disability insurance!