What is the difference between a home repair and a home improvement? As defined by the IRS, an improvement lasts for more than one year and adds value to your home. There are exceptions, such as when the upgrade is no longer part of your residence. (Ex. You installed wall-to-wall carpet years earlier and then replaced it with wood flooring.). In cases of fire damage and natural disasters, all work applies, from the smallest repair to the largest addition. Knowing these details is especially important when you plan to sell your home because it may help reduce the taxes you owe on profit.
Author: Debra Watkins
Health Care Free Market?
Exactly what does it mean to have a health care free market? According to Farzon A. Nahvi for the New York Times, it would involve an adjustment in our sensibilities about life and death. He based this assessment on the patients sent to his ER by well meaning bystanders who called EMS when they found people unconscious on the street. As a community are we prepared to look the other way and not try to help?
Talk, Talk
Every been tempted to confide in one of your team members about a work issue, or felt it necessary to share the personal problems of another employee with the group? According to Liz Ryan for Forbes, this is never a good idea. Ten Things to Never, Ever Tell Your Employees offers a straightforward look at best practices for management and communication in the workplace. Everyone is human, but when functioning as a manager, it’s important to remember that guarding yourself and your employees should be your first priority.Why The Back Story Matters
It’s no secret that companies spend millions on branding and advertising, but having an actual story of the entrepreneur’s ‘climb to success’ may boost sales even when people don’t initially like the product. According to Charles Duhigg for the New York Times, Yoplait Learns to Manufacture Authenticity to Go With Its Yogurt. Yoplait yogurt, a subsidiary of General Mills, continues their journey in an effort to produce a sense of authenticity for their new product Oui. Single-serve yogurt, created in the French style served in a glass jar.
Will these changes finally give the company the historical connection they’ve been seeking?
Have you tried Oui? Leave your impressions in the comments section.
Money Managers In Your Best Interest
Are you in the market for a financial planner? Turns out that there are numerous kinds to choose from and even with current laws stating that they must do what is in your best interest, that’s not always what happens. Before you sign on the line, read this detailed article from the New York Times. Before You Pay for Financial Advice, Read This Guide. It offers links to further information and even a fiduciary pledge.
Networking How-To
Want to make the most out of your next networking event? From researching your targets ahead of time to the three point stance, Bill Rader for Forbes offers a succinct list of tips and tricks that will help you gain new connections and see them through to your benefit. Effective Networking Requires Work. How To Make The Most Of Every Event
Short-Term Rentals
Ever thought about renting your home for holiday travelers or summer vacationers? Or maybe during a music festival or race? There are tax implications that come with this type of real estate. Before you take the plunge, read this informative article by Mike D’Avolio, CPA, J.D. for the Journal of Accountancy.
How To Become Rich
Here in Austin especially, there are plenty of wealthy people who don’t wear the latest fashions or drive the best cars, an indication that they may already know the ten “secrets,” Jocelyn Black Hodes offers in her article for MarketWatch.com, 10 things rich people know that you don’t.
Taxes?
What do you think about taxes? Are they a good way to support public services? How do you vote when raising or lowering taxes is on the ballot? What would you do without, say, your public library?
In the current anti-tax climate, some towns are finding it hard to produce enough money to keep even basic city services afloat.
Where Anti-Tax Fervor Means ‘All Services Will Cease’
Try It Then Buy It
Try it before you buy it at Sephora! The nations number one speciality beauty retailer has added all kinds of new touches to their in-store shopping experience. For example, see yourself in all kinds of lashes, experiment with a range of perfumes, or let a stylist apply foundation from their large collection. In a selfie obsessed and friend critiquing world, this allows the customer to get a feel for the cosmetics before they make a purchase. It also inspires shoppers to spend lots more time in the store. Sephora is finding that the longer they stay, the more they buy.