HomeBizNotes.com 
Tax time is approaching so you’ll want to get all your facts and figures together.  Kelly Erb at Taxgirl is sponsoring a contest, Win Free Tax Software on Taxgirl, with the prize being software from TaxAct for five lucky winners.
All you need to do is post your tax horror story in the comments section of Kelly’s blog.
So what are you waiting for? Tell us your story – what’s the worst thing that ever happened to you while filing – or the thing you hate most about filing taxes?
What’s your story?
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

The end of 2007 is approaching faster than most of us would like to think about…and that means we must consider wrapping things up taxwise.
Kelly, at Taxgirl, will be answering year end tax questions about charitable donations, individual tax planning or reporting.  For submitting your question, Ask the Taxgirl.

Kelly, at Taxgirl, gives us something to think about today on her Fix the Tax Code Friday question.  She extends the discussion about deductions that she initiated on her Problogger guest post.
Should there be a separate Standard Deduction alternative for self-employed persons?
She also has another very good post on deductions for home businesses here….  Some of this deals with the home office, a facet of taxes that home business owners definitely encounter.

Laura, at Work From Home Momma, mentioned in her comment to the previous post, Basing Your Home Business Promotions Around Themes, that business owners can begin planning for next year. 
“It’s not too late to put it [pilot theme day...or any other] on your calendar for next year, either.  Especially if you are going to purchase or make items based on the theme, you will need some lead time.”
So begin planning ahead for theme days.  Then the date isn’t suddenly upon you without your having made any products, prepared a promotion, or developed a strategy.
* Put the various dates on your calendar. 
*Look at the dates …read more

Traveling doesn’t have to deter you from your business, especially if it’s one conducted mainly on the Internet.  There are various ways you can keep on task. 
Liz Lewis, my co-author at b5’s Alzheimer’s Notes, has been traveling this month, flying first from her home in New Zealand to Spain.  Then she’ll go to New York City.  Although Liz has been away from home and her regular blogging schedule, she kept up with her posts by writing and organizing them beforehand.  Then she posted them to go “live” on specific dates.  
All I had to do was fill in on the days she wasn’t …read more

Coming in September the b5media Business Channel will sponsor a “Jump Start Your Business” contest.  Keep tuned for details as everything becomes finalized.  There will be numerous prizes and business advice offered.
Kelly at Taxgirl has some details, with more forthcoming there and at the other Business Channel blogs shortly.

Tammy Powley, who writes b5media’s Jewelry & Beading blog, has written at least two posts recently about getting the information ready for her taxes. It’s sometimes interesting and informative to learn what someone else is doing.
“This [taxes] is one of the things a lot of jewelry makers [and other home business people] don’t think about when they want to start doing jewelry and beading as a business,” mentioned Tammy
Her post, Tax Bead-Time Cometh, gives you her insight into what works for her. Tammy also mentions why she has begun having an accountant prepare her taxes.
Tammy posted …read more

Depending on the complexity of your home business, you may find you can do the bookkeeping yourself (perhaps with the help of systems like Quicken and Turbo Tax).  Or you may need the aid of an accountant to help set you up and then do the final tax preparation.
If you hire any employees, then you will have more work to do and probably will want to get an accountant’s advice.  Generally we think of home businesses as family run operations.  However, some home businesses do hire one or more employees.  With emplooyees, you have (in the US) W-2 forms to give …read more