IRS Offers Small Business Tax Help.
No, Really
Business slowing down in California? Don’t worry; it’s a big world out there.
Since 96 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States, there are powerful growth opportunities in international markets. And now, it’s even easier for small businesses to become a part of the global economy , at least for members of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
On May 4, the chamber reached an agreement with the San Diego World Trade Center to provide chamber members with international trade programs and services at “significantly” reduced rates, including access to the trade center’s workshops and seminars, trade counseling, and leads and access to foreign trade missions, said Jan Sobel, chief executive officer of the Carlsbad chamber.
“We believe that many of our members are engaged in businesses that sell products and services domestically, but have never known the opportunities and methods to sell those same products and services internationally. These new relationships will provide those opportunities,” he said.
It’s not too difficult for small businesses to get into international trade. Currently, 97 percent of all U.S. exporters are small businesses, Sobel said.
For more information, contact the Carlsbad chamber at (760) 931-8400.
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The IRS Will Help, Part I:
The folks over at the Internal Revenue Service have released an interactive CD-ROM designed to assist small business.
The CD-ROM, called the “Small Business Resource Guide 2001,” contains all IRS business tax forms and publications, along with other information, such as an e-filing video and basic tax law training modules, said Susanne Sottile, IRS spokeswoman.
The CD-ROM also includes information on tax filing and reporting responsibilities when starting, expanding, closing and selling a business, she said.
The CD-ROM, developed with the assistance of the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Labor and other federal agencies, makes it easier to research tax questions and obtain tax documents. That helps to ease taxpayer burden, Sottile said.
The resource guide is free, and is offered one per customer. To order, call the IRS at 1-800-TAX-FORM or visit the Web site at (http://www.irs.gov/bus_info/sm_bus/smbus-cd.html).
The IRS Will Help, Part II:
A new Web site launched by the IRS is designed specifically to assist the nation’s 45 million small business owners and self-employed taxpayers with assistance on a wide variety of basic tax questions and issues.
The site will meet many of the needs of small business taxpayers. It provides Internet access to many IRS forms. It also offers answers to many basic tax questions, said Heather Rosenker, spokeswoman for the Small Business/Self-Employed Division of the IRS.
Other features include a calendar of important deadlines, industry-specific tax information for the construction and restaurant industries, helpful hints to avoid common tax problems, and news and events specific to small business, she said.
Log on to (www.irs.gov) and click on “Small Business and Self-Employed Community” in the left margin. Sen. Christopher S. Bond, chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business, praised the new site.
“The IRS’ new Web site is a great step forward in the agency’s quest to provide better service to small-business taxpayers,” he said. “Now, small-business owners can click online, answer questions, obtain forms, and stay up-to-date on tax issues quickly and easily.”
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Bob Baker Adds One:
A popular automotive dealer locally has added to his resume a new dealership along Car Country Carlsbad.
Bob Baker, president of Bob Baker Auto Group, announced the addition of Bob Baker Mitsubishi to his line of dealerships. The store was formerly known as Carlsbad Mitsubishi, he said.
The dealership, his 11th franchise in the county, opened May 7, Baker said.
The general manager is Chris Baker, who also runs Bob Baker Jeep. Gabe Sanchez and Moe Hassankhail manage new car sales, while Scott Knowlton is the used car manager, he said.
Please send small business items to Zion by e-mail at lzion@sdbj.com or call (858) 277-6359, Ext. 112. The deadline for the June 11 issue is June 1.
