Mediaboss Marketing

Mar 21 2012

More than 300 staff at the BBC avoid paying income tax, an MP has revealed.

Tory MP David Mowat, who represents Warrington South, said he discovered 320 "non-talent based" employees earning more than 50,000 avoided income tax.

Mr Mowat said it was "not acceptable", adding it was the BBC's Newsnight programme which had sparked the row about senior civil servants avoiding tax when it revealed head of the Student Loans Company Ed Lester had been paid via a company.

He told the Commons: "Tax avoidance matters are at the heart of this thing about us all being in this together.

"I sent a Freedom of Information request to the BBC to ask them how many employees they had who were not having tax deducted at source.

"The answer is that they have 320 non-talent based (staff), so this is administration employees, earning more than 50,000 a year but (for whom) PAYE and National Insurance is not deducted at source.

"I would ask my own frontbench, who are conducting a review across the whole of Government in terms of making sure this isn't happening but which explicitly excludes the BBC, to reconsider that."

View post:
UK & World News: 300 BBC staff 'avoid income tax'

More than 300 staff at the BBC avoid paying income tax, an MP has revealed.

Tory MP David Mowat, who represents Warrington South, said he discovered 320 "non-talent based" employees earning more than 50,000 avoided income tax.

Mr Mowat said it was "not acceptable", adding it was the BBC's Newsnight programme which had sparked the row about senior civil servants avoiding tax when it revealed head of the Student Loans Company Ed Lester had been paid via a company.

He told the Commons: "Tax avoidance matters are at the heart of this thing about us all being in this together.

"I sent a Freedom of Information request to the BBC to ask them how many employees they had who were not having tax deducted at source.

"The answer is that they have 320 non-talent based (staff), so this is administration employees, earning more than 50,000 a year but (for whom) PAYE and National Insurance is not deducted at source.

"I would ask my own frontbench, who are conducting a review across the whole of Government in terms of making sure this isn't happening but which explicitly excludes the BBC, to reconsider that."

Go here to read the rest:
300 BBC staff 'avoid income tax'

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Newspaper publishers in Missouri could have to pay more to buy paper, ink and other supplies under a measure endorsed Wednesday by a House panel.

On a 7-5 vote, the House Tax Reform Committee backed a proposal to eliminate sales tax exemptions on newspaper equipment in order to help fund state medical subsidies for people who are blind. The measure now goes to the full House.

The House is debating a budget this week that would eliminate a $30 million program that provides medical care to about 2,800 blind people and instead set aside $6 million for a slimmed-down aid program. Some House members want to use the money saved from those program cuts to reduce cuts to the state's public colleges and universities.

A financial estimate included with the legislation approved Wednesday projects that bill could generate up to $4.2 million of additional money for state aid to the blind.

House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Silvey, who sponsored the measure, said newspapers should give up their tax exemptions because some editorial boards have called on lawmakers to eliminate tax breaks as a way of balancing the budget.

"The fact that they receive this corporate welfare while advocating for the end of it for others is a bit hypocritical," said Silvey, R-Kansas City.

Silvey also said he does not think eliminating the tax exemptions would interfere with a newspaper's right to press freedom.

"To say your medium is so unique that it needs a tax subsidy or it's infringement on First Amendment rights, I think is just illogical," he said. "It's not their right to have a sustainable business model."

To calculate how much tax revenue the legislation could generate for aid to the blind, legislative analysts estimated the total annual revenue of the newspaper industry and estimated how much of the revenue is spent on newspaper supplies. The fiscal estimate projects that revenue for newspapers sold in the state totals between about $120 million $208 million each year. The estimate cites an annual report filed by the New York Times Co. for 2011 that said costs for "raw materials" and "other costs" are equal to 17 percent to 50 percent of the newspaper's revenue.

Missouri lawmakers codified the sales tax exemption for newspaper supplies in 1998, two years after the state Supreme Court ruled that computers used for newspaper pagination could not be taxed because pagination is part of the manufacturing a newspaper.

Read more:
Mo. House panel backs end to newspaper tax breaks

A decrease in the amount the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau receives from Marietta's hotel and motel lodging "bed" tax would be detrimental to the CVB's efforts to promote the region, according to bureau executive director Jeri Knowlton.

"If our 3 percent portion of the tax is cut, it's going to diminish our effectiveness and limit opportunities to promote this area," she said. "And that would be damaging to our local attractions and businesses-every shop, dining facility and hotel, because we promote everybody."

Currently the city and CVB split the total 6 percent lodging tax 50/50, with 3 percent going into the city's general fund and 3 percent to the visitors bureau, but recently city council members have questioned whether to reduce the CVB's share. It may be the right time for that, they've said, since the bed tax has risen 5.5 percent in the last year and the cut would not have as much impact.

State law dictates how much lodging tax Ohio municipalities can assess. Towns that have convention and visitors bureaus may charge the full 6 percent allowed by law, but that revenue has to be shared with the CVB.

An ordinance enacted by city council in 2007 approved the even 50/50 split of the tax with the CVB. But by state code the city could amend that legislation and take up to another half of the bureau's 3 percent share for the city's general fund.

Although there's been no formal discussion so far, some city council members have suggested the possibility of reducing the CVB's lodging tax allocation and putting that money toward the annual operation expenses at Armory Square, once that renovation project is completed.

"We've not discussed it in finance committee at all, but I know we can't just take that money and put it into the armory," said finance chair Tom Vukovic, D-4th Ward.

He said the council members will eventually address the recommendation, but would probably wait until April when the CVB presents its quarterly report to the finance committee.

Councilman Harley Noland, D-at large, an ex-officio member of the convention and visitors bureau board of directors, believes a section of the state code governing the use of the bed tax allows the CVB to dedicate a portion of its 3 percent of the tax to support a museum.

"And we will have a room for a veteran's museum inside the armory," he said. "But we could also say the entire armory building is a museum as it will be an historic preservation project."

View original post here:
Visitors bureau fights for share of tax

San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2012

The recent spate of tornadoes in the Midwest highlights an urgent need for Americans to be financially prepared for a disaster or emergency, according to Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix operations for Freedom Financial Network (FFN).

The statistics on debt are especially worrisome when it comes to being prepared, said Gallegos. In 2011, 98 natural disasters in the United States caused $27 billion in losses and left thousands of people without homes, and in some cases without livelihoods. In 2010, there were nearly 500,000 structure fires around the country. Bills from medical procedures are estimated to cause more than 60 percent of bankruptcy filings. Any of these situations could result in the loss of a job, marital stress, and a significant increase in debt, Gallegos noted.

Pre-planning is an important part of that preparation for a financial emergency, said Gallegos. Its also smart to have a sense of what to do should a disaster strike home or community.

Before a disaster

A disaster can happen to anyone, anywhere. It is impossible to be fully prepared, but these tips can help people be as prepared as possible.

1.Build an emergency fund. Everyone should set aside a portion of monthly income for savings. Individuals can establish a monthly savings goal and turn that into a "bill" to pay along with other bills. To simplify this process, a bank can automatically transfer the money into savings accounts. Emergency fund money should be kept in a savings account that is accessible via ATM card or electronic withdrawal, said Gallegos, so that even if one geographic area has a disaster, the account holder can still access the funds.

2.Obtain appropriate insurance. Home, auto, health, disability, and life insurance provide peace of mind and help people recover from disasters. People living in disaster-prone areas might consider separate flood insurance (homeowners policies do not cover flood losses). An annual review with an insurance adviser can confirm proper coverage.

3.Back up papers and information. Records of all important information that might be needed in a disaster, such as phone numbers, account numbers, bank and credit card information, is key. Storing these records in a portable format as well as in online storage will ensure they are accessible from a remote location in case of emergency.

4.Be prepared. Beyond keeping up with the news and understanding regional risks, the U.S. government recommends all residents have emergency preparedness kits (http://www.ready.gov/ includes information on what to include).

The rest is here:
Freedom Financial Network Offers 8 Tips on Planning for the Unexpected, Before and After Disaster