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- Written by: American Buildings Co.
As an authorized ABC Builder, Dierssen Contracting Corp. will have access to American Buildings’ engineering and design expertise, industry-leading technology and quality metal building products.
“Business today is about partnering, where we work together to achieve mutually successful business goals and objectives. We are extremely careful about choosing the right partners and are excited about our future with Dierssen Contracting Corp.,”said Ray Napolitan, president of American Buildings Co.
“Each one of our authorized builders has access to a variety of sales, marketing, engineering and design tools to ensure their businesses function at the highest level,” Napolitan said. “The success of our authorized builder network is driven by their local market knowledge paired with the unparalleled training, technology, products and services offered by American Buildings Co. It’s a partnership that is built for success.”
Andy Dierssen is the president of Dierssen Contracting Corp. The company has served the Lake County area with custom engineered construction for more than eight years.
The company can be reached by telephone at 916-224-1525. For more information about Dierssen Contracting Corp., email
Authorized ABC Builders can receive hands-on marketing support to aid them in prospecting and lead generation.
Additionally, ABC’s proprietary TALON design and pricing software enables its Builders to design and price virtually any customized building and generate accurate price quotes and drawings in minutes.
Each project designed with TALON includes a comprehensive set of drawings and documentation that helps Builders quickly and easily show their customers exactly what their building will look like before it is erected.
To ensure all of its authorized builders are intimately familiar with its custom engineered metal building products, American offers extensive training programs covering every aspect of metal systems construction from planning through completion.
These programs include steel erection training, which provides an intensive combination of classroom and hands-on experience in every aspect of on-site erection and installation of American’s products and hands-on application of American’s design and pricing software, TALON.
In 2007, American Buildings Co. was acquired by Nucor Corp., a Fortune 200 company. Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Nucor is the largest steel producer in the United States and has not experienced a loss quarter or a layoff due to lack of work in over 40 years. Nucor was recently honored by Forbes Magazine as the number one company in America’s Best Big Companies Honor Roll. Nucor is also North America’s largest recycler of steel.
For more than a half-century American Buildings Co. has been pioneering the design, manufacture and delivery of metal buildings and roofing systems that set the industry standard. From industrial and commercial structures to tailored projects for the automotive, retail and transportation industries, the ABC family of more than 750 authorized builders has the expertise to exceed expectations for custom engineered metal building projects in a variety of industry segments.
Headquartered in Eufaula, AL, with engineering and manufacturing centers located throughout the U.S., ABC delivers a proven combination of products, technology, and customer service to accurately execute projects on time and on budget.
For more information on American Buildings Co., visit their Web site at www.americanbuildings.com .
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- Written by: Internal Revenue Service
WASHINGTON, DC – Individuals and businesses making contributions to charity should keep in mind several important tax law provisions that have taken effect in recent years.
Some of these changes include the following.
Special charitable contributions for certain IRA owners
This provision, currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2009, offers older owners of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) a different way to give to charity.
An IRA owner, age 70½ or over, can directly transfer tax-free up to $100,000 per year to an eligible charity. This option, created in 2006, is available for distributions from IRAs, regardless of whether the owners itemize their deductions.
Distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans, including SIMPLE IRAs and simplified employee pension (SEP) plans, are not eligible.
To qualify, the funds must be contributed directly by the IRA trustee to the eligible charity. Amounts so transferred are not taxable and no deduction is available for the transfer.
Not all charities are eligible. For example, donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are not eligible recipients.
Amounts transferred to a charity from an IRA are counted in determining whether the owner has met the IRA's required minimum distribution. Where individuals have made nondeductible contributions to their traditional IRAs, a special rule treats transferred amounts as coming first from taxable funds, instead of proportionately from taxable and nontaxable funds, as would be the case with regular distributions.
See Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), for more information on qualified charitable distributions.
Rules for clothing and household items
To be deductible, clothing and household items donated to charity generally must be in good used condition or better.
A clothing or household item for which a taxpayer claims a deduction of over $500 does not have to meet this standard if the taxpayer includes a qualified appraisal of the item with the return.
Household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens.
Guidelines for monetary donations
To deduct any charitable donation of money, regardless of amount, a taxpayer must have a bank record or a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution.
Bank records include canceled checks, bank or credit union statements, and credit card statements. Bank or credit union statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the amount paid. Credit card statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the transaction posting date.
Donations of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction.
For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity.
These requirements for the deduction of monetary donations do not change the long-standing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more. However, one statement containing all of the required information may meet both requirements.
Reminders
To help taxpayers plan their holiday-season and year-end giving, the IRS offers the following additional reminders:
Contributions are deductible in the year made. Thus, donations charged to a credit card before the end of 2009 count for 2009. This is true even if the credit card bill isn't paid until 2010. Also, checks count for 2009 as long as they are mailed in 2009 and clear, shortly thereafter.
Check that the organization is qualified. Only donations to qualified organizations are tax-deductible. IRS Publication 78, available online and at many public libraries, lists most organizations that are qualified to receive deductible contributions. The searchable online version can be found at IRS.gov under Search for Charities. In addition, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and government agencies are eligible to receive deductible donations, even if they are not listed in Publication 78.
For individuals, only taxpayers who itemize their deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A can claim deductions for charitable contributions. This deduction is not available to individuals who choose the standard deduction, including anyone who files a short form (Form 1040A or 1040EZ). A taxpayer will have a tax savings only if the total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, charitable contributions, state and local taxes, etc.) exceed the standard deduction. Use the 2009 Form 1040 Schedule A to determine whether itemizing is better than claiming the standard deduction.
For all donations of property, including clothing and household items, get from the charity, if possible, a receipt that includes the name of the charity, date of the contribution, and a reasonably-detailed description of the donated property. If a donation is left at a charity's unattended drop site, keep a written record of the donation that includes this information, as well as the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation and the method used to determine that value. Additional rules apply for a contribution of $250 or more.
The deduction for a motor vehicle, boat or airplane donated to charity is usually limited to the gross proceeds from its sale. This rule applies if the claimed value is more than $500. Form 1098-C, or a similar statement, must be provided to the donor by the organization and attached to the donor's tax return.
If the amount of a taxpayer's deduction for all noncash contributions is over $500, a properly-completed Form 8283 must be submitted with the tax return.
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- Written by: California Board of Equalization
These online products are a cost effective, convenient way for taxpayers to learn about the BOE tax programs and how to comply with California tax laws.
The virtual seminars are designed specifically to enhance the in-person attention taxpayers can get through sales and use tax classes offered in BOE offices, and seminars offered throughout the state.
The BOE will soon offer a total virtual one-stop-shop option for small business fairs and nonprofit seminars. The site will include links to the agency's seminar partners: Franchise Tax Board, Internal Revenue Service, Employment Development Department, U.S. Small Business Administration, and other local, state and federal agencies.
The site will offer contact information, presentations, videos, audio recordings and more.
The BOE will provide to its community partners, online educational and learning product training and facilitation guides on how to use the products as a convenient resource.
In turn, the community partners will be capable of assisting their clients in using the BOE online products.
Virtual seminars are currently available for the following five programs: basic sales and use tax; nonprofit organizations; small business fairs; eFile; and retail sales of cigarettes and tobacco products.
For more information on the BOE online tutorials, visit www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/tpsched.htm .
Chairwoman Betty T. Yee was elected to her post in November 2006. Her district includes many of California’s coastal counties, from Del Norte to Santa Barbara, and includes the entire San Francisco Bay Area.
The five-member California State Board of Equalization is a publicly elected tax board.
The BOE collects more than $53 billion annually in taxes and fees supporting state and local government services.
It hears business tax appeals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax appeals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes.
For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit www.taxes.ca.gov .
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- Written by: Editor
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Howard's Grotto in Clearlake.
The menu will include chicken picatta, prime rib and the shrimp linguini for dinner choices.
The cost is $20 per person.
Come and meet the chamber's new board members.
The maximum number at the dinner will be 30 people; please RSVP by calling the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce at 707-994-3600.