Small Business Liaisons
“We're acting to make it easier to do business in Washington"
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Upcoming events & IRS news releases 9/22/2017 Announcements & Upcoming Events: Save the Date! Biz Fair 2017 - Saturday, September 30 One day, one place - learn from the experts how to form and run a successful business at the 20th annual Washington Small Business Fair. Biz Fair 2017 happens Saturday, September 30, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Renton Technical College, 3000 NE 4th Street, in Renton. Sharpen your skills - attend seminars that cover important, up-to-date topics for all stages of business ownership. Savvy business experts share their knowledge and real-life experiences with you. Save valuable time - connect with 30 federal, state and local government agencies, and business and trade associations to get the information you need. The fair is free, with plenty of free parking and no advance registration. Visit www.bizfair.org for more information. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bizfair. IRS Tax Tools in 10… National Preparedness Month Webcasts Disasters don’t plan ahead. You can! Give us ten minutes and we’ll share some tax tools to help you prepare for a disaster. Each Friday in September IRS will offer a short web session on preparing your business for a disaster. September 22 - Calculating and Report Disaster Area Losses September 29 - IRS Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Program 10-minute sessions are available on the dates above at the following times: Session 1 – 9:00 am Mountain; 8:00 am Pacific; 7:00 am Alaska Session 2 – 9:00 am Mountain; 8:00 am Pacific; 7:00 am Alaska To register, email: SBSE.SL.Web.Conference.Team@irs.gov Include the following information in your email: · Name · Email address · Session date & time Closed Captioning will be available. Continuing Education will not be offered. Questions? Email us: SBSE.SL.Web.Conference.Team@irs.gov Small Business Administration Workshops https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/wa/seattle SBA offers a variety of workshops, some online and others in person. Check the Events Calendar for a complete list. Did you know the SBA Seattle District Office streams live webinars every second Thursday? Get your questions answered by business savvy experts from the comfort of your home or home office. The following workshops are live webinars in Pacific Daylight Time: Thursday, Oct 12 Make the World's Biggest Buyer Your Customer Through Government Contracts – 9:00 am How to Get Money for Your Small Business – 10:15 am Beyond Google: Free Market Research at Your Library – 1:15 pm Thursday, Nov 9 Choosing the Right Business Structure -- 10:15 am Small Business Owners Tax Workshop -- 12:30 pm Register, License, Go! -- 2:15 pm Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/sba-seattle-district-office-7828614365 to see the full lineup of Free Thursday Workshops through 2017. Your Home Based Business -- Start Smart – Oct 5 South Hill Library, Puyallup To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-hill-your-home-based-business-start-smart-tickets-31260533096 Also check out the SBA Learning Center for a variety of free online courses, available anytime! Here is an example of one: Financing Options for Small Businesses This self-paced training exercise is an introduction to financing options for your business. Topics include determining your financial needs, loans, grants, venture capital, angel investors, crowd funding and other financial options available to small businesses. Duration: 30 minutes SCORE Workshops SCORE offers workshops designed to give you the skills necessary to start your own successful business. Seattle: http://seattle.score.org/localworkshops Sept 27 -- Navigating the Employer/Employee Relationship: Critical Considerations Sept 29 – Taxes on Small Business Oct 4, Nov 1, Dec 6 -- Starting a New Business Oct 18, Nov 16 - Understanding Financial Statements Spokane: http://scorespokane.org/workshops Oct 4, Nov 1 – Starting a New Business Sept 27 -- QuickBooks Financial Management Nov 29 -- Cybersecurity for Small Business There are also a number of online workshops available: https://seattle.score.org/onlineworkshops/tab-a Washington Small Business Development Center Cybersecurity Workshops for Small Business Pre-registration required! Sept 27 – Bellevue (free) Sept 28 – Seattle (free) IRS Updates & News Releases: Did you know? One of the best ways to get information is by visiting the IRS Small Business Tax Center where you can learn everything from how to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online to how to best navigate an audit. Security Summit Launches Education Campaign Aimed at Tax Pros; Warns Against Phishing Epidemic with “Don’t Take the Bait” series https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit-launches-education-campaign-aimed-at-tax-pros The IRS is warning tax professionals to increase their computer security and to beware of their inbox – specifically the successful email scams dubbed spear phishing that identify themselves as a friend, customer or company. As part of the Security Summit effort, the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry next week will kick off another series in the Protect Your Clients, Protect Yourself campaign called “Don’t Take the Bait.” It’s critical that tax professionals remember they have not just an obligation but a legal requirement under federal law to protect taxpayer information. Don’t Take the Bait, Step 8: How to Start Protecting Clients, Businesses from Cybersecurity Threats The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry today offered important tips for how tax professionals can get started protecting their clients and their business from cybersecurity threats. Don’t Take the Bait, Step 9: Make Data Security an Everyday Priority; Key Steps Can Help The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry today urged tax professionals to make data security an everyday priority, noting a few simple steps can go far in protecting taxpayer information from cybercriminals. Don’t Take the Bait, Step 10: Steps for Tax Pros with Data Incidents; Tips to Help Protect Clients, Taxpayers https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dont-take-the-bait-step-10-steps-for-tax-pros-with-data-incidents The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry today reminded tax professionals that if they experience a breach or theft of taxpayer data they should immediately contact the IRS to help protect clients. IRS Issues Urgent Warning to Beware IRS FBI Themed Ransomware Scam https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-issues-urgent-warning-to-beware-irs-fbi-themed-ransomware-scam The Internal Revenue Service is warning people to avoid a new phishing scheme that impersonates the IRS and the FBI as part of a ransomware scam to take computer data hostage. The scam email uses the emblems of both the IRS and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It tries to entice users to select a “here” link to download a fake FBI questionnaire. Instead, the link downloads a certain type of malware called ransomware that prevents users from accessing data stored on their device unless they pay money to the scammers. Victims should immediately report any ransomware attempt or attack to the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.IC3.gov. Forward any IRS-themed scams to phishing@irs.gov. IRS YouTube Videos: Tax Scams: English | Spanish | ASL Private Collection of Overdue Taxes: English | Spanish IRS Provides Special Relief to Encourage Leave-Based Donation Programs for Victims of Hurricane Harvey The Internal Revenue Service announced special relief designed to support leave-based donation programs to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey. Under these programs, employees may forgo their vacation, sick or personal leave in exchange for cash payments the employer makes, before Jan. 1, 2019, to charitable organizations providing relief for the victims of this disaster. Under this special relief, the donated leave will not be included in the income or wages of the employees. Employers will be permitted to deduct the cash payments as business expenses. For more information on disaster relief related to Hurricane Harvey, see the IRS Hurricane Harvey Information Center. Beware of Fake Charity Scams Relating to Hurricane Harvey https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/beware-of-fake-charity-scams-relating-to-hurricane-harvey The Internal Revenue Service has issued a warning about possible fake charity scams emerging due to Hurricane Harvey and encouraged taxpayers to seek out recognized charitable groups for their donations. While there has been an enormous wave of support across the country for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, people should be aware of criminals who look to take advantage of this generosity by impersonating charities to get money or private information from well-meaning taxpayers. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person solicitations. Reconstructing Records After a Natural Disaster or Casualty Loss; IRS Provides Tips to Help Taxpayers Reconstructing records after a disaster may be essential for tax purposes, getting federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. After a disaster, taxpayers might need certain records to prove their loss. The more accurately the loss is estimated, the more loan and grant money there may be available. IRS Announces Five New Members for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee The Internal Revenue Service announced the selection of five new members for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). Interest Rates Remain the Same for the Fourth Quarter of 2017 https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/interest-rates-remain-the-same-for-the-fourth-quarter-of-2017 The Internal Revenue Service announced that interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning October 1, 2017.
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