vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Pulling money out of a credit card is generally a bad idea.  You'll be hit with interest from day 1, and some credit cards have cash advance fees on top of that. If you are really desperate for running up an automatic charge on your credit card to maintain use, then you have a few options: Personally, the charity route makes the most sense to me.  You can probably set up an automatic donation of less than 5 quid, and it may be tax deductible to boot.  Plus, you're helping an organization that (hopefully) is doing some good in the world.
Two points You don't really get the full 10,000 annual interest as tax free income.  Well you do, but you would have gotten a substantial amount of that anyway as the standard deduction. ...From the IRS.... Standard deduction The standard deduction for married couples filing a joint return is at $11,900 for 2012. The standard deduction for single individuals and married couples filing separate returns is $5,950 for 2012. The standard deduction for heads of household increases by $50 to $8,700 for 2012. so If you were married it wouldn't even make sense to claim the 10,000 mortgage interest deduction as the standard one is larger. It can make sense to do what you are talking about, but ultimately you have to decide what the effective interest rate on your mortgage is and if you can afford it. For instance.  I might have a 5% mortgage.  If I am in a 20% tax bracket it effectively is a 4% mortgage to me.  Even though I am saving tax money I am still paying effectively 4%.  Ultimately the variables are too complex to generalize any hard and fast rules, but it often times does make sense. (You should also be aware that there has been some talk of eliminating or phasing out the mortgage interest deduction as a way to close the deficit and reduce the debt.)
Never borrow money to get a tax deduction. Even 18 months interest free is a stupid risk to save a few $ in taxes (we're talking $1K or less in tax savings from what I can tell in your questions).
As a rule of thumb, no.  Only in very rare circumstances will it prove better than a RRSP.  The media has overplayed the usefulness of this account type for retirement savings.  That's just a general rule.  Your specific situation will make a difference but it's very easy to show that RRSPs will always outperform if the marginal rates are lower on withdrawal than when you deduct contributions from income. If you plan to use the money before retirement or you're expecting to collect GIS on retirement then you may need to look at the specifics of your situation.  If you plan to put money in a RRSP and carry forward the deduction to use at a later date then it doesn't matter whether you put it in a RRSP now or use the TFSA and transfer it later. The RRSP also has advantages of some tax treaties and creditor protection.  It (as a RRIF) can also be used after 65 for income splitting and the pension credit. An RESP can also provide a greater return as you get free money, which is always good.  There are many other things you can do with it but I'd say it's always better in a TFSA than paying tax in a regular account.   Since you pay the mortgage with after tax dollars that could be another option for the cash and it's a guaranteed return, albeit small nowadays.
Yes, but how does that compare to those with multiple houses?  I build homes in the Seattle area for a living and one lifestyle who own several rentals... One thing them do is use equity for their 4 homes to purchase another.. Writing off the the interest paid on the loan(s)...  I'm not saying it's a deduction normal people don't use... I'm just saying that it strikes me as a deduction that the wealthiest  landlords use more with better results...
I don't recommend Roth for those in the 25% bracket. If you are in the 25% bracket now, I'd suggest you go pretax and as you are planning to be in a lower bracket in a few years, use that bracket to convert. Depositing today at 25% to convert at 15% in a few years puts you that much ahead.  I understand the allure of a Roth heavy strategy. And the fuzzy crystal ball for what the tax code will look like doesn't help. That said, a retiree today who is a few years too young for Social Security will see an Exemption + STD deduction of $10,000, and a 15% bracket ending at $36,250, so $46,250 total with a total tax bill of $4991. A retiree should target $250K-$500K pretax to stay flexible and not miss these low brackets in the future.
You should check this with a tax accountant or tax preparation expert, but I encountered a similar situation in Canada. Your ISA income does count as income in a foreign country, and it is not tax exempt (the tax exemption is only because the British government specifically says so). You would need to declare the income to the foreign government who would almost certainly charge you tax on it. There are a couple of reasons why you should probably keep the funds in the ISA, especially if you are looking to return. First contribution limits are per year, so if you took the money out now you would have to use future contribution room to put it back. Second almost all UK savings accounts deduct tax at source, and its frankly a pain to get it back. Leaving the money in an ISA saves you that hassle, or the equal hassle of transferring it to an offshore account.
credit cards are almost never closed for inactivity. i have had dozens of cards innactive for years on end, and only one was ever closed on me for inactivity. i would bet a single 1$ transaction per calendar year would keep all your cards open.  as such, you could forget automating the process and just spend 20 minutes a year making manual 1$ payments (e.g. to your isp, utility company, google play, etc.).  alternatively, many charities will let you set up an automatic monthly donation for any amount (e.g. 1$ to wikipedia). or perhaps you could treat yourself to an mp3 once a month (arguably a charitable donation in the age of file sharing). side note: i use both of these strategies to get the 12 debit card transactions per month required by my kasasa checking account.
"This is going to depend on the tax jurisdiction and I have no knowledge of the rules in Illinois.  But I'd like to give you some direction about how to think about this.   The biggest problem that you might hit is that if you collect a single check and then distribute to the tutors, you may be considered their employer.  As an employer, you would be responsible for things like  This is not meant as an exhaustive list.   Even if not an employer, you are still paying them.  You would be responsible for issuing 1099 forms to anyone who goes above $600 for the year (source).   You would need to file for a taxpayer identification number for your organization, as it is acting as a business.  You need to give this number to the school so that they can issue the correct form to you.  You might have to register a ""Doing Business As"" name.  It's conceivable that you could get away with having the school write the check to you as an individual.  But if you do that, it will show up as income on your taxes and you will have to deduct payments to the other tutors.   If the organization already has a separate tax identity, then you could use that.  Note that the organization will be responsible for paying income tax.  It should be able to deduct payments to the tutors as well as marketing expenses, etc.   If the school will go for it, consider structuring things with a payment to your organization for your organization duties.  Then you tell the school how much to pay each tutor.  You would be responsible for giving the school the necessary information, like name, address, Social Security number, and cost (or possibly hours worked)."
I can't speak for India, but for US travelers abroad, using an ATM card that reimburses transaction fees is usually the most convenient and cheapest way to obtain foreign cash. There are several banks and brokerages that offer these types of ATM cards in the US. The exchange rate is competitive and because the fees are reimbursed it's cheaper and easy than going to a bank or kiosk to exchange currencies. I don't know if you can get accounts/cards like this in India that reimburse ATM fees. For purchases, using a credit card is fine, too. Some cards charge a foreign transaction fee of ~1%, some don't. The credit card I use most of the time does charge a 1% transaction fee, but I get 2% back in rewards so I still don't mind using it when traveling.
I think it would have the same effect as paying off a compulsive gambler's debts. Until Congress and the people who vote for them can exercise some fiscal responsibility sending more money to Washington is pointless. In fact, I'd argue that if you were a multi-trillionaire and could pay off the whole thing through a donation, we'd be back to deficits within a decade (or less).
&gt; When I hire people for roles in my organization, I find close-mindedness and myopathy like yours to be a far greater detriment than recreational marijuana use.  Its not closed mindedness when its a fact they are a bigger liability. Sorry, but you're wrong.
"I often say ""don't let the tax tail wag the investing dog."" I need to change that phrase a bit to ""don't let the tax tail wag the mortgage dog."" Getting a tax deduction on a 4% mortgage basically results (assuming you already itemize) in an effective 3% rate mortgage. The best way to avoid tax is save pretax in a 401(k), IRA, or both.  You are 57, and been through a tough time. You're helping your daughter through college, which is an expense, and admirable kindness to her. But all this means you won't start saving $10K/yr until age 59. The last thing I'd do is buy a bigger home and take on a mortgage. Unless you told me the house you want has an in-law apartment that will bring in a high rent, or can be used to rent rooms and be a money maker, I'd not do this.  No matter how small the mortgage, your property tax bill will go up, and there would be a mortgage to pay. Even a tiny mortgage payment, $400, is nearly half that $10K potential annual savings plan.  Your income is now excellent. Can your wife do anything to get hers to a higher level? In your situation, I'd save every cent I can."
LLC is not a federal tax designation.  It's a state-level organization. Your LLC can elect to be treated as a partnership, a disregarded entity (i.e., just report the taxes in your individual income tax), or as an S-Corp for federal tax purposes. If you have elected S-Corp, I expect that all the S-Corp rules will apply, as well as any state-level LLC rules that may apply.   Disclaimer: I'm not 100% familiar with S-corp rules, so I can't evaluate whether the statements you made about proportional payouts are correct.
"You could convert your Australia cash to US dollars in cash now through a Foreign Currency provider like Travelex or UAE Exchange. To convert to USD cash right now, here's the rate you're looking at with both providers: The downside with either converting to cash now, or getting a ""cash passport"" like my other answer is you're not earning any interest on your cash. Alternate Option Anther idea is to just leave your cash in an Australian bank earning interest, and get credit card that has no Annual Fee and Free Foreign Currency Conversions. That way, use that credit card to make purchases while in the USA, and the currency conversion will happen at the time of the transaction using the credit card issuer's Bid/Offer spread. This is what I do. The credit card I use in the Bank West Platinum Zero Mastercard. Just make sure you pay the full amount off the card when the bill comes (not the minimum) to avoid paying any interest on the card's balance. The current conversion they give for a USD transaction is:"
I'm very aware of what a non-profit is. I understand there is money to be made as an employee of a non-profit. What I would like to do is make money as the owner of the company. I would also like the possibility of stock options in the future. My partner's ideal path would be to establish a non-governmental organization and I see it as a loss of income opportunity. What I can tell you about this business is that it is a website. A social media platform. The possible revenue from ads would never happen for a NPO.
"Where are you from? The Netherlands has tax treaties with different countries that may offer you some additional options. The Netherlands calculates a maximum tax free contribution to your pension each year based on your income. If you contributed less than you were allowed to (pensioengat), you can invest the difference between your actual and allowed contributions in special retirement investments that usually offer tax advantages. A gap like this can be due to getting a bonus or a raise. After looking around, the investments available are either a special savings account (banksparen) or an annuity (lijfrente).  Your allowed contributions to both will be tax deductible and the investment itself is excluded from wealth tax (box 3 taxes).  I also see Aegon offering an ""investment annuity"" that lets you invest in any of 7 of their mutual funds until a certain date at which time you liquidate and use the proceeds to fund an annuity. With the Dutch retirement options, wou will not in general get the same freedom of choice or low costs associated with IRAs in the US.  I'm not sure about ISAs in the UK.  It's also important to check any tax agreements between countries to ensure your chosen investment vehicle gets the tax advantaged treatment in your home country as it does in the Netherlands.  For US citizens, this is important even when living abroad.  For others, it is important if you return to your home country and still have this investment. If you are a US citizen, you have an additional option.  The US / Dutch tax treaty allows you to make these contributions to preexisting (i.e. you had these before moving to NL) retirement accounts in the US like an IRA. Note that in practice it may be difficult to contribute to an existing Roth IRA because you would need to have earned income after the foreign income tax deduction but less than the maximum income for a Roth contribution."
You should check with the Office of Student Affairs (or equivalent) at your University to see if you can accept Credit Cards. Many will only allow you to accept student organization dues paid in cash, check, or money order. Many universities will also provide your organization with basic operating funds, if you request it. Your first point of contact should be your faculty adviser, though. Your best bet would be to just use cash. Learn where the nearest ATMs are. If you are set on using credit cards, set up a PayPal account and just use it to reimburse the person who fronts the money (cover the markup). Everyone will have to have a PayPal account set up, linked to their credit card. You can avoid fees by using a bank account. If you're so inclined, you can set up a Business account and have a PayPal Debit Card, but you'll want to check with your adviser / University by-laws to see if you're allowed. Don't expect any of these to work as website implementations. As you're a University group, you will undoubtedly be meeting in person such that an exchange of cash/check/money order would be trivial In short, you'll need to check into the rules of your University. Credit cards generally carry processing fees, charged to the merchant, which (on its own) carries some tax implications.
Is it a tube television, digital, analog, what?  Tube televisions are no longer made in (or imported to) the U.S., and if it's an analog set then it would require a digital converter just for anyone to use it for watching broadcast signals, since analog television signals are gone and have been replaced by DTV.  That makes all the difference in the world as far as valuation.  If it doesn't have resale value to begin with then I doubt you can put a real value on it for donation purposes.
You don't see the purpose of a personal home assistant that you can use voice commands to help make your life more convenient? I don't personally care for it but the concept of a home assistant having use to many people isn't really that foreign imo
I know in the UK at least, 99% of the time even legitimate collectors don't work directly for the charity.  They work for independent for-profit companies.  The companies collect a large comission (around £50-£70) for every direct debit signup. The guy that knocks on your door will see very little of it.  Have a look at this: http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2005/08/just-6-for-eight-days-work-for.html The bags you get through your door for clothing donations are run on a similar basis - the clothes and profit go to a private company, which makes a donation to the charity out of their profits.  Sometimes as little as 0.1% of your donation will go the charity. Always go direct to your chosen charity.
Yes, there is; you are correct. Once I register my phone to the WiFi, the store has access to my phone's IP address, so that's how they ultimately identify me. I just use a spurious email address because I do not want all the spam and advertisements sent to my email. If you haven't noticed, the minute you provide your email to a company, organization, etc., all of a sudden you start getting emails for random places (third-parties).   I like you, Sarah. You're a sharp interlocutor that loves to confabulate. You keep me on my toes lol
Cheaper and faster are usually mutually exclusive. If you want faster, nothing is faster than cash.  I would recommend using an ATM to withdraw cash from your USD account as Florints and then use as appropriate. If you want cheaper, then the cheapest currency conversion commonly available is foreign exchange / transfer services like OFX / XE Trade / Transferwise.  Turn around time on these can be as little as a business day or two but more commonly takes a few business days, but they typically offer the best currency exchange rates at the lowest cost.  If you must make regular payments to 3rd parties, you can set these services up to send the converted currency to a 3rd party rather than back to your own account.
An addition to the other answers more than a real answer I suspect. Note that fees are not the only way that you pay for foreign exchange; where no foreign exchange fee is charged the issuer makes it back by giving an appalling spread on the rate. Be very careful not to go for a card that has no fees but an exorbitant spread. I personally would open a CAD denominated account in Canada and convert a larger amount into that account when CAD is historically weak. The spreads will be better that way but don't attempt to use it to mitigate exchange rate risk or to trade the two currencies for profit as that way madness and penury lie.
Honestly, I’m not sure I understand your point. The figures suggest to me that the business invests (higher capex and amortisation) and grows it’s revenues and cash flow.  D&amp;A can be higher than new capex for a number of reasons including accelerated amortisation for tax purposes.  Why is D&amp;A contribution (actually i prefer to separate the concepts of P&amp;L and cash flow) to operating cash flow a problem or why does it evidence manipulation?
When I read this website I feel like he is spinning the story the wrong way.  He has a lot of stories about how the internet has allowed quick organization of a large amount of people out to a specific goal.  You can tell the author has a lot of disdain for consumers the way he always talks negative about people using their brains to get a better deal and how these poor multibillion dollar companies are going to suffer minor loses.
Then I would look at the quote from the CCD web site: The Center City District (CCD) is a business improvement district. Our mission is to keep Philadelphia's downtown, called Center City, clean, safe, beautiful and fun. We provide security, cleaning and promotional services that supplement, but do not replace, basic services provided by the City of Philadelphia and the fundamental responsibilities of property owners. CCD also makes physical improvements to the downtown, installing and maintaining lighting, > signs, banners, trees and landscape elements. and later on the same page: CCD directly bills and collects mandatory payments from properties in the district. CCD also receives voluntary contributions from the owners of tax-exempt properties that benefit from our services. The issues is that it is a business improvement district (BID), and you aren't a business: I did find this document from the city of Philadelphia explain how to establish a BID: If the nature of the BID is such that organizers wish to include residential properties within the district and make these properties subject to the assessment, it may make sense to assess these properties at a lower level than a commercial property, both because BID services and benefits are business-focused, and because owner-occupants often cannot treat NID assessments as tax-deductible business expenses, like commercial owners do. Care must be taken to ensure that the difference in commercial and residential assessment rates is equitable, and complies with the requirements of the CEIA. from the same document: Funds for BID programs and services are generated from a special assessment paid by the benefited property owners directly to the organization that manages the BID’s activities. (Note: many leases have a clause that allows property owners to pass the BID assessment on to their tenants.) Because they are authorized by the City of Philadelphia, the assessment levied by the BID becomes a legal obligation of the property owner and failure to pay can result in the filing of a lien. I have seen discussion that some BIDS can accept tax deductible donations. This means if a person itemizes they can deduct the donation. I would then feel comfortable deducting the tax because: If you can't deduct it that would mean the only people who can't deduct it are home owners. So deduct it.
200 years ago, in 1817, in certain free countries, I would try to come with solutions and products that did not exist.  For example, in 1817, I would invent the zipper for pants.  If I was not such a genius and inventor, I would go to college and be one of the few with a B.A. or B.Sc degree. **Back then, a bachelor degree in any subject would guarantee you a great position in a great company with great income and stability.** (Today, such degrees are worthless - even a Masters degree is nothing much). I would then use my position to get good contacts and start my own business, preferably trading with goods coming from a foreign country.
13 or 30, the only real difference is that as a minor, you are claimed as a dependent on your parent's return, so you don't have you own exemption. But you do have a standard deduction of $6300 when it comes to earned income. Yes, you'll pay taxes, federal, state, and tax for social security.  There's nothing wrong with paying taxes. In fact, I hope you have to pay a small fortune in tax! That would mean you've made a large fortune, and after taxes, still got to keep a good chunk of it. If your income is minimal, you'll actually pay very little in taxes, not enough to even think about wanting to give away what you can sell.
I think you swung there prematurely, I don't believe he was making a case for deep tax cuts for the rich. And no, I'm not a pro 1%er. This tax proposal will turn out to be a boondoggle like everything else we've seen so far from this admin. It's a solution unto itself, not actually trying to solve a substantial problem for the majority of citizens.   It's always hilarious to me that, somehow, tax cuts for corporations will somehow motivate them to hire idle workers because they have a little more cash in the coffers. When did supply and demand go away?