Chris Pirillo » taxes

Angel Djambazov – Amazon, Affiliates & Taxes

Chris — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:20:59 +0000

Angel Djambazov – Amazon, Affiliates & Taxes is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Born in Bulgaria, Angel Djambazov has spent his professional career in the fields of journalism and online marketing. In his journalistic career he worked as an editor on several newspapers and was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Wyoming Homes and Living Magazine. Later his career path led to online marketing where while working at OnlineShoes he earned the Affiliate Manager of the Year award at the Affiliate Summit.

Currently Angel is the OPM for Jones Soda for which he won his second Affiliate Manger of the Year (2009) award at Affiliate Summit Angel also serves as OPM for Keen Footwear, Intelius, and Core Performance, has an advosiry role with PopShops.com which was awarded Best Affiliate Tool (2007 and 2008) award by ABestWeb, and is the Managing Editor for Revenews.com.

When the affiliate nexus tax, commonly known as the Amazon Tax, first appeared in New York last spring much of the marketing industry was caught off guard. Since then battles have been fought in eight states over similar legislation including a veto by Governator. We will go over how such legislation impacts you (whether or not you are affiliate or an Amazon associate); how big corporations like Amazon, Overstock and Google have reacted to such legislation; discuss similar types of legislation that may have an even more detrimental impact on ecommerce; and provide resources so you can stay informed.

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Do You Protect Yourself from Identity Theft?

Chris — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:02:09 +0000

Do You Protect Yourself from Identity Theft? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Identity theft is rampant these days. Your information can be taken faster than you can blink. However, there are several very easy ways to protect yourself. Are you careful enough? Do you know how to protect your identity? I received the following tips in an email, specifically related to tax return theft.

When storing a copy of your tax return on your computer, try to protect it with a complex password.
If you do decide to delete the file, either use the free Eraser for Windows, or Secure Delete in Mac OS X. Make sure you securely and properly delete the files. Don’t just put them in the Recycle bin. Make sure they are completely gone.
Ignore all refund or rebate emails that claim to come from the IRS. Never click the links in emails if they claim to be coming from an official source, unless you know for a fact it comes from who it says. My suggestion is to verify any warning on the IRS website. This will allow you to make sure if something is legit or not.
If someone calls you claiming to need to verify your information… hang up on them. DONT give them information. You aren’t verifying anything. Don’t give out any information or at your door, no matter how legit it seems. Check it out first.
Check your credit report through all the agencies periodically. Keep on top of it. If you notice a discrepancy… challenge it immediately. You never really know when your credit report can turn around and bite you. Innocent mistakes can and do happen, and affect your credit adversely. So I recommend checking it at least once a year, if not a couple of times.

These are some things in relation to tax season, but apply to every day of the year. Only deal with people, companies and websites that you know and trust. Don’t count on anyone but yourself to keep you safe.

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What Will you do with Your Tax Refund?

Chris — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:16:31 +0000

What Will you do with Your Tax Refund? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My Uncle Sam just called. The day this video was recorded was April 15th… Tax Day here in America. Let’s say after I paid in taxes I deserved a refund! What am I going to spend that money on? What are you going to spend yours on? Here are some ideas I put together that I think are pretty good.

Hardware Upgrades Why not buy that new RAM you’ve been waiting for? What about a new Hard Drive? It’s always a good time to buy new hardware, but there’s no better time than when you have that check in your hand. You could then donate your old hardware somewhere, and use it as a tax writeoff next year. Or, sell it online and make a bit more money!
Invest it! Why not throw your money into a six month CD at your local bank, and leave it in there for a year! This is just an example. You may want to find something with a higher interest rate. Then next year when you get your next refund, withdraw this year’s money… leave the interest… and invest the new tax check.
Buy a subscription Buy some kind of subscription that will last a whole year. It could be a software subscription, music, magazines… just something that will happen for a year, and remind you on a regular basis what you spent your money on.
Register a piece of software Let’s say there’s a demo on your computer that you have used all the time and enjoy. Why not register it finally? Or what if it’s Freeware and you use it a lot? Why not donate some money to the tool’s creator?
Stick cash in your Car Why would you do this? You never know when you’ll need it. Hide it somewhere in the trunk, or under a seat. What if you’re stuck somewhere that actually doesn’t take credit or debit cards? You’ll be thankful to know you always have money in the car. Also, you can hide small amounts of cash in your home. This can be an “emergency” cash stash. You never know when you might need cash, and the bank just isn’t open.

So what are you doing with your tax check this year? Leave me a comment follow-up to this video, or send an email to me at chris@pirillo.com

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How do you Relieve Stress During Tax Season?

Chris — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:55 +0000

How do you Relieve Stress During Tax Season? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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What do you do when you’re stressed out? More importantly, what do you do when you know you have to do something that will stress you out. Here are my recommendations for dealing with stress in these situations… such as doing your taxes!

Wear comfortable clothes. If you are most comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt… or even your pajamas… wear them! If you are uncomfortable, it will make it much more difficult to focus on the task(s) at hand.
Surround yourself with favorite snacks. These will be like mini motivations. You can reward yourself with comfort foods after completing certain amounts of the work.
Tag-team if you can. Find a partner, so you don’t have to go it alone. It’s so much easier with someone else, than it is doing it alone. You can divvy up the work, and make it go much faster.
Take a break! I know that sounds like a given, but look at it this way: You get so wrapped up and focused, you forget to take a break. You think you’ll never get done if you take a break. You worry you’ll lose your “place” or motivation and not get it back. Take short breaks, do something relaxing.
Make a resolution. Track your data throughout the year. Most people scramble to gather all their information at the last minute when doing their taxes. Devise a system to keep track of everything through the year you may need come tax time. There are websites and software that can help you with this.

Whatever you do, try and reduce your stress levels to a minimum… whether it’s tax time or any other task. The more relaxed you are, the faster and easier the work will be completed.

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How to Deal with Taxes

Chris — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:46:16 +0000

How to Deal with Taxes is a post from Chris Pirillo

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It’s that time of year again… tax time. *GASP* Don’t pass out on me! I know that tax season is very stressful for many people. Here are some tips that can make this year much easier to get through.

File early. Beat the rush and file your taxes as soon as you get your w2… or as early as possible.
Make sure you have all of documentation in order: w2, donation receipts, intrest payments, educational costs, and what ever else you may need for itemized deductions.
Decide if you’re going to prepare and file yourself, or if you will use a Tax Service… such as H&R Block. You also have the option of using an actual Accountant if you have difficult taxes or exemptions. If you aren’t 100% comfortable with what you’re doing, I highly recommend letting someone else take the load off your shoulders.
Make sure you fill in all of the blanks, leaving some vital informaioin missing from your return can delay your refund, or worse… leave you with the IRS on your back.
Lastly, and most inportant: DO NOT FORGET TO SIGN YOUR REFUND.
Here is a bonus tip: go to irs.gov if your Adjusted Gross Income for the year is less than $53,000. Look for the free filing link on the left side of the page. You can efile your federal return for free, and if you are lucky to live in one of the 21 state that offer free efile you don’t have to pay anything. Just make sure you choose a site that you would trust with your information.

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.