8A
STRICTLY BUSINESS/ The Charlotte Post
Thursday, September 4, 1997
Take advantage simple deductions
Continued from page 7A
you are traveling away from
"“home on business. In addition, if
you entertain clients or other
business associates, you can
Meduct 50 percent of your meal
costs, as long as you discussed
,__business immediately before,
, diuing, or after the meal.
Automobile expenses - There
, are two ways to calculate a deduc-
■„ tion for automobile expenses. You
,‘may use the actual costs for
’ expenses, such as gas, oil, insur
ance, repairs, maintenance, and
depreciation, or you can use the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
standard mileage rate, which is
31 cents per mile for 1997. You
may also deduct the business por
tion of parking fees and tolls. Be
aware, too, that if you use your
car for both business and person
al reasons, you must allocate your
expenses between the two, and of
course, have appropriate docu
mentation to back up your claim.
you attended a convention or
seminar in your industry or on a
topic directly related to your busi
ness and are not reimbrused by
your employer, the cost of attend
ing the program, including regis
tration, travel, and 50 percent of
meals, is deductible. However, if
your trip was primarily for per
sonal reasons, such as vacation,
you may not deduct the cost of the
travel.
Conventions and seminars - If
If you find that by adding all of
these expenses you're very close
to the 2-percent threshold that
qualifies you for a tax deduction,
consider taking a long-postponed
business trip or attending a sem
inar on an educational topic to
boost your miscellaneous expens
es for the year.
You should keep in mind, how
ever, that to claim non-reim-
bursed employee business
expenses as deductions, they
must be "ordinary and necessary"
for your employer's business and
directly related to that business.
Watch for the upcoming
issue of the Black Guide
from
tKIje Cljarlotte
‘Retirement doesn’t have to be stressful
Continued from page 7A
afraid to change your fife!
Be prepared to change direction.
Personalizing your retire
ment planning
Be Flexible
■ Later life can and should have
as much focus and fulfillment as
earlier life. As you explore your
options and settle on a course of
action, it may help you to take
advantage of a retirement-plan
ning program offered by employ
ers, community agencies or
unions.
There is only one way in which
life does not chemge as you age:
life remains unpredictable. So, as
you plan for yom retirement, it is
critical that you be flexible. Your
goals and interests may change
as you approach retirement age.
If you find yourself retiring
early, consider starting your ovm
business. After a few years, you
may want to look for a job that
will provide a pension, (jo for it!
If a new interest presents itself
in your fife- go back to school or
get the training you need to pur
sue it. Just remember not to act
on impulse. Your financial securi
ty depends upon smart decision
making. But be flexible. You
never know when a great oppor
tunity will come your way.
Charles Ross is host of the
nationally syndicated radio pro
gram, 'Your Personal Finance,"
and author of Your Common
Sense Guide to Personal
Financial Planning.
"Where Changed Philosophies Lead To Changed Behavior"^
Creative Interchange
• Diversity Facilitating
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• Self-esteem Building for
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• African, African American
History Lectures
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Ahmad Dani0ls, IVl.Ed., Educator & Facilitator
1321 Enderly Road • Charlotte, NC 28208 • (704) 393-5474
To help in planning, consider
your desired lifestyle, skills you
have or would like to learn, spe
cial interests you want to pursue,
and the kinds of tasks or duties
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Chamber
;program
' Continued from page 7A
followed by diimer at 7. Tickets
&,are $50 each or $370 for a table of
lueight. Ticket prices include admis
sion to the Carolinas’ Business
Show ‘97.
fs The three-day show. Sept. 10-
«il2, will include 19 educational
oseminare lead by instructors from
"nDuke University, UNC Charlotte
•nimd Winthrop University.
Seminars include
“Entrepreneurship: Creative
^Strategies to Improve Your
qBusiness,” “Avoiding Fatal Flaws:
•■•3?isk Managers vs Risk Takers,”
and “Technology and the
^Businessperson: Lead, Follow or
diet Out of the Way.”
r. Tickets to the business show are
1)$5. For information call 347-2115.
WAKE FOREST
UNIVERSITY
Babcock Graduate
School of Management
CHARLOTTE
MBA PROGRAM
Wake Forest University offers an evening MBA
program in Charlotte designed for experienced
professionals. Join us for an
Information Session
Wednesday evening, September 17
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
(Formal remarks begin at 6:00 p.m.)
One Morrocroft Centre
6805 Morrison Blvd., Suite 150
Information on our weekend
executive program in Winston-Salem
will also be available.
For more information about Wake Forest's MBA programs,
call (704) 365-1717 or contact us at http:llwww.mba.wfu.edu.
Creative Job Search
Consulting Associates
4616 Northaven Drive
Charlotte, North Carolina 28206
• Resumes/Cover Letters
• Sales Training
High Performance
Job Training
Employment Preparation
• Public Speaking
• Seminars/Workshops
Ann Jones, President & CEO
704/509-0089
565-0817 pager
Evening & Weekend
Appts. Only
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Are You In The Market To Purchase A Home?
"HOME-NOW"
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Homebuyer Education Learning Program^
...How You Can Become A "First Time Home BuyeP',
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Saturday, September 13, 1997, 9am - 5pm
TRAINING LOCATION & SCHEDULE
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For Further Infonnation Contact:
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