From karen.park at state.or.us Tue Mar 1 16:10:21 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2011 16:10:21 -0800 Subject: [OSSSA218] Out of the office Message-ID: <4D6D1A69.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> Good afternoon, I will be out of the office starting tomorrow and returning on Monday, March 7. Should you have questions please use the following contacts- SSA Tim Beard 206 615-2125 tim.beard at ssa.gov IRS Lori Stieber 503 587-3149 lori.a.stieber at irs.gov State payroll question Cathy Tavares Oregon Dept of Revenue cathleen.m.tavares at state.or.us PERS Brenda Pearson brenda.j.pearson at state.or.us Thank you Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 4:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Tue Mar 8 16:23:15 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2011 16:23:15 -0800 Subject: [OSSSA218] Fwd: [Payrolltax-News] Update. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4D7657F1.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> FYI....please contact Cathy with any questions in regards to the following information. Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 4:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. >>> TAVARES Cathleen M 3/8/2011 2:24 PM >>> Payrolltax News LISTSERV: Mar. 2011 Please provide this information to anyone who would benefit from it. I. Important Update: Today, the Senate passed SB 301. This follows yesterday?s passage of the same bill in the House of Representatives. The bill now heads to the governor for his signature. What does this mean? For tax year 2010, the bill reconnects Oregon to the federal definition of taxable income including all of the changes Congress made in 2010 with these significant exceptions: (1) Additional expensing allowed under IRC section 179 (Oregon?s limit remains at $134,000 with a dollar for dollar reduction beginning at $530,000); and (2) Bonus depreciation allowed under IRC section 168(k). For businesses, Oregon is now connected to the exemption of imputed income related to the extension of health insurance coverage provided to adult children (as allowed by the Affordable Care Act) For tax year 2011 ? After some discussion and debate, the legislature has reinstated a full, rolling reconnect for tax year 2011 including the depreciation and expensing provisions. The Payrolltax-News e-mail list provides employers with complete and up-to-date payroll tax information. Employers can self-subscribe here. Representatives in the Business Division will send information to employers through this list. Employers can request additional information by e-mailing payroll.help.dor at state.or.us. As a standard practice, e-mail sent from the department will be in text form only. Department of Revenue will not open attachments. Questions about list content and subscription problems should be directed to the list owner: Cathy Tavares Oregon Dept of Revenue Cathleen.M.Tavares at state.or.us 503-945-8762 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Part.002 Type: application/octet-stream Size: 440 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Wed Mar 16 06:51:36 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:51:36 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] Fwd: E-Verify training In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4D805DF5.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> Good morning all, Another opportunity to learn more about e-verify if you're not already using it. Oregon has two House Bills which would require employers to use e-verify as follows. House Bill 2806 Sponsored by Representative THATCHER (Presession filed.) SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced. Limits deductibility of expenses related to employment of workers hired on or after January 1, 2012, to workers whose eligibility for employment in United States has been verified through federal E-Verify employment verification system. Requires public body to verify eligibility for employment in United States for workers hired on or after January 1, 2012, through E-Verify employment verification system. Requires person contracting with public body to provide verification of eligibility of contractor and contractor's employees to work in United States. House Bill 2973 Sponsored by Representative JENSON (Presession filed.) SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced. Requires employer to verify legal status of employee to be employed in United States through federal E-Verify program prior to deducting expenses related to worker's employment from Oregon taxable income. Prohibits deduction of wages paid to unverified employee as business expense for purposes of Oregon taxation. Declares emergency, effective on passage. For more information on these two bills check out http://www.leg.state.or.us:8765/query.html?rq=0&col=0meas11&qt=+e-verify&charset=iso-8859-1 Have a great day! Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours for this week are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 2:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. >>> "Sale, Edward G" 3/15/2011 3:56 PM >>> The Portland Field Office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will host a training session on E-Verify, presented by the Office of Verification in Washington, D.C. This is a great opportunity to learn and ask questions about E-Verify from ?the source.? While this two hour workshop will focus on E-Verify ? rather than the I-9 - the instructor will be glad to discuss I-9 issues at the end of the workshop and will also stay for further questions and answers on either topic. The two-hour workshop will be held on Friday, March 25th, at 10 a.m. in the 911 Federal Bldg. auditorium (adjacent to the Bonneville Power Administration). The address is 911 N.E. Holladay St., between N.E. 9th and N.E. 11th. The entrance to the building is on N.E. 11th (see attached map). Photo ID will be required to enter. There are no limitations on the number of people who can attend. Please RSVP if possible by replying to ed.sale at dhs.gov Thanks for your attention and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Ed Ed Sale Community Relations Officer U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) 511 N.W. Broadway Portland, OR 97209 503-326-2807 ed.sale at dhs.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: Eastside Federal Complex.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 310996 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Wed Mar 16 07:29:19 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:29:19 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] Fwd: IRS Headliners & Event Updates for March In-Reply-To: <9687ABA174F26649B8F916101422A5BF086C8947@FRS0010CP3MB02.ds.irsnet.gov> References: <9687ABA174F26649B8F916101422A5BF086C8947@FRS0010CP3MB02.ds.irsnet.gov> Message-ID: <4D8066CD.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> FYI Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours this week are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 2:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. >>> "Marshall KayDel D" 3/15/2011 4:20 PM >>> Dear Business Organization: Here are the latest IRS News Releases and Headliners to distribute to your small business members. I hope that the information will be helpful and we encourage publication in your association's magazines, newsletters, email distributions and/or website. Below are summaries and links to the most recent headliners and news releases your members might be interested in. The title and summary are designed to give you a brief overview of the article's content -- the link to the full article is at the end of each summary. I encourage you to use any or all of these in newsletters or emails to your members, or on your web site. If someone else in your organization is a more appropriate contact point for these types of emails, please let me know. And if you do not want to receive future emails like this one, please reply and request your name be removed. KayDel KayDel Marshall Senior Stakeholder Liaison Small Business & Self-Employed C/L/D 100 S.W. Main Street, Suite 1200 Portland, Oregon 97204 ID#1000843166 503-415-7141/503-473-3694 Got Tax Questions? Watch Videos & Get Answers on the IRS Video Portal http://www.irsvideos.gov/ Announcements & Upcoming Events: FREE IRS Webinar - Business Taxes for the Self-Employed: The Basics http://www.visualwebcaster.com/IRS/77024/reg.asp?id=77024 March 29 -- 11 a.m. Pacific/noon Mountain Go to the link above to register. Learn about: ? Reporting profit or loss from a business or profession ? Self employment tax and estimated tax payments ? Schedule C and C-EZ ? Deducting business expenses ? Husband and wife businesses ? Recordkeeping Oregon Employer Council Statewide Conference for Business, April 4 & 5, 2011, Salishan Resort. Web link to information and registration: http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/OEC/index.shtml FREE IRS Webinar - Easy, Low Cost Ways to Start Your Small Business Retirement Plan http://www.visualwebcaster.com/IRS/76865/reg.asp?id=76865 April 7 ? 11:00 a.m. Pacific Wondering which retirement plan will work for your small business? Watch this FREE webinar to learn about easy, low cost ways to start a small business retirement plan. Go to the link above to register. Better Business Bureau Offers ?Secure Your ID? Day http://akorww.bbb.org/secure-your-id Saturday, April 16, 2011, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Gather up unwanted documents and old cell phones, and take advantage of this FREE shredding service. Drive up and drop off up to three (3) grocery bags or boxes of documents to be securely shredded on-the-spot! No cardboard or three-ring binders please. Beaverton: BBB Secure Your ID Day brought to you by Unitus Community Credit Union - Beaverton Branch 10580 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, Ore. 97005 Gresham Small Business Fair, April 27, 2011, Mt. Hood Community College. Contact Gerri Raisanen at the Small Business Development Center, 503-491-7658 or email Gerri.Raisanen at mhcc.edu. OAME 23rd Annual Trade Show & Luncheon Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at the Oregon Convention Center in Hall D. The tradeshow will host more than 120 small and large businesses, state, county and federal government agencies and business development resources to help minority, women and emerging small businesses grow. For registration, exhibit and luncheon information, and reservations, contact the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) at 503-249-7744 or at www.oame.org. Tradeshow admission is free and luncheon tickets are $65 per person (for more information please visit Luncheon Information). A Silent Auction will be held during Conference & Trade Show. Program outline: Trade Show 10:00AM - 3:00PM Reception 11:30AM - 12:00PM Lunch 12:00PM - 1:30PM (Trade Show closed during luncheon) Oregon Small Business Forum August 23, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon at the Oregon Association for Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME), 4134 N.Vancouver, Portland, Oregon. The focus area topic chosen for this FREE August Forum is, "Knowing HR Compliance Issues to Stay Out of Trouble," including such issues as BOLI requirements, Benefits Compliance, Law Changes, and Employee vs. Independent Contractor. As always, the focus area topic is followed by an informal roundtable discussion where the agencies present will have an opportunity to explain the services and products they have available to enhance the success of small business in Oregon. Mark your calendars now to reserve this date. Oregon Small Business Fair, September 24, 2011, Ambridge Event Center, 1333 NE MLK Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97232. NOTE: Venue has changed/No longer at Oregon Convention Center. This is a FREE event for new and start up small business with exhibitor booths and four workshops each hour throughout the day. For exhibitor or other information, contact Linda.E.Repp at state.or.us. Mercy Corps Northwest has several small business trainings coming up. Check at it out at: http://www.mercycorpsnw.org/what-we-do/classes-and-events/ IRS Updates & News Releases: Health Insurance Tax Breaks for the Self-Employed http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=237371,00.html You may be able to deduct premiums paid for medical and dental insurance and qualified long-term care insurance for you, your spouse, and your dependents if you are one of the following: ? A self-employed individual with a net profit reported on Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business, Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040), Net Profit From Business, or Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming. ? A partner with net earnings from self-employment reported on Schedule K-1 (Form 1065), Partner's Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc., box 14, code A. ? A shareholder owning more than 2% of the outstanding stock of an S corporation with wages from the corporation reported on Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. The insurance plan must be established under your business. See the full article for more details. IRS Announces New Effort to Help Struggling Taxpayers Get a Fresh Start; Major Changes Made to Lien Process http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=236540,00.html In its latest effort to help struggling taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service announced a series of new steps to help people get a fresh start with their tax liabilities. The goal is to help individuals and small businesses meet their tax obligations, without adding unnecessary burden to taxpayers. Specifically, the IRS is announcing new policies and programs to help taxpayers pay back taxes and avoid tax liens. ?We are making fundamental changes to our lien system and other collection tools that will help taxpayers and give them a fresh start,? IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. ?These steps are good for people facing tough times, and they reflect a responsible approach for the tax system.? IRS is making important changes to its lien filing practices that will lessen the negative impact on taxpayers. The IRS will also make streamlined Installment Agreements available to more small businesses. The payment program will raise the dollar limit to allow additional small businesses to participate. Small businesses with $25,000 or less in unpaid tax can participate. Currently, only small businesses with under $10,000 in liabilities can participate. Small businesses will have 24 months to pay. The streamlined Installment Agreements will be available for small businesses that file either as an individual or as a business. Small businesses with an unpaid assessment balance greater than $25,000 would qualify for the streamlined Installment Agreement if they pay down the balance to $25,000 or less. Small businesses will need to enroll in a Direct Debit Installment Agreement to participate. The IRS is also expanding a new streamlined Offer in Compromise (OIC) program to cover a larger group of struggling taxpayers. This streamlined OIC is being expanded to allow taxpayers with annual incomes up to $100,000 to participate. In addition, participants must have tax liability of less than $50,000, doubling the current limit of $25,000 or less. OICs are subject to acceptance based on legal requirements. IRS Holds Saturday Open House on March 26 to Help Taxpayers http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=236526,00.html Nearly 100 IRS offices will be open on Saturday, March 26, to help taxpayers. The location of participating offices is listed on IRS.gov. "We are opening our doors on these Saturdays to help taxpayers who may not have a chance to seek assistance during the work week," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "If taxpayers need help preparing their tax returns or have an account question, we encourage them to visit one of our open houses." On Saturday, March 26, the IRS offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. IRS staff will be on site to help taxpayers work through issues. More than 35,000 taxpayers attended similar events last year resolving over 95 percent of their issues. During the open-house hours, IRS personnel will be available to provide services such as tax return preparation, assist with account questions and help with a variety of other issues. IRS offices in 10 locations will also offer free seminars designed to provide information on new tax laws affecting federal tax returns and detail other services provided by the IRS. More Taxpayers Are Filing From Home in 2011, Free File Options Abound http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=237000,00.html Almost 19 million tax returns have been filed with the IRS from home computers so far this year, an increase of almost 6 percent compared to the number of returns from the same time last year. IRS reminds taxpayers that everyone can use Free File to prepare and e-file their tax returns for free, either by using brand name software or Free File Fillable Forms, which is the electronic version of IRS paper forms. Individuals or families with 2010 adjusted gross incomes of $58,000 or less can use Free File software. Using Free File Fillable Forms has no income restrictions. Free File software is a product of a public-private partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, LLC. The Alliance is a consortium of approximately 20 tax software providers who make versions of their products available exclusively on line. All Free File members must meet certain security requirements and use the latest in encryption technology to protect taxpayers? information. Don?t be Scammed by Fake IRS Communications http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=202394,00.html The IRS receives thousands of reports each year from taxpayers who receive suspicious emails, phone calls, faxes or notices claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. Many of these scams fraudulently use the Internal Revenue Service name or logo as a lure to make the communication more authentic and enticing. The goal of these scams ? known as phishing ? is to trick you into revealing personal and financial information. The scammers can then use that information ? like your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers ? to commit identity theft or steal your money. See the full article for five things the IRS wants you to know about phishing scams. IRS Debunks Frivolous Tax Arguments http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=237003,00.html The Internal Revenue Service has released the 2011 version of its discussion and rebuttal of many of the more common frivolous arguments made by individuals and groups that oppose compliance with federal tax laws. Anyone who contemplates arguing on legal grounds against paying their fair share of taxes should first read the 84-page document, The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments. The document explains many of the common frivolous arguments made in recent years and it describes the legal responses that refute these claims. It will help taxpayers avoid wasting their time and money with frivolous arguments and incurring penalties. Congress in 2006 increased the amount of the penalty for frivolous tax returns from $500 to $5,000. The increased penalty amount applies when a person submits a tax return or other specified submission, and any portion of the submission is based on a position the IRS identifies as frivolous. Desktop Calendar Tool http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=176080,00.html Install the IRS Calendar Connector and access Important Tax Dates for Small Businesses right from your desktop, even when you're offline. As new events are added, they will be automatically updated via the desktop tool. This customizable tool allows you to specify what types of events you wish to view (general, employer, excise, or all) and how you want them displayed (by day, week or month). Install the IRS Calendar Connector IRS Issues Information on 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative in Eight Foreign Languages http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=237170,00.html The IRS has made available information in eight foreign languages about the 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) for those taxpayers with undisclosed offshore accounts. The agency took this step to reach taxpayers whose primary language may not be English. The IRS is offering people with undisclosed income from offshore accounts an opportunity to participate in a new, voluntary disclosure initiative to get current on their tax returns. The 2011 OVDI will be available only through Aug. 31, 2011. The news release, announcing the agency?s terms for its offshore voluntary disclosure initiative was translated into Chinese ( Traditional and Simplified), Farsi, German, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. More Tax Refunds Paid, IRS Reminds Filers about Savings Bond Option http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=237388,00.html The IRS is reminding those who haven?t filed their tax returns that they can receive their refunds in the form of savings bonds, payments to retirement accounts, mutual funds, as well as in the form of cash directly deposited to a checking or savings account. By March 4, the IRS had issued more than 52 million refunds worth $161 billion for an average refund of $3,070. For tax year 2010 returns, there are new savings bond options. Last year, if the taxpayer chose to receive a savings bond as part of the refund, it could only be issued in the taxpayers? name. This year, taxpayers can designate anyone to receive a savings bond and also designate the co-owner or beneficiary. Also a new section was added to Form 8888, Allocation of Refund (Including Savings Bond Purchases), for entering savings bond information so that taxpayers no longer need to enter a pre-specified routing number. Instead, taxpayers will enter the bond owner?s name. The savings bonds will be mailed to the taxpayer or the person designated on the form. IRS Releases 2010 Data Book http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=237393,00.html The Internal Revenue Service has released the 2010 IRS Data Book, an annual snapshot of agency activities for the fiscal year. The report describes activities conducted by the IRS from Oct. 1, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2010, and includes information about returns filed, tax collections, enforcement and taxpayer assistance, as well as the IRS budget and workforce. Recent Articles from e-News for Small Businesses IRS stops mailing some tax forms Employers will no longer get Form 941, Employer?s Quarterly Federal Tax Return and other business forms in the mail. All IRS forms, schedules and related instructions are available on IRS.gov. 2011 automobile depreciation deduction limits Revenue Procedure 2011-21 provides the limitations on depreciation deductions for cars first placed in service during 2011. Retirement news for small businesses The 2011 winter edition of Retirement News for Employers has information on pre-approved retirement plans, fixing common plan mistakes and more. Recent IRS announcements Tax Tip 2011-36 Get Credit for Your Retirement Savings Contributions IR-2011-21 IRS Has $1.1 Billion for People Who Have Not Filed a 2007 Income Tax Return Subscribe to e-News for Small Businesses If you would like to receive e-News for Small Businesses, please visit this link to subscribe: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/content/0,,id=154826,00.html Recommend e-News for Small Businesses If you already receive e-News for Small Businesses, you can share it with a business acquaintance, colleague or employee. Just forward this link to them to view a sample edition and subscribe. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Thu Mar 17 07:00:54 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:00:54 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] IRS e-News for Payroll Providers In-Reply-To: <1C4E3851750B994C9A0D334FE76D87260C43204F@FRS0010CP3MB02.ds.irsnet.gov> References: <1C4E3851750B994C9A0D334FE76D87260C43204F@FRS0010CP3MB02.ds.irsnet.gov> Message-ID: <4D81B1A5.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> FYI >>> "Stieber Lori A" 3/16/2011 3:43 PM >>> News you can use... From: e-News for Payroll Providers [mailto:irs at service.govdelivery.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 2:24 PM To: Stieber Lori A Subject: IRS e-News for Payroll Providers e-News for Payroll Providers March 16, 2011 Useful Links: IRS.gov Payroll Professionals Tax Center Employment Taxes Reporting Agents File Employment Tax Forms Employment Tax Publications Online Ordering Draft Tax Forms SSA/IRS Reporter SSA - Employer Web Page Back to top Issue Number: 2011-4 Inside This Issue Business tax forms update 2011 Form 941 and instructions now online Desktop Calendar Tool 94x XML business e-file - tax year 2011 updates March IRS Live focuses on requirements for federal tax return preparers Payroll/employment tax returns survey SSA/IRS Reporter goes green New e-news feature makes sharing easy 1. Business tax forms update Business taxpayers will no longer receive certain tax packages, including Form 941, in the mail from the IRS. There is also new information about filing business forms affected by the extender provisions. Back to top 2. 2011 Form 941 and instructions now online The 2011 Form 941, Employer?s Quarterly Federal Tax Return and instructions are now available on IRS.gov. Form 941 contains a new, line 5e Section 3121(q) Notice and Demand ? Tax due on unreported tips. This line will be used if the employer receives notice and demand from the IRS regarding unreported tips as described in Headliner 298. This headliner is titled New IRS Program Uses Data from Employees' Forms 4137 to Determine the Social Security and Medicare Taxes Owed by the Employers of Tipped Employees. Back to top 3. Desktop Calendar Tool The IRS has a new online tool to make it easier to remember important tax and deposit deadlines. Download the free IRS CalendarConnector and keep it on your computer desktop to check important tax dates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Back to top 4. 94x XML business e-file - tax year 2011 updates Please use the current Schema marked Final 2011 Form 94x Schema (version 2.9.2). We recommend you complete testing prior to filing 2011 first quarter Forms 941. Additionally, software developers should perform Pre-Validation of XML Data. Developers should use a validating XML parser to determine if their records are valid XML files. For more information on Pre-Validation of XML Data and testing, see Publication 3823. Back to top 5. March IRS Live focuses on requirements for federal tax return preparers David R. Williams, director of the IRS Return Preparer Office is the main presenter for the free March 30 IRS Live webinar, Requirements for Federal Tax Return Preparers. Back to top 6. Payroll/employment tax returns survey The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee is conducting an anonymous survey of companies and professionals who prepare employment/payroll tax returns. Surveys should be completed by March 20. Please complete only one survey per company. ETAAC will use the data to provide input to the IRS to encourage increased participation in electronic filing. Back to top 7. SSA/IRS Reporter goes green The SSA/IRS Reporter is now available exclusively online. New editions will be posted on IRS.gov by the middle of March, June, September and December. Back to top 8. New e-news feature makes sharing easy Look for the ?share? icon at the bottom left of this newsletter. This new widget makes it easy to share this e-newsletter with others in online social networks. Click to post it on your business?s Facebook wall, tweet it to your followers on Twitter, put it on your blog or share it via any of the more than 300 options listed. Back to top Thank you for subscribing to e-News for Payroll Providers an IRS e-mail service. This message was distributed automatically from the mailing list e-News for Payroll Providers. Please Do Not Reply To This Message To subscribe to or unsubscribe from another list, please go to the e-News Subscriptions page on the IRS Web site. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support at govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Internal Revenue Service ? 1111 Constitution Ave. N.W. ? Washington DC 20535 ? 800-439-1420 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 26710 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 325 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/xxx Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Thu Mar 24 06:55:53 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:55:53 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] Fwd: Tax Season CPE Savings In-Reply-To: <9F93DC7C-71FE-46FD-AF92-1BD93C694694@TaxTalkToday.com> References: <9F93DC7C-71FE-46FD-AF92-1BD93C694694@TaxTalkToday.com> Message-ID: <4D8AEAF9.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> FYI Can't see this email? Click here to view as a webpage. Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 4:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. >>> "Tax Talk Today" 3/22/2011 12:19 PM >>> Buy Now - View Programs After Tax Season - Save! Just For You - A Tax Season Savings Break It?s time for YOU to get a break! You?ve been busy this tax season making sure you reflect every tax credit and deduction for your clients. Now, you deserve a break. ? Purchase 15 CPE, 8 program package ? Only $187.50, or $12.50 per credit ? SAVE $60 from our Individual program price ? Click Here to receive Special Price OFFER ENDS APRIL 30, 2011 Take advantage of this Easy to Do and Easy to View CPE program ? View Archives at any time ? View Live Programs starting again in May Next Live Program Ethics - Circular 230 Update Tuesday, May 10, 2011 2:00 PM ? 3:40 PM ET 2 CPE credits PLEASE NOTE: All viewers who registered prior to 12/31/09 must Re-Register. Please forward this on to your colleagues. Tax Talk Today content is provided by: NAEA, Tax Analysts and Tax.com ____________________________ Tax Talk Today ? - The Tax Show for the Tax Pro is produced by Tax Talk Today, Inc. Copyright ? 2011 Tax Talk Today, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The distinctive Tax Talk Today logo is a U.S. registered service mark of Tax Talk Today, Inc. To be removed from this mailing list, please click here to unsubscribe Or write to: Tax Talk Today, Inc. 10319 Westlake Drive, Suite 146, Bethesda, MD 20817 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 140 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Thu Mar 24 16:02:57 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:02:57 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] Fwd: NFIB/OR Small Business Day In-Reply-To: <9687ABA174F26649B8F916101422A5BF088209F6@FRS0010CP3MB02.ds.irsnet.gov> References: <9687ABA174F26649B8F916101422A5BF088209F6@FRS0010CP3MB02.ds.irsnet.gov> Message-ID: <4D8B6B30.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> FYI Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 4:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. >>> "Marshall KayDel D" 3/24/2011 1:28 PM >>> The NFIB and the Oregon Small Business Coalition are sponsoring a day of legislative policy briefings, an opportunity to meet with your Oregon legislators, and a legislative reception in Salem on April 5, 2011. I forgot to include this event in my March Event Updates and Headliners, so, I am sending this out now as some of you may be interested in participating in this event. The information and registration form is attached in the above pdf file. KayDel KayDel Marshall Senior Stakeholder Liaison Small Business & Self-Employed C/L/D 100 S.W. Main Street, Suite 1200 Portland, Oregon 97204 ID#1000843166 503-415-7141/503-473-3694 Got Tax Questions? Watch Videos & Get Answers on the IRS Video Portal http://www.irsvideos.gov/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OR SBD 2011 RSVP 3-21-11 (4).pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 98196 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Mon Mar 28 08:50:43 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:50:43 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] NASACT News Highlights!! and 03.28.11 AGA Today(www.agacgfm.org/publications/agatoday/032811/index.aspx) In-Reply-To: <8DDB10C7F0DA414385BC2116F12BB8A7025BA81EAA@EXCHVS3A.mx.state.mo.us> References: <8DDB10C7F0DA414385BC2116F12BB8A7025BA81EAA@EXCHVS3A.mx.state.mo.us> Message-ID: <4D904BE3.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> FYI? From: Grayson, Tanya [mailto:tgrayson at nasact.org] Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 8:44 AM To: DeVore, Vandee Subject: NASACT News Highlights!! Good morning, There will be no Washington update this week since Congress was on recess. Tanya Grayson NASACT Washington Office NASACT News Highlights: What's Going on! If you would like to have an article/issue highlighted for the membership, please send it to NASACT Policy Analyst Neal Hutchko at nhutchko at nasact.org. We would appreciate if you could please include the web link to your article for formatting purposes and for proper source citation. FLORIDA State audit questions costs of Orange school-roofing projects Orlando Sentinel Nearly $300,000 in charges for school-roofing projects in Orange County are being questioned by state auditors, who found several cases in which a contractor billed the district for more square footage than actually existed on the school roofs? MAINE Treasurer Poliquin pushes expanded role, more voter approval for bonds Bangor Daily News State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin has submitted legislation to expand his role in fiscal oversight and require far more voter approval of state debt than required today, proposals that are drawing mixed reviews. ?The governor feels, and I agree with him, that anytime the word Maine is attached to a bond, that the moral authority is attached to these bonds, [therefore] the voters should decide about adding that debt,? Poliquin said in an interview. ?It is a very compelling argument and I agree with him.?? MINNESOTA LGA cuts hit tight budgets Red Wing Republican Eagle Budgets are already tight in local governments throughout the state, and cities again face potential cuts to Local Government Aid. In an effort to educate local residents about the topic and spur discussion, State Auditor Rebecca Otto, along with Red Wing officials, spoke about LGA and the fiscal state of cities across Minnesota at a panel Tuesday? MISSOURI State Auditor Schweich Releases 2010 Statewide Single Audit Press release State Auditor Tom Schweich today released the completed 2010 Statewide Single Audit. The Single Audit is a review of the state's financial statements and its use of federal awards. Missouri's annual Single Audit is conducted pursuant to the Single Audit Act of 1996. To view the complete audit report and Citizens Summary, visit http://www.auditor.mo.gov/press/2011-11.htm TENNESSEE Mt. Pisgah Middle School parent charged with stealing PTA funds The Commercial Appeal A former co-president of the Mt. Pisgah Middle School parent-teacher association has been charged with theft following a state audit that found she stole more than $1,000 in PTA funds. In a letter sent Wednesday to Mt. Pisgah's PTA board, officials with the state Comptroller's Office said that co-president Kim Mason withdrew $1,110 from the association's bank account "for her own personal benefit."? WISCONSIN New state treasurer to kick off campaign to end his job Madison.com Newly elected State Treasurer Kurt Schuller is expected to announce Wednesday the first step in his farewell tour ? a joint resolution that would ax his job from the state constitution. Schuller, elected in November, campaigned on the odd platform of strategic obsolescence. The office of state treasurer was simply not needed, he argued. Schuller would not comment on the resolution Tuesday, but according to his spokesman, Ron Giordan, the bill already has a sponsor in the Legislature? WYOMING Wyoming may allow access to investment records Bloomberg A private equity fund that manages nearly $180 million in state of Wyoming investments says it will find a way to release details of those investments after The Associated Press filed an open records request with the state treasurer. Cheyenne Capital Fund of Denver is Wyoming's main private equity investment manager. Under its contract with the state, financial statements on Wyoming's investments are provided only to a select group of state officials, treasurer Joe Meyer told the AP. The AP on Monday filed a Wyoming public records act request with Meyer to inspect the statements? OTHER NEWS IG uncovers ARRA reporting errors at DOD Government IT Recovery Act reporting at the Defense Department lacked data quality review, allowing military services to misreport $1.7 billion worth of inaccuracies, finds the Defense Department?s inspector general... GASB Offers $5K Grants to Stimulate Research on Standards Journal of Accountancy GASB issued its 2011 request for research through the Gil Crain Memorial Research Grant. The board offers grants of up to $5,000 annually to encourage academic research relevant to the board?s standard-setting activity. The board intends to award at least one $5,000 research grant and possibly more, depending on the proposals the board receives. Submissions are due May 27, and GASB expects to announce grant recipients by June 17? FYI? From: AGA National Office [mailto:postmaster12 at 303media.net] Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 6:06 AM To: DeVore, Vandee Subject: 03.28.11 AGA Today (www.agacgfm.org/publications/agatoday/032811/index.aspx) Highlights Upcoming Audio Conferences March 30?Program Integrity?Innovation and Approaches for 21st Century Oversight and Accountability April 20? Mortgage Fraud and Beyond?Looking Toward the Future May 11?The Apprehension of Being Ethical 2011 Audio Conference Schedule Top-Quality Speakers Lined Up for Federal Performance Conference With the new demands for openness on government financial managers comes a renewed responsibility to run government programs as efficiently and effectively as possible. A growing chorus--seeking guidance, insight and leadership on these important issues--prompted AGA to gather a stellar lineup of speakers for AGA's Second Annual Federal Performance Conference (FPC). Join us on May 3-4, 2011 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Crystal City, VA, and hear from top authorities on government performance and efficiency. Participate in discussions about how to analyze results and communicate government performance to many stakeholders. Engage in information-sharing, gain top-quality education and earn 15 valuable CPE hours. Show your commitment to a more accountable future and improved government performance. Learn more. Speakers include: Dustin S. Brown, Deputy Assistant Director for Management, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget Patricia Bush, Division Director, Agency Performance Management, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Amy Culbertson, Assistant Director, Performance Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Paul Doremus, Assistant Administrator, Program Planning and Evaluation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration William Englehaupt, Senior Executive, Accenture Jennifer Fiedelholtz, Chief, Budget and Performance Coordination Branch, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Claude Freaner, Life Cycle Cost Engineer, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Pamella Haze, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Budget, Finance, Performance and Acquisition, U.S. Department of the Interior Jay Hoffman, Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Energy Timothy Kiang, Director, Office of Planning, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Jitinder Kohli, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Christopher Mihm, Managing Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office Shelley Metzenbaum, Ph.D., Associate Director of Performance and Personnel Management, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget Special Bonus: Group Discount to FPC Available for AGA Members Are you an AGA member? Are there other AGA members in your office? Submit two registration forms at the full price and get the third registration free. For more information about this special deal for AGA members, contact Evie Barry. Register online Print the registration form Network with AGA Online Anytime Become a Fan of AGA on Facebook Create a Linkedin Profile Follow AGA on Twitter Visit AGA on GovLoopMarch 28, 2011 . News from the Profession AGA Today is Brought to You by AGA Corporate Partner Clifton Gunderson Clifton Gunderson, ranked as one of the nation's largest certified public accounting and consulting firms, is a leader in providing assurance, risk management, IT security, financial accounting and management, and management advisory services for federal, state and local government agencies. Visit our website at www.cliftoncpa.com for more information. Point of Contact Patrick Byer, MBA, CGFM, CPA, CISA, CISM 301-931-2050 Pat.Byer at cliftoncpa.com State and Local News Public Employees Rush to Retire; Pay Cuts, Fear of Losing Benefits Trigger Exodus Public employees are retiring at a quickening pace around the U.S., providing a mixed blessing for state and local governments seeking to save money. The retirements mean employers can shelve some planned layoffs. And some of the departing workers, generally more senior and higher paid, are being replaced by lower-paid employees with less-generous retirement benefits, government officials say. But the loss of veterans threatens to erode the quality of public services that make communities attractive, they say. The exodus of public employees is an unintended consequence of states' financial struggles. Some workers have been required to take unpaid furlough days, and many fear they'll lose benefits at the center of political battles. In Wisconsin, where lawmakers voted in mid-March to end workers' collective bargaining for future employment contracts, 3,362 people have applied to retire this year, a 73 percent jump from last year. And 10,975 people since the beginning of the year have taken the first step toward retirement?flooding the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds with requests for estimates of their potential benefits. That's up 134 percent. ?Ianthe Jeanne Dugan, The Wall Street Journal. Read more. State Hiring Freezes Tend to Melt Away Oklahoma state government has been under a hiring freeze since 1991. At least technically, it has. The degree of frozenness has varied enormously from agency to agency. Some departments have brought in huge numbers of people while the freeze has been in effect. The directive hasn't been lifted because no governor wants to see a front-page headline, "Governor Ends Hiring Freeze." It doesn't sound fiscally conservative. "We all know it's silly, but it's one of those political realities. And if I were governor, I, too, would not want to end the hiring freeze because of the fallout you'd get," says Hank Batty, deputy administrator for programs in the Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management. While Batty says "I'm not proud of this," he notes that the freeze has had some effect. For example, "it has added a bureaucratic process through which you have to get the approval of a cabinet secretary to hire a correctional officer." Oklahoma's freeze is unusual in its duration, but hiring freezes, at least nominal ones, have become a way of life for many state governments. In a January 2010 survey of personnel managers by the Center for State & Local Government Excellence, hiring freezes were found to be the most common cost-cutting measure, with more than 65 percent of those surveyed indicating that their state or locality had implemented some kind of freeze in recent years. In contrast, 40 percent said they had laid off employees and 30 percent had implemented furloughs. ?Melissa Maynard, Stateline.org. Read more. AGA Today is Brought to You by AGA Corporate Partner Cotton & Company LLP Cotton & Company LLP, a recognized leader in public accounting, is seeking a Manager of Contract, Grant & Litigation Support with experience in auditing federal contract/grant financial and compliance audits, forensic accounting or litigation support services. Visit our website at www.cottoncpa.com. Point of contact: Leslie Sims 703-836-6701 lsims at cottoncpa.com Federal News Cracking Down on Improper Payments Requires a Fine Balance The government faces a challenging task in preventing and recovering improper payments while simultaneously ensuring that money is disbursed in a timely manner to those entitled to it, a panel of federal officials said on Wednesday. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for example, reduced its improper payments from 17 percent to 3 percent during the past decade, said David Sidari, HUD's deputy chief financial officer, but efforts to improve internal controls and institute reform slowed the rate of payments to people who were eligible for assistance, he added. Sidari noted agencies must individually measure their own risk as it relates to preventing and recovering improper payments while ensuring that proper payments are processed expeditiously. "Do you let the money flow to achieve your mission, or slow it down while you retool?" he asked. Other panelists agreed that the pressure to improve financial management while efficiently serving customers can be a fine line to walk. George Mills, director of the provider compliance group in the office of financial management at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, described a typical day in his job. "You've got the Office of Management and Budget and Capitol Hill saying, 'Stop these improper payments,' " he said. But rooting out improper payments takes time, and agencies can be accused of hassling folks in an effort to recover money, he added. ?Kellie Lunney, Government Executive. Read more. Cyber Attacks on Federal Networks Up 40 Percent Cyber attacks against the federal government increased almost 40 percent last year, according to government data. Federal agencies suffered 41,776 cyber attacks in 2010, up from 30,000 the previous year, according to the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), which is tasked with defending the dot-gov domain and sharing information with industry and local governments. The data is included in an annual report on federal cybersecurity efforts by the Office of Management Budget. Of the attacks reported last year, 12,864 ? or 31 percent ? were classified as malicious code. Another 11,336 (27 percent) are under investigation or labeled as "other." Unauthorized access, denial of service, improper usage and scans probes and attempted access made up the remaining incidents. Those numbers will continue to increase as new technologies and access to mobile devices and social networking sites expands. ?Nicole Blake Johnson, Federal Times. Read more. Private Sector News Minimize Personality Conflicts in Your Workplace The motherly instruction to "play well with others" doesn't always travel from the playground to the workplace, a new Accountemps survey suggests. Managers interviewed said they spend, on average, 18 percent of their time?more than seven hours a week or nine weeks per year?intervening in employee disputes. Resolving staff conflicts is an ongoing issue faced by supervisors. Past Accountemps studies from as far back as 1991 show similar results. Managers were asked, "What percentage of management time is wasted resolving staff personality conflicts?" The mean response was 18 percent. "Although staff management is part of the job for supervisors, too much time spent handling disputes gets in the way of business priorities and often signals a larger issue needs to be addressed," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "For example, being chronically short-staffed can cause friction among employees, as can an overly competitive work environment." ?AccountingWEB. Read more. Accounting Standards News GASB Issues 2011 Request for Research, Research Brief on Timeliness The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has issued a request for research for its 2011 Gil Crain Memorial Research Grant. Also, GASB has released a research brief examining how long it takes state and local governments to issue financial reports, and how the passage of time affects the usefulness of the reports for users. FASAB Seeks Comments on its Annual Report During 2010, the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) worked with the American Institute of CPAs to develop practices that would provide the public more information about the board's operations. The board committed to publishing an annual report summarizing key information about its governance, resources, and results. We are very interested in your feedback on the report. Please send any suggestions to fasab at fasab.gov or by calling 202.512.7350. Win a FREE PDC 2011 Conference Registration and Hotel Room Grab your digital video camera and produce a creative and entertaining two-minute video to share your views on the value of attendance at AGA's 60th Professional Development Conference & Exposition in Atlanta, GA.One grand prize winner will receive complimentary registration to PDC 2011 or PDC 2012 in San Diego, CA PLUS five nights hotel accommodations. Two runner-ups will receive complimentary registration to the PDC11 or PDC12. What are you waiting for? Show us what you've got! Make sure to e-mail the link to your video to Jerome Bruce by May 20. Complete an entry form Read video contest information and rules NASACT Sets Yellow Book Webinar for May 4 The National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), in conjunction with AGA and the Association of Local Government Auditors, has scheduled a webinar for 2?3:50 p.m. EDT May 4 titled, "2011 Government Auditing Standards: Changes You Need to Know." The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is currently revising Government Auditing Standards, the first major revision to the standards since 2007. Final release of the 2011 edition is expected in early summer. This webinar will highlight the key revisions from the 2007 Yellow Book and the changes and comments received on the 2010 exposure draft. Speaker is Marcia Buchanan, CGFM, CPA, assistant director, GAO's Financial Management and Assurance Team. Learn more and register. Register for AGA's First Graduate-Level Government Finance Case Challenge The best graduate students in accounting, business, financial management or public administration are invited to compete in the first graduate-level Government Finance Case Challenge, sponsored by AGA. Student teams will collaboratively analyze and offer a written response to a case centered on the creation of a citizen-centric report for a U.S. city government. The registration deadline is April 29. The competition begins on May 2. All members of the three highest-scoring teams will receive a free registration to AGA's Professional Development Conference, set for July 10-13, in Atlanta. Learn more. AICPA Seeks Outstanding CPA in Government Award Nominations The American Institute for Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) encourages state CPA societies and their members to celebrate CPAs who have made a significant contribution to local, state or federal government organizations. The nomination period for the AICPA Outstanding CPA in Government Award is now through May 14, 2011. Contact Cortney McCullough for more information. AGA Advertising Opportunities! Advertise in AGA's electronic newsletters--TOPICS and AGA Today! Get maximum exposure and build your brand. Find out what's available in an upcoming issue. Click here for all the information you need to run your ad. Or, you can contact April Pardoe. AGA Staff List AGA Membership Application CGFM Application Audio Conferences Training OpportunitiesOther AGA Links Learn More About the CGFM Certification Register for AGA's Second Annual Federal Performance Conference, May 3-4, Arlington, VA Register for AGA's 60th Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition, July 10?13, Atlanta, GA Register for AGA's Sixth Annual Internal Control & Fraud Conference, Sept. 19-20, Washington, D.C. Bring New AGA-Sponsored Training Courses to Your Organization ? Association of Government Accountants 2011 Disclaimer: AGA serves government accountability professionals by providing quality education, fostering professional development and certification, and supporting standards and research to advance government accountability. If you would like to opt off of future AGA mailings, please e-mail agawebmaster at agacgfm.org. Thank you. Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 4:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 1777 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karen.park at state.or.us Thu Mar 31 06:19:46 2011 From: karen.park at state.or.us (Karen PARK) Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:19:46 -0700 Subject: [OSSSA218] FYI -Social Security Update - Compassionate Allowances Hearing - Autoimmune Diseases Message-ID: <4D941D01.4CA4.0094.3@PERS.STATE.OR.US> March 2011 Previous Issues In This Issue: Compassionate Allowances Hearing on Autoimmune Diseases "Ticket to Work" Works Commissioner of Social Security Speaks to Congress about Budget Help Your Clients Be Financially Literate Go Online for Earth Day Compassionate Allowances Hearing on Autoimmune Diseases On March 16, 2011, Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, hosted the agency?s latest Compassionate Allowances Outreach Hearing. Commissioner Astrue was joined by Robert H. Carter, Deputy Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, and other Social Security officials in hearing testimony from some of the nation?s leading experts on autoimmune diseases about the possible methods of identifying and implementing Compassionate Allowances for adults and children with autoimmune diseases. Compassionate Allowances enable Social Security to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants with medical conditions so severe that their conditions by definition meet Social Security's standards. We can then quickly target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly. To learn more, to read the testimony, or to view any portion of the March 16 hearing, visit Social Security?s Compassionate Allowances page at www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances/hearings031611.htm "Ticket to Work" Works ?Ticket to Work? is a program that helps people with disabilities find meaningful employment, allowing them to take steps toward greater self-sufficiency. Thousands of individuals with disabilities have successfully used their ?ticket? to get the support services they need to re-enter the workforce and dramatically improve the quality of their lives. Here are just two real life examples. Willie struggled to cope with a chemical imbalance and anxiety disorder while working until eventually she had to quit her job due to her disability. The Ticket to Work program offered her the opportunity to ease back into a job without risking the loss of benefits. Today, Willie works as a personal care assistant at a large retirement community. She credits Ticket to Work with giving her the extra confidence she needed to take that step back into the workplace and be economically self-sufficient. After several personal tragedies, including the death of her baby, Veronica became depressed and began receiving disability benefits. Ticket to Work helped turn her life back around. Now, she is working and says, ?I feel great.? Learn more about how Ticket to Work worked for Willie and Veronica, and thousands of others by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/work/success.html. Learn how Ticket to Work can work for your clients at www.socialsecurity.gov/work. (Back to Top) Commissioner of Social Security Speaks to Congress about Budget On March 9, Commissioner Astrue testified before Congress regarding the agency?s fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget request. ?Our programs provide a safety net for the public and contribute to the increased financial security for the elderly and disabled,? Commissioner Astrue said. ?Social Security benefits not only provide a lifeline to our beneficiaries and their families, but also are vital to the Nation's economy.? Commissioner Astrue testified that although Social Security has made great progress in improving services for the American public, that progress will be jeopardized without full funding of the President's FY 2011 and 2012 budget requests. ?Millions of deserving Americans count on us, and we need your continued support to provide the service they expect and deserve,? he said. Learn more by reading the Commissioner?s testimony at www.socialsecurity.gov/legislation/SSA BudgetTestimony030911.pdf (Back to Top) Help Your Clients Be Financially Literate Get a head start on making sure your clients are financially literate. April is Financial Literacy Month?a time for all Americans to focus on understanding financial issues that can help them plan for their futures. We at Social Security believe retirement planning should be high on everyone?s list, and we have online tools to help. One of the best ways for your clients to begin retirement planning is with our Retirement Planner at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2. Our Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator gives you the ability and flexibility to test different retirement ages and learn how to maximize retirement benefits by delaying retirement. We also recommend a visit to www.mymoney.gov. This government site has a wealth of information from multiple agencies covering an array of topics?from buying a home to paying for college. (Back to Top) Go Online for Earth Day April 22 is Earth Day. On that day, as well as throughout the year, Social Security is committed to conserving energy and reducing waste. Our agency has buildings across the nation that boast high-efficiency lighting, solar hot water heating systems, high-performance windows, solar lighting in parking lots, improved HVAC systems, chilled water system improvements, and much more. What?s more, Social Security offers many of our popular services online. These services are more than just convenient and easy-to-use. They?re also great for the environment. There?s no paper, printing, postage, or travel needed. Our most popular online services include: Retirement Estimator: get a quick and personalized estimate of future Social Security retirement benefits. www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator Benefits Planner: Find out how much can be expected in retirement, disability, or spouse benefits. www.socialsecurity.gov/planners Retirement Application: Complete and submit a retirement application in as little as 15 minutes. www.socialsecurity.gov/retireonline Apply for disability benefits. www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability Apply for Medicare benefits. www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly Tell your clients to go online to www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices Subscribe to Social Security Update today and you'll always be in the know when it comes to Social Security news. All we need is your e-mail address. Subscribe here. (Back to Top) Privacy Policy | Website Policies & Other Important Information | Site Map Karen Park Oregon State Social Security Coordinator Oregon PERS 503 603-7633 karen.park at state.or.us SL2 Please note my office hours are Monday thru Thursday 6 am to 4:30 pm CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: All information in this email, including attachments, is approved solely for delivery to and authorized use by intended recipients. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message and/or any of its attachments by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this message or an authorized assistant to an intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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