|
Volume 2, Issue
3
|
March
2008
|
|
To recognize Virginia Financial Literacy Month in April, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA) is pleased to offer a series of Financial Fitness workshops! Led by experienced CPAs and held at the Richmond CPA Center in Glen Allen, these free seminars include a complimentary lunch. To reserve your seat, please register as soon as possible! Use the links below or call the VSCPA Education Team at (800) 341-8189.
Research shows that average student credit card debt is $4,088, and average student loan debt is $20,000. Although college students are graduating with vital career expertise and job skills, they may be missing out on other important skills essential to their future success — budgeting, financing homes and cars, choosing adequate insurance options, learning when to seek help from financial and legal professionals, creating life goals and more. To address this need, the VSCPA partnered with James Madison University (JMU) to launch LifeSkills — a seven-week program that trains college juniors and seniors on financial and career skills needed for real life. With a generous sponsorship from the VSCPA Educational Foundation, the VSCPA and JMU developed an online toolkit to assist other colleges and universities in launching their own student financial education program. Part of the VSCPA's award-winning Financial
Fitness campaign, the LifeSkills program satisfies Virginia
college and universities' legislative
requirements for offering financial literacy education
(HB 2513). The program also teaches college students important
life skills, including goal, career and financial planning. The LifeSkills Toolkit is a free online guide that walks institutions through the process of implementing the program, step-by-step. The Toolkit includes a complete timeline of tasks, sample budget, topic ideas, frequently asked questions, program marketing materials and more! Available on the VSCPA consumer Web site, FinancialFitness.org, these materials are just some of the many pro bono resources offered by the VSCPA to improve the financial health of all Virginians. For more information about LifeSkills, contact VSCPA Media &
Public Relations Specialist Shawnte
Reynolds at (800) 733-8272.
Got filing questions about your 2007 federal and Virginia state taxes? Need help determining tax implications from a recent natural disaster or other life change? It's tax time again, and the VSCPA is pleased to offer FREE tax assistance to Virginia taxpayers through its new Tax Resource Center — a special section on the FinancialFitness.org consumer Web site. The VSCPA Tax Resource Center is designed to provide consumers and businesses with premier tax and personal financial planning resources, information and services. It contains a wealth of tax resources, including Virginia and federal tax information with links to download forms, tax and financial planning articles for individuals and business professionals, military personnel tax assistance, frequently asked tax questions and tips for the 2008 filing season. In addition, anyone filing federal or state tax returns in the Commonwealth of Virginia can get free online tax advice by submitting e-mail questions at FinancialFitness.org through the "Ask a CPA" Tax Help E-mail Program. Experienced, licensed certified public accountants (CPA) will provide answers to tax questions within three business days. Tax questions can be submitted online January 31 through April 8, 2008. For more information about these tax resources and programs, please contact VSCPA Community Relations Coordinator Tracey Zink at (800) 733-8272.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) unveiled a new section on its Web site, www.irs.gov, that provides taxpayers with information on economic stimulus payments. The economic stimulus payments section includes an extensive set of frequently asked questions about the stimulus payments, with a special emphasis on recipients of Social Security and certain veterans’ benefits. Millions of people in this group who normally don’t file a tax return will need to do so this year in order to receive a stimulus payment. Read the full article on the FinancialFitness.org Web site.
The VSCPA develops monthly Money Management articles to provide financial advice and information for individuals and small businesses. Topics include personal finance, retirement and estate planning, saving for college, investments, running a small business, income taxes and more. Virginia organizations are granted reprint permission and can use in publications, employee newsletters, Web sites and more. Here are this month's topics:
As part of our Financial
Fitness campaign designed to improve the financial health
of Virginians, the VSCPA
offers free resources and volunteer assistance to the public to
help with disaster recovery in the wake of natural disasters and
unexpected emergencies. The VSCPA developed Virginia
Disaster Recovery Help — an online resource center
and public service program to help individuals and businesses
deal with the financial and tax consequences that can follow disasters
as well as steps to take prior to a disaster.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the nation's consumer protection agency. The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection works for the consumer to prevent fraud, deception and unfair business practices in the marketplace. Other activities of the Bureau include enhancing consumer confidence by enforcing federal laws that protect consumers and empowering consumers by providing information that will help them exercise their rights and avoid fraud and deception. The organization encourages consumers to get information or file a complaint about fraud or identity theft. Visit the FTC Web site for educational articles, daily tips and publications.
Hybrid vehicles are better for the environment, offer better
fuel economy, and can be better for your wallet. The government
and numerous states offer tax incentives and various privileges
to hybrid owners. The Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007 can provide refunds of more than $3,000 for certain vehicles,
and with gas prices forecasted to climb, those potential savings
can really pay off. Click here
to learn more about the tax benefits of owning a hybrid and whether
the hybrid your own is eligible. | |||||||||||||||||
|
|
Virginia Society of CPAs | P.O. Box 4620,
Glen Allen, VA 23058-4620 | (800) 733-8272 |
