MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Radio Interviews Available

Preparing Your 2013 Taxes?

The Challenges for America’s Smallest Businesses

The National Association for the Self-Employed Offers Tax Tips and Resources To Ensure Accurate Returns

Major Change to 2013 Tax Filing: New Home Office Standard Deduction Available

 

What:        America’s smallest businesses are vulnerable to the current economic climate and critical to America’s economic recovery. These businesses have demonstrated the highest, steady growth rate in recent years. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the nation’s 22-million self-employed and micro-businesses, is alerting the public, the self-employed and the small businesses community of changes to the tax code and tips for completing the daunting task of completing this year’s tax returns.  

As the filing date for 2013 taxes approaches, the self-employed and small businesses will need information and resources to help their ability to file more accurate and beneficial returns. The NASE has a critical and supportive role in helping navigate this process through the print, online, and broadcast media.

Keith Hall, President and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed can offer the following tips and updates on changes to the tax code for small-business owners:

• You are not alone: use many of the countless NASE resources available to help you through your preparation
• Get details straight from the source: bookmark the IRS website in order to get the details you need
• Look for hidden deductions:  many people overlook deductions that could save thousands of dollars
• File Electronically to avoid math errors
• Avoid shortcuts
• If you just can’t get it done, you can ask for more time

Changes and adjustments to filing 2013 taxes include:

• A new streamlined, standard home office deduction is available for most small business owners
• An Increased threshold for deducting medical expenses
• Increase in tax rates for higher income taxpayers including an increase in the capital gains tax rate, the Medicare tax rate and a new Net Investment Income Tax
• A permanent ‘patch’ for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
• The standard mileage rate for business use of an automobile has changed to 56.5 cents per mile.
• Limits for retirement plan contributions such as IRAs and 401(k) plans have increased

Who:         Keith Hall, President and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), is available to discuss changes to the tax code, last minute tax tips, and resources available to small business owners.

When:       Keith is available by appointment for live, live-to-tape and taped interviews.

**Note to producers, editors and hosts: To book Keith, please contact Kristofer Eisenla at kristofer@lunaeisenlamedia.com or at 202-670-5747**

Suggested questions for Keith:

• As a small-business owner do I have to have a CPA do my tax return?
• What are the most common mistakes made by small businesses in preparing their return?
• How does the new streamlined, standard home office tax deduction work?
• What is the best thing a small-business owner can do to reduce the taxes that they may have to pay on April 15^th?
• What things should they start doing now for next year to save even more on their tax bill?
• If you could leave our listeners with just one piece of advice for their taxes, what would that be?
• Is there a website you can provide our listeners should they have further questions?

ABOUT KEITH HALL

Keith Hall is the President and CEO and National Tax Advisor for the NASE, offering personalized tax advice and answers on everything from incorporation and automobile expenses to the home-office deduction and travel expenses to the self-employed and micro-business owners. Hall was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981 with a degree in Accounting.

He began his career with the international accounting firm of KPMG, working with clients in banking, insurance and other financial services. Hall has served as the Chief Financial Officer for a medium-sized bank and a long-term care provider. He is a certified public accountant and has provided consulting and tax services to small businesses for over twenty years.

Hall’s small-business advice and tax preparation expertise has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Good Housekeeping, and on hundreds of radio programs across the country.


The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy. The NASE Small Business Locator helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org