KRISTIE L. ARSLAN

President Obama sailed to re-election in November, winning all but two of the states he carried in 2008. Little will change when the 113th Congress is sworn in on Jan. 9, 2013. The Senate will be controlled by the Democrats and the House of Representatives by the Republicans. The critical issues facing the country and America’s self-employed remain, with tax reform being of the utmost importance to ensuring continued economic recovery.

On Nov. 6, 2012, voters will head to the polls not just to elect the President, but also cast their votes in crucial down ballot elections including gubernatorial, senate, congressional and other state-related races. While control of the White House is the prime objective for both Democrats and Republicans, the majorities in the Senate and House are equally important in order for legislative priorities to move forward.

In preparation for tonight's first debate, NASE President Kristie L. Arslan had the following to say...

In the 63 days between Labor Day and Election Day, Congress will spend 13 days in session working in Washington, D.C.—a relaxed work schedule by any measure. And what will Congress accomplish in those 13 days? If past experience is any guide, they’ll likely spend those working days making floor speeches, naming post offices and playing political games, instead of passing meaningful policy improvements.

The NASE recently submitted a letter to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax and Select Revenue formally requesting a hearing on H.R. 6102, America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2012.

Today, President Barack Obama announced he will support a 1-year tax cut extension for earners making $250,000 or less, Kristie Arslan, President and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) reacted today with weariness over one more temporary fix in the tax code.

After much anticipation, the U.S. Supreme Court has reached a decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. The NASE continues to maintain its original concern that the health care law does little to address the affordability of coverage for America’s largest employment sector, the self-employed.

With gas and energy prices hitting highs in the past few months, the self-employed are cutting back their business activity, according to the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).

As the country waits to hear from the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the self-employed are weighing in now on the impact the law is currently having on their businesses. According to a national survey released yesterday by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)...

As the country waits to hear from the Supreme Court for a decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the self-employed are weighing in on the impact of the law on their business. According to a national survey by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the greatest opposition to the new law among the self-employed is seen among those who are the most familiar with it.

November 2012 is just six months away. Along with the presidential race, voters will be tasked with electing leaders on the local and federal level, shouldering the responsibility of steering their states and country forward.

As the House Committee on Ways & Means prepares to mark up recently introduced health care access bills, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is pleased to announce its support for H.R. 5842, Restoring Access to Medications Act and H.R. 5858, a bill to improve Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

"This will really open the floodgates to a whole new arena of entrepreneurs who are trying to help other entrepreneurs finance their dreams," says NASE CEO Kristie Arslan. "The great thing about crowdfunding is that it allows people to choose; you're putting your business idea out there and asking people to invest in you and your idea. The good ideas will hopefully rise to the top."

Kristie Arslan, president of the National Association for the Self-Employed who just started her own gourmet popcorn company, said she had received "invaluable support" from an SBDC.

More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). The NASE is teaming up with the SBA for the 11th year in a row to sponsor National Small Business Week.

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is pleased to announce the 2012 Member Council, which met in Washington, D.C. May 2nd -4th. The council’s purpose is to serve as a sounding board for NASE leadership regarding programs, services and benefits that could help make NASE Membership an even greater value to micro-business owners and the self-employed.

In an unprecedented 5 ½ hours of oral questioning, the Supreme Court recently heard the challenge to President Obama’s biggest legislative accomplishment in his presidency, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Today, the House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing on the exploration of expiring tax cut for small business owners. The NASE took this opportunity to submit a statement for the record regarding the importance of the continuity of these tax benefits.

For the past decade, advocates for the home-based workforce have sought to give taxpayers the option to check a box for a standard $1,500 home office write-off. That would save them the tricky business of calculating what percentage of the home is dedicated to business—and therefore what share of rent, insurance, utilities, and maintenance costs can be deducted.

“We’re much more interested in tax laws that impact the 22 million self-employed Americans who aren’t household names but who create a whole lot more jobs than Mr. Buffett,” said Kristie Arslan, president of the National Association for the Self-Employed.

Tax fairness is a top priority for the National Association for the Self-Employed, but we're much more interested in tax laws that impact the 22 million self-employed Americans who aren't household names but who create a whole lot more jobs than Mr. Buffett.

In creating the [Affordable Care Act], however, Arslan said Congress leaned toward creating access to better health insurance for all, but dropped the ball on making it affordable.

Legislation that passed in February did more than just extend the federal payroll tax deduction. It also made changes to the Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program. This voluntary program allows states to pay a self-employment allowance to unemployed individuals who are in the process of establishing businesses and realizing the dream of self-employment.

The idea has wide bipartisan support in the House as well as President Obama’s backing. And small business advocates including SCORE CEO Ken Yancey and NASE CEO Kristie Arslan tell me they support crowdfunding legislation.

Kristie Arslan, president and chief executive of the National Association for the Self-Employed, says crowdfunding could be a godsend for the 22 million Americans who are self-employed and who often struggle to raise capital. “The smallest businesses have the most limited choices when it comes to accessing financing,” she says. While crowdfunding would not be the right option for every self-employed individual, it could help many who can’t get traditional bank loans, she notes.

Arslan points out that 78 percent of the small business population is comprised of self-employed people. “They don’t need large sums to start or grow, but traditional lending institutions don’t look at them as moneymakers.” Crowdfunding, she says, is a way individuals with business ideas can “fund their dream in an easy way.”

The nation’s 22 million self-employed business owners are building companies and contributing to the economic turnaround. However, they are disproportionately challenged by burdensome regulatory compliance, including an unfair tax burden and excessive paperwork requirements. The NASE continues to advocate for simple changes to federal law that would address these challenges and ensure an even playing field for small businesses.

Congress closed out 2011 by agreeing to a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut. Now that they are back in session, your lawmakers are wrangling to come to a longer one-year deal. As they debate another payroll tax extension proposal, I again encourage them to put partisan politics aside and pass the payroll tax extension.

“Tax incentives for startups and for businesses that have recently purchased new equipment are certainly a start, but we are concerned that so few of the policies suggested actually apply to the largest segment of small businesses – the self-employed and micro-businesses. That key demographic makes up more than 78% of the nation’s small business population,” commented NASE President Kristie L. Arslan.

Kristie Arslan, president and chief executive of NASE, said that the overall message of fairness resonated with the self-employed population because "they are dealing with their own legal work and regulatory work, as well as being CEO."

As the President prepares to deliver his annual State of the Union address and Members of Congress prepare their talking points in response, the 22 million Americans who are self-employed must not be forgotten in the back and forth over big policy changes.

As news reports circulate that President Obama will recommend the Small Business Administration (SBA) be elevated to Cabinet-level status, Kristie Arslan, President and CEO of the NASE, reacted by supporting the effort saying “it signals the importance of the small business community to our national economy.”

The NASE welcomes Ron McNally, CAE, Vice President of Membership & Marketing and Katie Vlietstra, Director of Government Affairs to our team.

Capitol Hill is sifting through the remnants of last year’s supercommittee talks, looking for tax plans to keep after the collapse. We can expect to hear many proposals about closing tax loopholes. With a new year beginning, lawmakers are also looking for ways to reduce the budget deficit and get our country back on track. Tax reform is one way to do that, and is something the NASE has long advocated for in Washington.

As 2011 comes to a close, so does the payroll tax cut for millions of Americans. If Congress does not come to an agreement, we'll start out 2012 by paying higher taxes.

As the U.S. Senate prepares to debate another payroll tax extension proposal, Kristie Arslan, President & CEO of the NASE, encourages our policymakers to put partisan politics aside and pass the payroll tax extension.

We can all agree that the tax code could be more fair for Americans who want to start their own small business. It’s one of the pillars of the national self-employment initiative that the NASE has been urging policymakers to adopt.

As the news reports that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction – also known as the super committee – has failed to reach a budget deal, NASE blasts our nation’s lawmakers for playing partisan politics with the economy

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) would like to thank America’s self-employed and micro-business owners who work tirelessly each day to support themselves and their families, as well as contribute to their communities through starting and maintaining a business.

In an open letter, the 22-million self-employed and micro-businesses asked to be kept in mind as the super committee determines which cuts will be made to reduce the debt.

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) today announced its participation in the second annual Small Business Saturday on November 26, 2011.

Washington, D.C., is awash in rhetoric about the importance of America’s small businesses as engines of economic recovery. But there is little to no action coming out of the policy arena to help these businesses actually fuel economic growth. Instead, they have been largely left out of the policy discussion when it comes to the president’s American Jobs Act and our national debt.

As President Barack Obama travels the country selling his American Jobs Act and the U.S. Congress works to meet a pending deadline on our national debt challenges, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) today released its new small business Startup Kit.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its grim prediction that unemployment will remain above 8 percent until 2014. The CBO isn’t limiting its bad news to unemployment—it also predicts our budget deficit will be bleak at $1.3 trillion for fiscal 2011.

As President Barack Obama presents the American Jobs Act before a joint session of Congress, NASE President & CEO Kristie L. Arslan outlines critical actions both the President and Congress can take to get our economy moving.

Most micro-business owners know health insurance terms like copay, deductible and individual policy. But the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that passed in 2010 has thrown a new term into the health insurance market: exchange.