NASE IN ACTION

The House passed a series of bills this week to expand HSA flexibility while also delaying the ACA's health insurance tax (HIT) until 2021 and repealing the medical device tax. Among the bills passed this week:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing millions of American workers and their families, we express our gratitude to you for your efforts to provide Congressional oversight over the Obama Administration's state grant program to address the misclassification of workers. Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) granted $10 million to 23 states to implement or improve worker misclassification programs. The Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law No. 113-235, authorized this grant funding for "activities to address the misclassification of workers." While many states have existing programs designed to reduce worker misclassification, this is the second year that the DOL has awarded grants dedicated to worker misclassification.

The small business community, including self-employed and micro-businesses, welcomed a major benefit this tax year: a new, streamlined IRS home office standardized deduction. The new, standardized deduction is available to small business owners and the self-employed as an option for the 2013 tax year (returns filed in 2014).

This afternoon, the National Association for the Self-Employed formally requested a hearing on H.R. 6102, America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2012, by the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax and Select Revenue.

The NASE in conjunction with its #TheSelfEmployedMatter Twitter campaign is encouraging its members to contact their U.S. Senators and urge them to support S. 2050 and their Member of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 6102.

The NASE has joined other small-business organizations to support S. 2050, The Small Business Tax Extenders Act of 2012.

NASE submitted the below statement for the record in an effort to ensure that the House Ways and Means Committee move forward on tax reform that encompasses the self-employed community, specifically, the individual income tax rate, health insurance premium deduction, and the start-up deduction.

In a letter to Director Richard Cordray, NASE along with 48 small business organizations in expressing concerns related to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's implementation of small business provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act.

In a letter to Administrator Karen Mills, NASE congratulates her newly designated cabinet level status and applauds President Obama's decision to elevate the Small Business Administration to cabinet level status during this time of reorganization and consolidation.

On May 19, 2011, the NASE was asked by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on how the effects of the Small Business Jobs Act, signed into law last fall, have been felt by the self-employed community.

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) signs letter in support of Senate Amendment 299, the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act of 2011.

The National Association for the Self-Employed joined hundreds of organizations and associations in support of H.R. 4, the “Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011,” a bill to finally repeal the expanded Form 1099 requirements included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

President Barack Obama signed into law legislation that will allow the self-employed to deduct their health insurance costs as a business expense for payroll tax purposes.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed into law legislation that will allow the self-employed to deduct their health insurance costs as a business expense for payroll tax purposes. Though only applicable to 2010 tax returns, the passage of this proponent is a key “foot in the door” for future battles on health costs and the self-employed, according to the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).

On September 27, 2010, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (H.R.5297) was signed into law. The legislation provides an important tax break for the over 23 million self-employed Americans that represent 78 percent of all small businesses in the U.S.

With the recent Senate passage of the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, lawmakers moved one step closer with providing some bottom-line cost saving tax benefits to America's smallest businesses. Learn more about the provisions in this important legislation.

The NASE, on behalf of our 200,000 member businesses, is pleased to announce our support for the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297). We believe the combination of tax incentives and financing options will help new businesses build a solid foundation and help existing businesses keep their doors open.

On behalf of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) and our 200,000 member businesses, I am pleased to announce our support for your amendment, Senate Amendment #4330, to the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297).

NASE Letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions regarding the Employer Misclassification Prevention Act (S. 3254) which attempts to address worker classification (employee vs. independent contractor) issues.

NASE signs on to a letter by the Coalition for Fairness in Tax Compliance in support of the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act (H.R. 5141), which would repeal new IRS Form 1099 reporting requirements on small business.

The NASE's comments on the Senate health reform bill as amended by the Manager's Amendment.

NASE comments on the House health care reform bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962).

NASE National Tax Advisor Keith Hall testified before the House Small Business Committee on the extension of expiring tax incentives. He told the committee that the extension of expiring tax incentives such as the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exemption, accelerated depreciation, sales tax deductions and first time home owner buyer credits will help small businesses and thus continue the economic recovery.

Detailed explanations of the NASE's health care reform priorities and the NASE's perspective on key components of reform.

As Congress continues its important work on health care reform, the NASE and the NAR ask legislators that any final health reform measure address the unique problems experienced by America’s self-employed workforce.

The NASE, NFIB, and NSBA urge legislators to remember that our nation’s small businesses and the self-employed share a problem that plagues all of our members: the soaring cost of healthcare.

NASE Executive Director, Kristie Arslan, participated in a roundtable hosted by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship regarding the healthcare reform priorities of small business. Arslan commented that for the last decade, the cost of health care has been consistently been selected by NASE members as the top issue affecting their business. The economic downturn has made it even more crucial that Congress provide relief to the self-employed from the high health care costs that are strangling their businesses.

NASE’s National Tax Advisor, Keith Hall, testified before the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Finance and Tax to discuss four areas where simplification of the tax code would greatly benefit micro-business owners by reducing their tax reporting burdens while also increasing tax compliance.

NASE Senior Health Advisor Mike Beene testified before the House Small Business Committee on health care reform for small businesses. He told the committee that the cost of health coverage for micro-businesses plays a significant role as to why so many self-employed business owners go without or purchase a minimum coverage policy. The NASE believes that in order to improve the ability of micro-business owners to obtain quality health coverage, health reform proposals must address two key components: affordability and choice.

Micro-businesses and self-employed individuals nationwide are significantly troubled by the current economic crisis facing our country. Of most concern to NASE members is the effect this economic crisis will have on their savings, their home values and their ability to access credit and loans. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) urges the 110th House to act now to stabilize our credit markets and our shaky economy, and vote in favor of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424).

NASE Member Scott Scribner testified on Capitol Hill regarding the importance of the SBA Office of Advocacy’s Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative to reduce the confusion and complexity surrounding the home office deduction. Key hurdles faced by the self-employed in taking this deduction are the strict qualifying requirements, the complexity of the form and instructions, and the underlying fear that employing this tax benefit will flag them for review or audit by the IRS.

The House Ways & Means Committee held a mark up today on legislation to address the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) which included a provision that would increase both the tax compliance burden and business costs for micro-business and the self-employed.

Expanding information reporting by requiring credit and debit card issuers to report business owners’ annual electronic payment transactions to the IRS is just one of the many alarming tax gap recommendations which would increase tax regulation on small business.

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) understands the current budget situation our country is facing and supports efforts to work towards minimizing the federal deficit. However, we feel that the Administration’s proposals relating to the tax gap would hinder tax compliance while also significantly impairing our nation’s entrepreneurs.

NASE Tax Consultant Keith Hall testified on Capitol Hill regarding the importance of utilizing plain language in federal government forms and publications; and how reducing the confusion and complexity surrounding government forms and publications will benefit many small-business owners.

Rising health care costs are significantly hurting micro-business and impairing their ability to grow, compete and succeed. The NASE supports the increase in competition among health care carriers in the small group market to encourage lower premium costs.

A key obstacle facing small and micro-businesses is the lack of access to financing, which is essential for their start up and continued growth. One opportunity is the SBA’s loan programs. The NASE discusses the issues small business owners have in acquiring outside capital and advocates support, increased funding and improvements for the SBA Micro-loan program.

Unfair tax codes are the chief complaint to the Internal Revenue Service from self-employed and micro-businesses. Vague rules and complex forms are often the source of non-compliance. NASE highlights some of the pros and cons of some of the proposals and includes alternate recommendations to increase compliance without burdening your business.