Washington Watch
February 12, 2003
NASE Member
to Take Your Regulatory Concerns to Washington
"Small business is being crushed under a mountain of
mandates," said Thomas Sullivan, U.S. Small Business
Administration's Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “We have
identified 30 rules that are high-priority and ripe
for reform. By reforming these rules and finding less
burdensome ways to meet their regulatory goals,
federal agencies will have taken a step towards
liberating America’s entrepreneurs to create jobs, and
boost economic growth.”
The NASE is also working to alleviate the regulatory
burdens facing micro-business owners. Later this
month, NASE Member David Alders will testify at the
SBA Regulatory Fairness Enforcement Hearing, focusing
on the regulatory burdens on the self-employed and
micro-businesses. If you have a story for Alders to
take with him, click
here.
Regulations and guidance documents, identified as high
priority by the
Office of Advocacy, ranged from “certificates of
medical necessity” issued by Health and Human Services
to a rule on “commercial mail receiving agencies”
(private mailboxes) issued by the postal service. In a
letter to President Bush’s regulatory advisor, Dr.
John Graham, Thomas Sullivan said that reform of the
rules offer the “potential to reduce unjustified
regulatory burdens on small businesses.”
To read Sullivan’s letter, or review the 30 suggested
reforms, visit:
http://www.sba.gov/advo/laws/comments/omb03_0206.html
Secretary of
Labor Elaine Chao and Rep. Ernest Fletcher (R-KY) are joined
by several influential members of Congress and the
Administration at the AHP Press Conference. |
Legislative Update: Association Health
Plans
This week, Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle
and both chambers as well as members of the Bush
Administration, small business owners and trade association
representatives were on hand to support new Association
Health Plan legislation. The Small Business Health Fairness
Act of 2003 (H.R. 660) would increase competition,
purchasing clout and administrative efficiencies for the
self-employed and micro-businesses, decreasing premiums on
average 13 percent and up to 30 percent. AHPs would put the
self-employed and micro-businesses of ten employees or less
on a level playing field with large corporations by offering
high quality health insurance at an affordable price.
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A 2002 study by the NASE
provides empirical evidence to the critical state of
health coverage for the self-employed and
micro-businesses. The survey,
Affordability in Health
Care: Trends in American Micro-Business, found
that 70 percent of respondents did not have health
insurance themselves or provide it for their
employees, citing cost as the number one reason. But,
78 percent said they would participate in an AHP if
they received group purchasing price breaks. Three in
four said they would be motivated to participate in
such plans if they were able to have more choice in
benefits, or if participation would lessen paperwork
and administrative burden.
“The businesses that can least afford it are paying
disproportionately more than bigger businesses for
access to quality health coverage,” Hughes said.
“Finding solutions that provide a fair shake for these
enterprises not only is in the best interest of small
business owners; it’s in the best interests of the
nation as a whole.”
For more information on the NASE 108th Congress
Legislative Priorities,
click here.
Small Businesses Urged to Prepare for
National Guard and Reserve
Call-Ups
The U.S. Small Business
Administration is urging small business owners and small
businesses with essential employees who are members of the
Reserve or National Guard to have a plan in place to work
through any potential disruption that may result from a broad
call-up to active duty.
The SBA Office of Veterans Business Development has created a
new Web site where small business owners or small businesses
with key employees who are members of the Reserve or National
Guard can find relevant information. The first phase of the
information website,
http://www.sba.gov/reservists/, is part of a comprehensive
plan to provide members of the National Guard and Reserve who
own or are an essential employee of a small business with timely
information on all SBA programs and services available to them
if and when they are called to active duty.
Through a vast array of programs and services, the SBA provides
tools to assemble and enact a plan designed to prevent or reduce
the potential disruption caused a business by the sudden absence
of a key player. The SBA and its resource partners offer
managerial, technical and financial assistance, counseling and
training to assist small business with any conceivable
business-related issue, from how to market their products and
services, to financial assistance, to what to do if called to
active duty.
The site has a list of Veterans Business Development Officers
nationwide, information on financial options, business
counseling and training and other SBA resources.
Thus far, since the attacks on America on Sept.11, 2001, more
than 100,000 Reserve and National Guard members have been called
to active duty. In anticipation of additional call-ups, the SBA
has taken these steps to ensure that eligible small businesses
are informed of these services.
For more information about SBA programs and services for
veteran-owned businesses, visit the
Office of
Veterans Business Development Web site. For more information
about assistance for businesses with key employees in the
National Guard or the Reserve, visit the new Web site at
www.sba.gov/reservists/.
IRS Headliner: e-file and EFTPS for
Businesses
(The following “Headliners” article
has been provided by the IRS Taxpayer Education and
Communication office in an effort to educate micro-business
owners and make it easier to fulfill their tax obligations. For
more articles, or for more information about any of the
information contained in this article, please contact the
IRS Small Business/ Self-Employed division.)
In the 21st Century you can run your entire business
electronically. So why not file and pay your business taxes the
same way? Now business taxpayers and tax preparers can file and
pay by telephone, by Internet or by PC software. It’s more
economical with less paperwork. It’s more efficient with
increased accuracy. And it’s more effective since you will spend
less time filing tax returns and making payments and more time
focused on your business.
Some Advantages of Going All Electronic:
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Increased Accuracy: IRS
computers quickly and automatically check for errors or other
missing information, making e-file returns more accurate and
reducing the chance of getting an error letter from the IRS.
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Quick Electronic Confirmation:
Computer e-filers receive an acknowledgment that the IRS has
received their returns. Callers using TeleFile receive a
confirmation number while they are still on the phone, letting
them know that the TeleFile system has accepted their return.
-
Delete the Paperwork Through
Electronic Signatures: Taxpayers can create their own
Personal Identification Number (PIN) and file a completely
paperless return using their tax preparation software or tax
professional. There is nothing to mail to the IRS.
-
Easy Payment Options: With
EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) you can make your
payments from the convenience of office or home, 24 hours a day
7 days a week, using the Internet, EFTPS PC software or by
telephone. You need to enroll in EFTPS to use the system.
If you are a business taxpayer, ask
your tax preparer about e-filing and EFTPS. If you are a tax
professional, ask your software developer about adjusting your
programs to take advantage of electronic filing and EFTPS. And
to find out more, visit
www.irs.gov,
and click on the e-file logo. You’ll also find a listing of
Approved IRS e-file for Business Providers at
http://www.irs.gov/efile/index.html. To enroll or obtain
more information about EFTPS, visit
www.eftps.gov.
Do any of these issues affect you?
Do you want to be proactive in helping the
micro-business community? Visit the NASE's
Legislative
Action Center and “Tell Your Small Business
Story.” This will help the NASE understand - on a
personal level - how key legislative issues are
affecting your business and your bottom line.
For more information about any of the articles in Washington Watch,
contact Maureen Petron, NASE public affairs manager, at (202)
466-2100 or
mpetron@nase.org.
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