You may know that because the IRS provides a standard mileage rate for the deduction of vehicle expenses used in your business, you are allowed to choose between this rate and the actual expenses you incur in calculating this deduction.
Because the mileage rate includes nearly all of the expenses you incur it is typically much easier to apply. All you need are mileage logs and the current rate allowed by the IRS.
But it may not always provide the best deduction you can get. By the time you add up all of the expenses you are entitled to for actual expenses, it’s not unlikely they will exceed the standard rate amount you could take.
Actual expenses include depreciation, licenses, gas, oil, tolls, lease payments, insurance, garage rental, parking, registration fees, repairs, maintenance, tire costs, etc. Expenses for personal property taxes and parking are deductible even if you do take the standard mileage deduction.
As of October 2008, the current standard mileage rate is 58.5 cents per mile. Given that gas prices have recently been declining, the standard rate looks very attractive presently, but it is still a good idea to run both calculations to be sure you’re deducting as much as you can.
If you will ever use the standard mileage deduction, you are required to use it in the first year your vehicle is in service for business purposes. There are also situations for which the tax law prohibits a vehicle user from taking the standard mileage rate.
These include:
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If the owner uses five or more vehicles in a business;
- If a Section 179 deduction was taken on the purchase of the vehicle;
- If the vehicle is leased and the actual expenses have ever been used to calculate the deduction.
Making a careful and wise decision about how you calculate the deduction you take for vehicle usage can save you a lot of money on your taxes. Do the right thing for yourself.
Filed under Beyond Random Ramblings by Arjuna
January 14, 2009
Free Guide to How To Save Money On Printer Ink
The How to for saving Ink - buy cheap printer ink with coupons and rebates
While printers have become cheaper and cheaper ink cartridges are pound for pound more expensive thank gas, oil expensive wine really you name it. While it is easy to waste it there are some easy ways to conserve it. Over a period of time these tips can save you some significant money.
Time will only tell whether new technology can bring down the cost of inkjet cartridges. The issue is that the ink is in a small container which also contains complex electronics namely the printer head, but maybe one day this can be worked around.
When it comes to saving ink remember the 3 r’s. They are recycling, refilling and reducing. Many companies pay you to send empty cartridges back, recycling. You can also extend the life of your cartridges by refilling. The following tips come basically under the category of reducing.
1. Use Print Preview- the advantage of using the print preview is that you can determine what is going to be printed. Choose carefully what you want to print. Do not print unnecessary items, save ink.
2. Only print what you want or need – determine what you really need or want to print do not waste ink on non essential or necessary items.
3. Use the cartridges weekly- the ink in ink cartridges are liquid that dry out from non use. Print something on a weekly basis keeps it in a liquid form longer. Use the ink cartridge cleaner. If not weekly, just not weakly use on as regular basis as possible.
4. Use generic cartridges – save money by buying remanufactured ink instead of oem ink cartridges which typically are more expensive
5. Power down properly- believe it or not simply allowing the printer to shutdown properly saves ink by allowing the printer to reset itself.
6. Print in black- unless needed set the printer to print in black mode save on color ink.
7. Use draft (economy) mode- unless you are printer something that needs to be high quality print in draft mode, it uses less ink.
8. Use print software google search: type in printer ink saving software one highly respected program is inksaver.com. Perhaps your printer may come with a similar software package.
9. Gently shake the cartridge – when the printer utility lets you know that the print is low remove the printer and gently shake the cartridge then reinsert.
10. Leave the printer on- when printing do not turn the printer on and off unnecessarily.
Buy cheap printer cartridges with Special Coupons and Rebates
Bonus tips:
11. Clean your nozzles- usually the manufacturers have the steps to clean. This allows the printer to operate properly.
12. Refill kits- if you have the patience the kits do come with instructions you can save quite a bit by refilling your ink cartridges and save a bundle.
13. Choose printers that use separate black and color ink cartridges
Find out how to preorder PlayStation 3 - it is always some time for a game.
Filed under Computers by Joshua