Discover Credit Cards, Turtles, Heart Pain and Determination

Discover Credit Cards, Turtles, Heart Pain and Determination -- what do they have in common?

A turtle was walking down an alley in New York when he was
mugged by a gang of snails. A police detective came to investigate
and asked the turtle if he could explain what happened. The turtle
looked at the detective with a confused look on his face and replied
I don't know, it all happened so fast.


Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

-- Arnold Schwarzenegger --

Yes, there are times when something is legitimately not our fault. Blaming others, however, keeps us in a stuck state and is ultimately rough on our own self-esteem.

---Eric Allenbaugh Author of Wake-Up Calls---

Discover credit cards - well they have been very helpful in coming up with information on charges made in 2003 while my other credit card companies have not. The tax audit goes on. I have a meeting on March 7th to plead my case and provide more documentation in an acceptable format. Now I also have to provide acceptable format on the 2004 and 2005 taxes.

I feel like the turtle. I guess I have been hiding in my shell. I had no idea that I would have to account for every penny that went in and out of my bank account. Things like insurance payments and my daughter giving me a check to pay back on the things she wanted at the store and I bought and when she got paid she paid me back.

I have no receipts for things like that. I have only my word that she was paying me back and not giving me additional income. Now, poor thing, she has to come up with all her bank statement and cancelled checks to support my returns. Since neither of us has the funds to pay $2.00 a check we will wait until the IRS agent gives the bank a subpoena and then the bank has to do it for no charge -- per the IRS agent.

I collect turtles so I have many many of them around my office. Something like the stampede of turtles. Like the turtle I will just keep moving - slowly perhaps - toward my goals.

I have determination. I will get through this and I am learning a lot about record keeping. I may end up paying fines and penalties because I was foolish -- not criminal. I understand that ignorance does not excuse you from following all the rules. So I am continuing to learn the rules. I will find the strength to get up and get on with my life and my business.

Business - Have you had a chance to look at my new book on skin care?

Final note today. I read something very interesting in the newspaper yesterday about heart ache. There can be actual pain involved in a broken heart. Stress cardiomyopathy - chest pain, shortness of breath, even fluid in the lungs -- all caused by adrenaline and other hormones released by mental stress. The article said most people recover but some actually have a real heart attack .

So watch those stress levels. Talking about your stress may only make it worse - try going for a fast walk or scrubbing floors. That will refocus your brain and allow the adrenaline a way to be used up. Hey - a punching bag works great!

until next time - and there will be a next time - smile
Sharon

IRS Gestapo Strikes Again

Yes it was tax audit day today. The very nice lady who came to my house has decided that I am a hobby not a business. She cannot see that I am selling anything on my website. I have not made a profit in 2 years. She admits she knows nothing about the internet or ecommerce. I told her I have books for sale and advertising on my web site and blog.

I asked to see the law that states I am a hobby not a business. She pulled out a piece of paper but could not show it to me because there is no law only POLICY. She is not allowed to show that paper to anyone outside the IRS because it is only POLICY.

So this is my notice to all of you who are attempting to grow a business on the internet. Don't bother trying to take any business deductions until you make a profit because if you are audited you will be classified as a hobby. All those people who are telling you to invest in some internet business because it is a legal US IRS deduction need to tell you that you have to make a profit.

She is right about one thing - I do not have a written business plan. I have tried my hand at many things trying to see what will work. I have purchased thousands of dollars in books and courses.

What next - she will be back on March 7th. My bank statements don't add up to my stated income on my tax return. I have to pay the bank $15.00 an hour to research where some deposits came from. It is not good enough to tell her that I refinanced my house at a lower interest rate and had some cash. It is not enough to say I pulled the money from my IRA. I have to prove it. And silly stupid me I can't find that paperwork from 3 years ago. My daughter has to give copies of checks she wrote to me. Another trip to another bank and more money out of my pocket.

This will also affect my 2004 return - that will have to be amended to show that I am only a hobby. Since I had a small refund both years that will mean a penalty and paying back all the money plus interest.

My stress level and my blood pressure are off the chart. Who knew I would have to account for every deposit made to my checking and savings account. Lesson learned - don't deposit your internet earnings to your personal account. If you can't afford to pay the bank charges to have two separate account don't go into business. Even then - keep every record of every gift and in fact make a photo copy of every check and mark it gift and then get an affidavit from the gift giver certifying that the money is a gift.

Funny, my daughter's ex husband has not filed or paid taxes in years. He pays no child support. He seems to be outside the law because they can't find him. They also don't look very hard. I am just trying to earn a living and file my taxes on time every year. I don't cheat I don't lie but it would appear that I can lose what little I have because I am just a hobby.

until next time if there is one - smile through the tears
Sharon

Hoodia and the IRS

First, as promised my book Wrinkles and Over 40 Skin Care is on line.

I have been reading about a new diet pill that the FDA is going to approve for over the counter sales. Please note that this pill is basically a fat blocker and can interfere with your vitamin absorption. It can also produce some urgent bowel responses. In studies this pill, now currently sold as prescription only, produced a 4-5 pound difference in people on diets. The weight returned as soon as people stopped taking the pill. More important is the lack of vitamin absorption if the pill is taken incorrectly.

I heard a news reporter talking about Hoodia the other day. She said it did not curb her appetite. She felt it was just another fake cure all for weight loss. Now it is true that natives used Hoodia to control their appetite when on long hunting trips or when food was not plentiful. However, they did not use a pill, they chewed on the plant.

Heard about a lady who is using a parsley tea to cure her frequent urge to potty. Claims it will also cure bladder infections. She chops up the parsley and boils it, strains and drinks the tea and also eats the parsley. Says she sleeps the whole night through.

Ah the IRS - Thursday they will be coming to visit me. The audit will be conducted in my home office not their office. Guess they are going to measure the floor space and see if I have anything in my office that does not belong there. One thing is for sure - there is nothing like am impending tax audit to get you moving to clean up files and sort through papers. Of course there was also the search for tax records. I admit it - I am most unorganized. I ended up having to go to the bank to get copies of my monthly bank statements for 2003. Cost me $2.00 a sheet. Now that is a rip! Depending on what kind of receipts I have - I may have to go get copies of all the cancelled checks for 2003. My bank does not return the checks to me with my monthly statement. Who knows what that will cost.

Go see my book. Wrinkles and Over 40 Skin Care
You can read it free on line or if you get tired of reading on the computer screen, you can purchase the book for download to your own computer. When you buy the book I am throwing in a sunless tanning guide as a bonus.

On the subject of Skin and Self Image I have a couple of links for you to look at. Dove has set up a web site to help the self image of girls. Campaign for Real Beauty
Both links are worth your time to check out.

Wish me luck for Thursday. The 2 grand daughters will be in the other room for at least half the time the auditor is here. Once that is out of the way, it will be back to writing and working to add more information for you to the web site. I am already thinking about another book.

until next time - smile
Sharon