Welcome to DiVITA Speaks!!

Isn't it amazing how time flies!

By Chloe DiVita

In my world these first few months of the year are the busiest, and I'm finding they are the hardest to make some time to blog. Since this blog has yet to reach it's first birthday, this is the first 1st quarter I have attempted to work and blog.

January is filled with year end payroll reporting (all those lovely reports most people prefer to just not understand), plus W-2s, 1099s, and all the reconciliation that goes into preparing them. Then comes February. My time turns to focus on year end adjustments and producing financial statements so my clients can get there tax returns done. This always flows into March, and even April sometimes. And during this time the day to day stuff seems to always be as busy as it can be, or maybe that's just my perception as I usually feel slightly overwhelmed by my workload.

It's that overwhelming pile of "to do" items that keeps me working late into the night. Although, recently, my body has not been enjoying my late night work schedule. I've found myself struggling to keep my eyes open as the 22nd hour passes me by. How much can I accomplish half asleep?! Don't worry, I know the answer is nothing, and as I reach that point I usually curl up in my recliner and let the TV drift me off to sleep.

I suppose the point of this post is to let you all know that I have not forgotten about the blogging world. I am not ignoring this blog, and I have every intention of trying to make more time to post. I have taken some time to read a few of the blogs I used to frequent daily, only the frequency has turned to weekly, or even bi-weekly. But, I have found some interesting conversation going on. I also feel I have some input to provide on the subjects, like the generation gap discussion over at Lipsticking, or the working women discussion over at Working Solo. So many interesting things being discussed right now, and me with a clogged schedule - not to mention a clogged brain!

Please stay tuned. I will be back soon!

Are You A Good Listener?

By Benecia Beyer

Today's employees want to be asked for feedback and they want to be heard. This is according to a survey conducted of 2,000 employees across multiple generations. One quarter of "Generation X" employees (born between 1965 and 1979) considered it very important to get feedback from their  boss at least once a week, if not every day.  Only 11% of "Traditionalists" (born between 1928 and 1945) desired that level of communication. Clearly, times have changed and so have employee attitudes. Here are some tips for becoming a better listener.

• Fix Your Gaze
  When you speak with someone, maintain eye contact with that person. How many times have you been talking to someone who glances over your shoulder as if they are looking for someone more interesting? It doesn't leave you with a positive impression, does it? Fix your gaze on the person speaking.
• Ask Question in Response To A Questions
  By doing this you show respect and a genuine interest in the well-being of the other person. Just as eye contact makes people feel important, asking questions makes them feel as though their opinions count. In a business setting, ask questions that move the conversation forward and that give you another opportunity to listen to the speaker. And don't interrupt when your question is being answered!
• Incorporate Feedback
  Solicit opinions and then take action based on that feedback, if appropriate. The more you ask for opinions, the more comfortable people feel offering it.
• Be Available For Tough Questions
  When people know that you are available for the tough questions too and that you invite them instead of shrink away from them - they have all the more respect for you.

You just might be surprised at just how much more successful you are when you listen more and speak less.

IRS Sales Tax Calculator

By Benecia Beyer

The IRS is providing a new online tool to help individual taxpayers determine whether they might benefit by electing to deduct their state and local sales taxes. It's an interactive tool on the IRS government website that is designed to help make it easier for taxpayers to figure their taxes. (Did you know that the IRS is trying hard to reduce the taxpayer burden - that's an official quote from the IRS website !)

Taxpayers who itemize their deductions on Schedule A of the Form 1040 have the option of deducting the amount of state and local sales tax paid instead of deducting their state and local income taxes paid. Taxpayers can not take a deduction for both sales and income tax.

A new tax law enacted in late December reinstated the optional deduction for state and local sales taxes. Because of this late enactment date, the IRS previously announced that it would not begin processing returns claiming the sales tax deduction until Feb. 3.

To use the Sales Tax Calculator, taxpayers input their adjusted gross income, number of exemptions and zip code. The IRS estimates most taxpayers will get an answer in less than five minutes using the new tool.

The calculator is annonymous. Taxpayers do not need to enter their name or any other identifying information. To calculate what your sales tax deduction would be, you can use either the actual amounts paid or use sales tax tables that allow you to factor in the exact sales paid on certain specified items, such as a car, boat or material to build a house.

Here's the link to try it out !