New York SBDC Research Network

North Carolina: Home to Solution-Driven Entrepreneurs The RFA + Advocacy = Small Business’s Voice in Federal Rulemaking Do Trade Restrictions Affect Your Business? Link to newsletter

from Elise Hu of NPR If you've ever wondered just how much marketing companies know about you, whether it's your education or income or purchase preferences, today you can see for yourself.  With the beta launch of AboutTheData.com , marketing technology company Acxiom is giving you a glimpse of the online profile your shopping habits have created for you — the one digital marketers use to sell things to you. continue reading at the link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/09/04/218889785/get-a-glimpse-of-the-data-marketers-have-about-you

Research Recap is a good source of data about equity, credit, market, and economic research.

In July 2013, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its 14th comprehensive revision of the national income and product accounts (NIPAs). Comprehensive, or benchmark, revisions oc­cur roughly every 5 years and incorporate significant improve­ments aimed at better reflecting a dynamic economy. This year’s comprehensive revision included changes to the way the NIPAs treat research and development; movies, books, television shows, and other artistic originals; pension contribu­tions; and residential assets. This month, we’re pleased to provide an article summarizing the main changes and their effect on key NIPA measures. In general, the picture of the economy shown in the revised estimates is similar in broad outline to the picture shown in the previous estimates.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced updated fees starting on October 1, 2013, for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. All telemarketers calling consumers in the United States are required to download the numbers on the Do Not Call Registry to ensure they do not call those who have registered their phone numbers. The first five area codes are free, and organizations that are exempt from the Do Not Call rules, such as some charitable organizations, may obtain the entire list for free. Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the Registry numbers. The access fees for the Registry are being increased as required by the Do‑Not‑Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. Under the Act’s provisions, in fiscal year 2014 (from October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014), telemarketers will pay $59, an increase of $1, for access to Registry phone numbers in a single area code, up to a maximum charge of $16,228 for all area codes nationw

The IRS has clarified how the 50-percent limitation on deducting meal and entertainment expenses applies to reimbursement arrangements involving three-party situations (e.g., employee leasing companies) and to independent contractors. The new rules provide options for claiming these deductions and offer planning opportunities that should be explored with your tax advisors. More from the Business Owner's Toolkit .

Jurisdictional reporting of credits for Sales Tax Web File becomes mandatory for reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013. For reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013, the Tax Department's Sales Tax Web File service will require vendors to report credit information on a jurisdictional basis. This means for each jurisdiction for which you report activity, you must now separately report your credits against taxable sales and purchases. This requirement allows the proper amount of sales tax revenue to be distributed to the correct taxing jurisdictions. Credit reporting features of the Sales Tax Web File service: You need to report the taxable sales, purchases, and credit information for each jurisdiction and the Tax Department will compute the net amount of sales on which tax is due. For reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013, you must make an entry in all fields for those jurisdictions where you report activity. If a field does not apply to you, simply ent