Number Crunchin' News
November 2003

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 

Dear SBBA Members:

Happy Holidays!  Do you believe it is that time of year, again, already!  WOW how time flies.  I do hope you all are having some kind of fun.  We are approaching year end and that means less fun and more work.  But that’s ok we can always use a little extra $ for the holidays.  Some of that extra work for me is the rotation of files, boxing up 2003 and creating 2004.  Well, I have a client that I knew the files had been moved and just not in order, but I kept putting it off, as much as I am a stickler for organization and making sure my clients files are just beautiful, I was humbled this past week because it was that client who was being audited and the auditor was unable to find receipts as a result of my “putting it off”.  In a seminar I recently attended, this stuck with me “filing is for retrieval not storage”.  Boy isn’t that true!

I am looking forward to the Holiday Party.  I hope to see you all there.

Sincerely,
    Jennifer Loren


SECRETARY'S MINUTES 
Submitted by Paula Mauro, SBBA Secretary

The regular meeting of the Santa Barbara Bookkeepers' Association was held on Tuesday, October 21, 2003, at 11:30 a.m. at Mulligan's Cafe.

There were four guests among those attending.

President Jennifer Loren opened the meeting, and made a job announcement.

Ken Jurgensen stated that new Rosters were available. These were distributed among the members.

Sandy O'Meara announced that a QuickBooks Users Group will meet at SB City College on January 5, 2004.  The fee is $10.  The focus will be for "tech" users.

Garry Lawrence was the winner of the "free lunch" next month.

A request was made for volunteers to help with the Holiday Party, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Gifts were given to Ken Jurgensen, Brenda Richter, Holly Adamscheck and Maureen Turk as a way to say thank-you for their special service during the past year.

Pam Allman introduced the speaker, Jackie Wilson, with the firm of Anticouni & Associates.  Ms. Wilson spoke about employment law with regard to sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and wrongful termination in connection with Federal and State laws.


 Here’s A Great Web Page:

The new page at www.aipb.org, “Accounting, Bookkeeping & Tax Links,” gives you over 150 links to specific accounting, bookkeeping and tax help.  There’s even a search engine to help you find the right link instantly.  There are links to:

Calculators and Conversion Tables          IRS Prior-Year Forms and Publications              Software

Client Help                                            IRS – By Industry or Profession                         State by State

Dictionaries and Glossaries                    Nonprofit Organizations                                     Tools and Templates

Forms and Templates                            Practice Marketing                                            Training

IRS Current Forms and Publications        Practice Resources    


Drafts of next years' tax returns are available at www.IRS.gov.  In the left hand corner search box, type “draft tax forms” or click on “Contents, “ “Tax Professionals,” “More Topics”.


Phishing -  The latest identity-theft scam  to get personal financial  information is phishing from the hacker’s substitution of “ph” for the “f” to describe fishing for private data.  Phishing uses e-mails that appear to come from reputable corporations to direct you to a bogus site that looks like the real corporation’s site.  At the site, you are asked to verify or update your confidential information.  Reminder:  Do not offer sensitive personal financial information online unless it is encrypted on a secure Web site.  Look for the padlock symbol on the bottom of the browser bar (tells you that the site is running in secure mode) before entering personal financial information.

AIPB Newsletter, October 2003


Did you know: Goods costing $1000 in August 2002 cost $1022 in August 2003  
CPI indices available at 202-691-7000.


The NEW Santa Barbara QuickBooks Users Group meets Bi-Monthly.  For further information and future meeting dates email: qbusersgroup@aol.com The SB QuickBooks Users Group are for ALL levels of QB users, and is an open forum for users to share experience, knowledge and support. See Secretary’s minutes above for details of next meeting!!


NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: It is a real pleasure to resume co-editorship of the Newsletter.  I’m trying this as an e-mail, but may go to snail mail format if feedback indicates that this is what you’d like.  Remember, this is your newsletter.  Please submit material to your editors when you can.  We all appreciate your input. 
-
   Sandy Stites


  The Not So Fine Print