By: Christopher Evans - Drug-Aware.com
Random drug and alcohol screening is used by many UK companies to deter the use or abuse of illegal drugs and / or alcohol by employees within the workplace. There have been a large number of case studies to demonstrate how effective random screening is in reducing accidents, absenteeism, ill health, litigation, etc, and as a result it is frequently considered to be best practice, especially in safety critical environments.
Even when a business doesn't introduce full random drug testing, they often choose to conduct testing when there is a problem - such as incident or accident based screening or "for cause" testing when there are sufficient grounds to suspect that an employee is not fit to perform their duties due to drink or illegal drugs.
How often random drug and alcohol testing should be carried out can be determined by the business based upon a number of factors. Such factors include the nature of the business, demographics of their staff or factors relating to the culture of the business – for example, a culture of lunchtime drinking.
Some companies carry out as little as 5 percent random testing (i.e. only 5% of staff are drug tested just once per year after being randomly selected), whereas other businesses may insist that every employee is screened at least once annually or more. It really depends upon the cost, certain health and safety considerations and their own drive to enforce a drug and alcohol free workplace.
Substance abuse screening in the workplace is relatively straight forward to implement and can be put into place without much expense when done correctly. Random testing of company employees can be carried out on-site for less than £10 per employee.
All a company needs to do is formulate a drug and alcohol policy - which is basically the business's views on drugs and alcohol, what is deemed acceptable, what isn't, and what are the consequences of breaking the rules - along with procedural information. Many companies have consultation with staff and union representatives to be sure that the company policy was developed with input from all concerned parties.
If companies find this process to be too time consuming or complex for your managers, we can develop your policy for you as consultants, or review your current draft policy to ensure that it is completely legally defensible and user friendly. Our years of experience really can make a significant difference to your company policy and allows you to implement it as fast as possible.
When you have a finished drug and alcohol policy, it is time to issue a copy of this to your employees along with an implementation date. As long as the start date for the policy is further away than their contractual notice period, when the start date arrives, the policy has become part of all employees' terms and conditions of employment. At this point, if it is your policy that employees undergo random drug / alcohol screening or testing in accident / incident or "for cause" situations, then failure to comply constitutes a failure to undertake a reasonable request - which may have disciplinary consequences up to and including dismissal.
Ultimately, it should be every employer’s goal to remove the substance from the individual, rather than the individual from the workplace, so assistance for those who come forward to seek it is vital.
To reinforce a drug and alcohol testing policy it is a good idea to train managers in drug and alcohol awareness so that they can spot the signs and symptoms of drug misuse and understand how to deal with the situation should it arise. The majority of our business customers choose a half day of training for their managers.
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Christopher Evans is the Technical Director of Drug-Aware Ltd, a supplier of random drug and alcohol screening test kits and drug awareness training.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Freelance Jobs: Gain Maximum from Global Demand for Talents
By: Adam Boulton
This is the age of globalization and an Information Technology enabled world. The demand for freelance jobs has increased multifold in the global market keeping the strategic needs and economy of the companies in mind. Freelance jobs are possible in a huge variety of fields like customer relationship management, data mining, marketing initiative and web-based offerings. The information technology industry and companies have deepened their roots all over the globe offering a variety of services in the fields of medical transcription, market research, data processing, banking industry, insurance companies, financial institutions, customer interaction, shares, education and so on.
The growth of the services businesses and software industry is reaching new heights and are in the ascending way. This has lead to the new generation of freelance jobs that can be done from the leisure and comfort of homes. Such home-based jobs can be found on the Internet and everyday new ones surfacing. There are many home-based jobs that are interesting and at the same time have attained online success. The person looking for freelance jobs should research the Internet and choose the one, which is suitable for him and can provide him great success. There are many online directories such as online jobs, work from home options, work at home, home business ideas, work, typing jobs from home, data entry positions online, free data entry jobs, free typing jobs at home, affiliate programs and so on.
There is no need to have any prior experience in order to get into freelance work. The person is required to have some working knowledge on the computers and the knowledge to access the Internet and get information from it. When a person does a freelance job, he is in control of his job and working hours. If the freelancer wants to earn good money, he needs to spend more time doing freelance jobs, as the earnings are directly proportional to the quantity and quality of the work done. Freelance jobs are mainly taken up by students who would like to earn an extra income or by mothers at home who had worked earlier but are not able to go for work due to the arrival of their child or by retired people who cannot commute to work daily or by handicapped people and so on.
As far as the freelance jobs are concerned, they are not different from the ones done in the office premises. Freelance jobs are done in order to earn money. It makes the dream of becoming an entrepreneur as all the profits earned through freelance jobs are kept by the freelancer himself. Many women are doing freelance jobs and are committed to the work done from home and for making this decision they also enjoy many rewards. Work done from home too are not void of any struggles as they may be in the form of disturbances like attending the phone, answering the persons at the door, taking care of the kinds at home during work, carrying out the household chores and so on.
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Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs - www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
This is the age of globalization and an Information Technology enabled world. The demand for freelance jobs has increased multifold in the global market keeping the strategic needs and economy of the companies in mind. Freelance jobs are possible in a huge variety of fields like customer relationship management, data mining, marketing initiative and web-based offerings. The information technology industry and companies have deepened their roots all over the globe offering a variety of services in the fields of medical transcription, market research, data processing, banking industry, insurance companies, financial institutions, customer interaction, shares, education and so on.
The growth of the services businesses and software industry is reaching new heights and are in the ascending way. This has lead to the new generation of freelance jobs that can be done from the leisure and comfort of homes. Such home-based jobs can be found on the Internet and everyday new ones surfacing. There are many home-based jobs that are interesting and at the same time have attained online success. The person looking for freelance jobs should research the Internet and choose the one, which is suitable for him and can provide him great success. There are many online directories such as online jobs, work from home options, work at home, home business ideas, work, typing jobs from home, data entry positions online, free data entry jobs, free typing jobs at home, affiliate programs and so on.
There is no need to have any prior experience in order to get into freelance work. The person is required to have some working knowledge on the computers and the knowledge to access the Internet and get information from it. When a person does a freelance job, he is in control of his job and working hours. If the freelancer wants to earn good money, he needs to spend more time doing freelance jobs, as the earnings are directly proportional to the quantity and quality of the work done. Freelance jobs are mainly taken up by students who would like to earn an extra income or by mothers at home who had worked earlier but are not able to go for work due to the arrival of their child or by retired people who cannot commute to work daily or by handicapped people and so on.
As far as the freelance jobs are concerned, they are not different from the ones done in the office premises. Freelance jobs are done in order to earn money. It makes the dream of becoming an entrepreneur as all the profits earned through freelance jobs are kept by the freelancer himself. Many women are doing freelance jobs and are committed to the work done from home and for making this decision they also enjoy many rewards. Work done from home too are not void of any struggles as they may be in the form of disturbances like attending the phone, answering the persons at the door, taking care of the kinds at home during work, carrying out the household chores and so on.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs - www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Freelance Journalism: Networking is the Key
By: Adam Boulton
Freelance journalism offers a variety of choices to a person with an attitude to achieve something valuable for the society. It gives the person the opportunity to become the voice of the people. There are many avenues which can be explored with the help of this freelance journalism profession. The freelance journalists can start doing freelance jobs for their own school or college or university newspaper or can get work experience when doing some work with the staff reporters at the local television, newspaper or radio station. It will depend on the choice of the freelance journalist whether to work for a broadcasting or print journalism.
Networking is very important in freelance journalism. It can be achieved either by joining online sites meant for freelance journalism or becoming a part of the discussion forums or joining freelance groups and e-mail news groups. Networking alone will help the freelance journalists to keep in touch with the opportunities which might not be possible otherwise. The freelance journalists can register their profile with many samples of their work on journalist listings and freelance writer’s listings on the Internet. It is very important to make the profile both provocative and informative. The listing should be very clear and interested fields should be mentioned with clarity like if it is technology, science, politics or art and so on. The job boards can be checked at regular intervals. It would be better to join the association for journalists of both the local area and international associations. Many of such associations have their own web sites where assignments are posted or they may have a system by which they would e-mail the relevant assignments to the freelance journalist for a nominal fee. Magazines can be subscribed which feature both job opportunities and assignments. Freelance journalism can also be undertaken for online news agencies. An agency can also be hired to locate work on behalf of the freelance journalists. Workshops and seminars offer good opportunities to the freelance journalists to meet persons of the journalism field who can suggest them both contacts and companies.
While locating freelance journalism jobs, the profile built for seeking jobs should have all the experiences and abilities of the freelancer to shine or stand out. The ambitions of the freelance journalist should be stated clearly and should also explain the reason for choosing the particular field, how the person would be suitable for the above mentioned job and so on. The profile should also contain all the details on the journalist’s interests, educational qualification, skills and experience. Samples can also be showcased which will make the employer to understand the prowess of the journalist. While applying for the job the journalist can display his knowledge of the company’s requirements, the research abilities and the willingness of journalist to go that extra mile. Freelance journalism job requires great patience and perseverance. The freelance journalist should be well determined, should plan ahead and send his profile to all those concerned. There is no need to worry as opportunities as plenty in choice.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs - www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Freelance journalism offers a variety of choices to a person with an attitude to achieve something valuable for the society. It gives the person the opportunity to become the voice of the people. There are many avenues which can be explored with the help of this freelance journalism profession. The freelance journalists can start doing freelance jobs for their own school or college or university newspaper or can get work experience when doing some work with the staff reporters at the local television, newspaper or radio station. It will depend on the choice of the freelance journalist whether to work for a broadcasting or print journalism.
Networking is very important in freelance journalism. It can be achieved either by joining online sites meant for freelance journalism or becoming a part of the discussion forums or joining freelance groups and e-mail news groups. Networking alone will help the freelance journalists to keep in touch with the opportunities which might not be possible otherwise. The freelance journalists can register their profile with many samples of their work on journalist listings and freelance writer’s listings on the Internet. It is very important to make the profile both provocative and informative. The listing should be very clear and interested fields should be mentioned with clarity like if it is technology, science, politics or art and so on. The job boards can be checked at regular intervals. It would be better to join the association for journalists of both the local area and international associations. Many of such associations have their own web sites where assignments are posted or they may have a system by which they would e-mail the relevant assignments to the freelance journalist for a nominal fee. Magazines can be subscribed which feature both job opportunities and assignments. Freelance journalism can also be undertaken for online news agencies. An agency can also be hired to locate work on behalf of the freelance journalists. Workshops and seminars offer good opportunities to the freelance journalists to meet persons of the journalism field who can suggest them both contacts and companies.
While locating freelance journalism jobs, the profile built for seeking jobs should have all the experiences and abilities of the freelancer to shine or stand out. The ambitions of the freelance journalist should be stated clearly and should also explain the reason for choosing the particular field, how the person would be suitable for the above mentioned job and so on. The profile should also contain all the details on the journalist’s interests, educational qualification, skills and experience. Samples can also be showcased which will make the employer to understand the prowess of the journalist. While applying for the job the journalist can display his knowledge of the company’s requirements, the research abilities and the willingness of journalist to go that extra mile. Freelance journalism job requires great patience and perseverance. The freelance journalist should be well determined, should plan ahead and send his profile to all those concerned. There is no need to worry as opportunities as plenty in choice.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs - www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Success Formula for a Freelance Programmer
By: Adam Boulton
Online programming jobs are considered as a very good alternative method for making money. If a person is skilled in creating programs and scripts or who is a professional coder can aim to get into the field of freelance programming. The demand for freelance programming jobs is on the ascending trend due to the huge development of both the software industry and the internet. Online freelance programming jobs are so lucrative that even a regular programmer would quit his day job and start doing his own online business. No one can predict the earning potential of the freelance programmers, but one can be sure of making it huge in the field of freelance programming. It is a fact that many of the programmers have earned huge money by doing freelance programming jobs like writing scripts for many home pages.
Freelance programming can involve reusing the codes developed by the programmers. Freelance programming involves using classes, pieces of code and library functions very often. The programmer needs to take some time creating them which will pay them off in a greater way in the future. Codes can be reused through another method too. Once a freelance programming project has been completed, the programmer can take up a project very similar to the one he completed recently. When reusing their codes the programmers can offer the client with a lower rate and can also finish the job within a shorter span of time. But while doing so the programmers should be very careful enough not to breach the contract with the earlier clients as many of them expect exclusive rights for the programmers’ work.
The secret to do the freelance programming job the easy way is to outsource part of the time consuming aspects or tasks to others as it is not possible that a person is good at everything. Most of the freelance programmers hire copywriters for helping them to complete the writing tasks and hire designers to do the design aspects. It is not only limited to the above tasks, but a freelance programmer can hire another programmer for his freelance job. For instance, the programmer who is hired may not be possessing very good programming skills and may even be not very experienced but may be able to write some of the boring codes for a dead cheap price. Hiring such people helps the freelance programmer to save both time and money as the freelance programming job is done at a faster rate getting huge money for doing less amount of work.
Readily available scripts like the most trivial ones which have been solved already can be used. Most of these scripts are available for free or for a very cheap price. Downloading such scripts and modifying them are lot easier than creating a new one. Ready frameworks for most of the programming languages too are available which when used can increase the programming speed twice or thrice the normal speed.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs - www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Online programming jobs are considered as a very good alternative method for making money. If a person is skilled in creating programs and scripts or who is a professional coder can aim to get into the field of freelance programming. The demand for freelance programming jobs is on the ascending trend due to the huge development of both the software industry and the internet. Online freelance programming jobs are so lucrative that even a regular programmer would quit his day job and start doing his own online business. No one can predict the earning potential of the freelance programmers, but one can be sure of making it huge in the field of freelance programming. It is a fact that many of the programmers have earned huge money by doing freelance programming jobs like writing scripts for many home pages.
Freelance programming can involve reusing the codes developed by the programmers. Freelance programming involves using classes, pieces of code and library functions very often. The programmer needs to take some time creating them which will pay them off in a greater way in the future. Codes can be reused through another method too. Once a freelance programming project has been completed, the programmer can take up a project very similar to the one he completed recently. When reusing their codes the programmers can offer the client with a lower rate and can also finish the job within a shorter span of time. But while doing so the programmers should be very careful enough not to breach the contract with the earlier clients as many of them expect exclusive rights for the programmers’ work.
The secret to do the freelance programming job the easy way is to outsource part of the time consuming aspects or tasks to others as it is not possible that a person is good at everything. Most of the freelance programmers hire copywriters for helping them to complete the writing tasks and hire designers to do the design aspects. It is not only limited to the above tasks, but a freelance programmer can hire another programmer for his freelance job. For instance, the programmer who is hired may not be possessing very good programming skills and may even be not very experienced but may be able to write some of the boring codes for a dead cheap price. Hiring such people helps the freelance programmer to save both time and money as the freelance programming job is done at a faster rate getting huge money for doing less amount of work.
Readily available scripts like the most trivial ones which have been solved already can be used. Most of these scripts are available for free or for a very cheap price. Downloading such scripts and modifying them are lot easier than creating a new one. Ready frameworks for most of the programming languages too are available which when used can increase the programming speed twice or thrice the normal speed.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs - www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
What is the growth prospect of Virtual Assistant profession worldwide?
By: Adam Boulton
What is the growth prospect of Virtual Assistant profession worldwide?
The virtual assistant industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Initially there were only few Virtual assistants, but, now there are at least one million people situated globally. Virtual assistants both collectively and individually are spreading this concept and many are joining them daily. Many administrative assistants, office managers and experienced professionals have recognized Virtual assisting as an achievable and viable option for them.
Why people choose to become Virtual Assistants?
The reasons are many. Many people think that it is a lucrative option to earn extra income, while others consider it as an option to have a control over their destiny and some take up because they can spend more time with their family, while some take due to illness and health problems. The internet revolution has enabled people to work from home. Many people become virtual assistants due to their aspiration to earn more, due to their experience and knowledge and also due to the potential of the Virtual Assistant industry.
Does any one need a business license to become a virtual assistant?
It depends on where he lives. In States like Georgia, every independent contractor or Virtual assistant needs to possess a business license while other States does not require. It is better to check with the local county and state to be sure of all the legal protocols before setting up a Virtual assistant business.
Is training necessary to become a Virtual assistant?
It all depends on the person. Some would have got all the experience from the previous jobs, while some require to undergo training to gain confidence and knowledge to handle certain issues and tasks. As the virtual assistant industry is growing day by day, the competition and the business require to undergo a training to stay successful.
How can the Virtual Assistant business marketed effectively?
Virtual assistant business can either be marketed via Internet or offline. When opting the offline method, brochures, flyers, business cards, press releases, postcards, advertisements in yellow page and writing articles are very effective. Through internet, websites and online ads can be used to advertise effectively.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
What is the growth prospect of Virtual Assistant profession worldwide?
The virtual assistant industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Initially there were only few Virtual assistants, but, now there are at least one million people situated globally. Virtual assistants both collectively and individually are spreading this concept and many are joining them daily. Many administrative assistants, office managers and experienced professionals have recognized Virtual assisting as an achievable and viable option for them.
Why people choose to become Virtual Assistants?
The reasons are many. Many people think that it is a lucrative option to earn extra income, while others consider it as an option to have a control over their destiny and some take up because they can spend more time with their family, while some take due to illness and health problems. The internet revolution has enabled people to work from home. Many people become virtual assistants due to their aspiration to earn more, due to their experience and knowledge and also due to the potential of the Virtual Assistant industry.
Does any one need a business license to become a virtual assistant?
It depends on where he lives. In States like Georgia, every independent contractor or Virtual assistant needs to possess a business license while other States does not require. It is better to check with the local county and state to be sure of all the legal protocols before setting up a Virtual assistant business.
Is training necessary to become a Virtual assistant?
It all depends on the person. Some would have got all the experience from the previous jobs, while some require to undergo training to gain confidence and knowledge to handle certain issues and tasks. As the virtual assistant industry is growing day by day, the competition and the business require to undergo a training to stay successful.
How can the Virtual Assistant business marketed effectively?
Virtual assistant business can either be marketed via Internet or offline. When opting the offline method, brochures, flyers, business cards, press releases, postcards, advertisements in yellow page and writing articles are very effective. Through internet, websites and online ads can be used to advertise effectively.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Home | Business | Career
By: Adam Boulton
Among the various kinds of virtual assistant profession, real estate virtual assistants are those who provide services to the real estate agents by taking the load off them. They are very similar to the virtual assistants except for the fact that they are specialized in real estate business providing specific and specialized services to their clients.
The real estate virtual assistant’s job includes the following:
The real estate virtual assistants maintain and update their client’s websites with the present information on homes, contact information; some may even create flyers, advertisement, logo, scheduling appointments with prospective buyers etc. A certified real estate virtual assistant can simplify the process for the realtors. They can handle queries more professionally, handle phone calls and do the general secretarial and administrative jobs, answering emails etc.
Advantages of using a real estate virtual assistant:
The realtor can achieve higher sales and increase the revenue generation when getting the assistance of virtual assistants. The business is well structured with their help and growth of the business is sure. The realtor gets more time for listing and selling homes than taking care of routine activities as they have the professional help got from virtual assistants. The realtor gets more leisure time with less amount of stress. Long-term clients can be taken care with their help by sending updates etc.
Real estate virtual assistants are capable of handling lead generation activities, follow-ups, client database management, coordinating online transactions, planning marketing activities and so on. They can assure the realtor for meeting overall objectives with greater satisfaction.
Virtual real estate assistants will be able to promote the important aspects of business called the “customer service.” Even though many real estate agents intend to send holiday cards, birthday cards, thank you cards and follow-up emails and cards to their customers and open house attendees, time does not permit them to do so. All these can be done with the help of virtual assistants, as a happy customer is a customer for ever. Apart from these services, a virtual real estate assistant can send closing gifts, creating and sending mailers, creating CD tours of real estate listings, planning events for the customers etc.
Hence the services offered by the real estate virtual assistants are crucial for running the business. It is very important to check the references before hiring a virtual real estate assistant. Hiring a virtual real estate assistant who is self-motivated and efficient is a priceless possession for a real estate agent or a realtor.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Among the various kinds of virtual assistant profession, real estate virtual assistants are those who provide services to the real estate agents by taking the load off them. They are very similar to the virtual assistants except for the fact that they are specialized in real estate business providing specific and specialized services to their clients.
The real estate virtual assistant’s job includes the following:
The real estate virtual assistants maintain and update their client’s websites with the present information on homes, contact information; some may even create flyers, advertisement, logo, scheduling appointments with prospective buyers etc. A certified real estate virtual assistant can simplify the process for the realtors. They can handle queries more professionally, handle phone calls and do the general secretarial and administrative jobs, answering emails etc.
Advantages of using a real estate virtual assistant:
The realtor can achieve higher sales and increase the revenue generation when getting the assistance of virtual assistants. The business is well structured with their help and growth of the business is sure. The realtor gets more time for listing and selling homes than taking care of routine activities as they have the professional help got from virtual assistants. The realtor gets more leisure time with less amount of stress. Long-term clients can be taken care with their help by sending updates etc.
Real estate virtual assistants are capable of handling lead generation activities, follow-ups, client database management, coordinating online transactions, planning marketing activities and so on. They can assure the realtor for meeting overall objectives with greater satisfaction.
Virtual real estate assistants will be able to promote the important aspects of business called the “customer service.” Even though many real estate agents intend to send holiday cards, birthday cards, thank you cards and follow-up emails and cards to their customers and open house attendees, time does not permit them to do so. All these can be done with the help of virtual assistants, as a happy customer is a customer for ever. Apart from these services, a virtual real estate assistant can send closing gifts, creating and sending mailers, creating CD tours of real estate listings, planning events for the customers etc.
Hence the services offered by the real estate virtual assistants are crucial for running the business. It is very important to check the references before hiring a virtual real estate assistant. Hiring a virtual real estate assistant who is self-motivated and efficient is a priceless possession for a real estate agent or a realtor.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Adam Boulton regularly contributes informative articles to web guides on freelance and work from home jobs www.careercounsel.info and www.myhomebizguide.com
Through A Microscope - Look Who's Watching Now
By: Mel Abraham
This article examines the impact on taxpayers and appraisers as well as their advisors of the new Federal provisions of the Pension Protection Act. For appraisers performing valuations for federal tax purposes in accordance with the Pension Protection Act (PPA), signed into law in August 2006, stipulates new penalties and stiff sanctions if the appraisers or appraisals fail to meet the new qualifications.
The Backdrop
The Congress and IRS, to safeguard the U.S. tax system and force taxpayers to straighten up, have introduced new rules and restrictions that impact lawyers and accountants as well as taxpayers. The Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 establishes severe penalties for unethical conduct on the part of accountants involved in federal tax information consultancy to private firms.
Previously, the government's targets for tax abuse were various corporate transactions. But now it has trained its guns on the venerable charitable contribution deduction as well. The act attempts to prevent overvaluing the property given to charity to take advantage of the fair market value deduction. According to Section 170(f)(16)(B), Congress has invited the IRS to stop the deduction completely. In the middle of the gun battle are the appraisers who opine for the taxpayers about the values of property that they give to charity.
Qualified appraisers
PPA also requires that appraisals need to be prepared by qualified appraisers.1 A qualified appraiser is defined in the Act to mean a person who has earned an appraisal designation from a recognized professional organization or has met minimum education and experience requirements established by the Treasury Secretary through regulations. An appraiser will not be treated as a qualified appraiser unless the appraiser demonstrates verifiable education and experience for valuing the type of property subject to the appraisal. Also, the appraiser must not have been prohibited from practicing before the IRS at any time during a three-year period prior to the date of the appraisal.
To sum it up, it is now required that an appraiser valuing property for charitable deduction must be trained and experienced and a vague representation by the appraiser will no longer suffice.
Appraisal Impact on Charitable Contributions
PPA has led to an increase in mandatory requirements for appraisals and appraisers to meet Internal Revenue Code Section 170, which covers charitable requirements.
It is now required that all claimed deductions in excess of $5,000 must be accompanied by a "qualified appraisal." The regulations have duly defined the terms "qualified appraisal" and "qualified appraiser."
All appraisals to qualify must fully comply with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Those that do not fully comply but are "consistent with the substance and principles of USPAP also satisfy this requirement.
Qualified Appraiser:
According to the Act for a person to be a "qualified appraiser" must meet 5 requirements as laid down in the code. According to these requirements, an appraiser must:
1. Have earned an appraisal designation from a recognized professional appraiser organization
2. Demonstrate "verifiable education and experience" in valuing the type of property subject to the appraisal
3. Regularly performs appraisals for compensation
4. Not appear on the IRS's disqualification list at anytime during the three years prior to the date of appraisal
5. Meet other requirements [to be] prescribed by Secretary
However there is an exception available to taxpayers when the appraiser fails to meet the Act's rigorous requirements. The denial of the deduction is inapplicable "if it is shown that the failure to meet such requirements is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect."
Further, Notice 2006-96 states that the designation must be "awarded on the basis of demonstrated competency in valuing the type of property for which the appraisal is performed." Additionally, the Notice notes that alternative education and experience requirements are met if the appraiser has done each of the following:
1. Successfully completed college or professional level course work that is relevant to the property being valued.
2. Gained at least two years experience in the trade or business of buying, selling or valuing the type of property being valued.
3. Fully described his or her relevant education and experience in the appraisal.
Prevention is better than cure. By adhering to norms and being organized and cautious about the whole process would ensure that you have nothing to fear. Educating yourself about the new law and its implications will further minimize your chances of getting in the way of PPA radar and getting penalized heavily.
Get free articles in various topic for your website or blog content as much as you want at Article Directory: http://www.articlecompilation.com
Mel Abraham CPA, CVA, ABV, ASA, CSP - author & Adjunct Professor (USD Law School. Further, for access to an audio presentation on IRS penalties and the Pension Protection Act visit www.valuationeducation.com/penalties.html. He can be reached at mel@melabraham.com.
This article examines the impact on taxpayers and appraisers as well as their advisors of the new Federal provisions of the Pension Protection Act. For appraisers performing valuations for federal tax purposes in accordance with the Pension Protection Act (PPA), signed into law in August 2006, stipulates new penalties and stiff sanctions if the appraisers or appraisals fail to meet the new qualifications.
The Backdrop
The Congress and IRS, to safeguard the U.S. tax system and force taxpayers to straighten up, have introduced new rules and restrictions that impact lawyers and accountants as well as taxpayers. The Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 establishes severe penalties for unethical conduct on the part of accountants involved in federal tax information consultancy to private firms.
Previously, the government's targets for tax abuse were various corporate transactions. But now it has trained its guns on the venerable charitable contribution deduction as well. The act attempts to prevent overvaluing the property given to charity to take advantage of the fair market value deduction. According to Section 170(f)(16)(B), Congress has invited the IRS to stop the deduction completely. In the middle of the gun battle are the appraisers who opine for the taxpayers about the values of property that they give to charity.
Qualified appraisers
PPA also requires that appraisals need to be prepared by qualified appraisers.1 A qualified appraiser is defined in the Act to mean a person who has earned an appraisal designation from a recognized professional organization or has met minimum education and experience requirements established by the Treasury Secretary through regulations. An appraiser will not be treated as a qualified appraiser unless the appraiser demonstrates verifiable education and experience for valuing the type of property subject to the appraisal. Also, the appraiser must not have been prohibited from practicing before the IRS at any time during a three-year period prior to the date of the appraisal.
To sum it up, it is now required that an appraiser valuing property for charitable deduction must be trained and experienced and a vague representation by the appraiser will no longer suffice.
Appraisal Impact on Charitable Contributions
PPA has led to an increase in mandatory requirements for appraisals and appraisers to meet Internal Revenue Code Section 170, which covers charitable requirements.
It is now required that all claimed deductions in excess of $5,000 must be accompanied by a "qualified appraisal." The regulations have duly defined the terms "qualified appraisal" and "qualified appraiser."
All appraisals to qualify must fully comply with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Those that do not fully comply but are "consistent with the substance and principles of USPAP also satisfy this requirement.
Qualified Appraiser:
According to the Act for a person to be a "qualified appraiser" must meet 5 requirements as laid down in the code. According to these requirements, an appraiser must:
1. Have earned an appraisal designation from a recognized professional appraiser organization
2. Demonstrate "verifiable education and experience" in valuing the type of property subject to the appraisal
3. Regularly performs appraisals for compensation
4. Not appear on the IRS's disqualification list at anytime during the three years prior to the date of appraisal
5. Meet other requirements [to be] prescribed by Secretary
However there is an exception available to taxpayers when the appraiser fails to meet the Act's rigorous requirements. The denial of the deduction is inapplicable "if it is shown that the failure to meet such requirements is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect."
Further, Notice 2006-96 states that the designation must be "awarded on the basis of demonstrated competency in valuing the type of property for which the appraisal is performed." Additionally, the Notice notes that alternative education and experience requirements are met if the appraiser has done each of the following:
1. Successfully completed college or professional level course work that is relevant to the property being valued.
2. Gained at least two years experience in the trade or business of buying, selling or valuing the type of property being valued.
3. Fully described his or her relevant education and experience in the appraisal.
Prevention is better than cure. By adhering to norms and being organized and cautious about the whole process would ensure that you have nothing to fear. Educating yourself about the new law and its implications will further minimize your chances of getting in the way of PPA radar and getting penalized heavily.
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Mel Abraham CPA, CVA, ABV, ASA, CSP - author & Adjunct Professor (USD Law School. Further, for access to an audio presentation on IRS penalties and the Pension Protection Act visit www.valuationeducation.com/penalties.html. He can be reached at mel@melabraham.com.
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