Handle Criticism like Buddha.

“A man interrupted one of the Buddha’s lectures with a flood of abuse. Buddha waited until he had finished and then asked him, “If a man offered a gift to another but the gift was declined, to whom would the gift belong?”

“To the one who offered it,” said the man.

“Then,” said the Buddha, “I decline to accept your abuse and request you to keep it for yourself.”

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“Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing” - Aristotle

Medical Bills You Shouldn't Pay

If your doctor or hospital is unhappy with the payment it receives from your insurance company and decides to bill you for the balance, do you have to pay? Often, the answer is no. But, in the morass that is health care billing, plenty of people don’t know that. So they wind up paying anyway, BusinessWeek reports.

The practice is known as “balance billing,” and it’s been around for years. Forty-seven states ban in-network providers from billing insured patients beyond co-payments or co-insurance required by the plan, BusinessWeek says. And federal law prohibits balance billing for Medicare patients.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. An insurer recently sued a New Jersey medical practice for billing more than 8,000 patients between 2004 and 2006 for a total of $4.3 million. A judge ordered the practice to stop balance billing, and give refunds to patients. Quest Diagnostics, the country’s largest lab chain, has been investigated for balance billing,


Source:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_36/b4098040915634.htm

Workers’ compensation insurance for contractors

Q: I am a subcontractor. Do I have to carry coverage if I have no employees?

A: Not if the general contractor who hires you does not require coverage as a condition of employment of affording you the opportunity to work. If so, you would either need to produce a certificate of insurance for the general contractor or allow the general contractor to deduct workers’ compensation from what he pays you to do the work.

Q: I am a general contractor. Do I have to have workers’ compensation insurance?

A: Yes, if you have three (3) or more employees. However, you may want to contact the builder’s permit licensing department to see if you must carry coverage regardless of the number of employees you have in order to obtain a builder’s permit.

Note:

Ohio law requires employers with one or more employees to obtain workers’ compensation coverage or be granted the privilege of self-insurance for liabilities associated with work-related accidents or occupational diseases.

it varies state to state.

Filing 485 on your own without a lawyer

Here is the list of resource to file 485 on your own.

Cover Letters and details :
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=196908

485 Check List :
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5202

485, EAD, AP Details :
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5132&page=20

Tips on assembling an application
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=ff053d146a7ee010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=fe529c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

How to file EAD renewal

E-Filing Reference Guide

https://efiling.uscis.dhs.gov/efile/

Include the Confirmation Receipt notice as the first page of the supporting documentation for each application.

In almost all cases, submit a photocopy of your supporting document to the USCIS.

Place all supporting documentation into one package and mail it to the address provided on the Confirmation Receipt notice.

If you are e-Filing Form I-90, Form I-131, or Form I-765, see Photographs and Fingerprints.

Photographs and Fingerprints

USCIS requires photographs and fingerprints for certain applications. The information below tells you which applications require photographs and fingerprints and how they are provided to USCIS.

Form I-131, Application for a Travel Document
If you are e-Filing Form I-131, you will need to submit two identical color paper photographs with your Supporting Documents. See Paper Photograph Requirements for more information.
You do not need to submit fingerprints for this form.

Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
If you are e-Filing Form I-765, you do NOT need to submit paper photographs and you do NOT need to self-schedule an appointment at an Application Support Center for the electronic capture of your biometrics. You will receive a notice in the mail from the USCIS that will provide you with your USCIS-scheduled appointment for capturing biometrics and photographs at an Application Support Center.

You MUST bring the following materials to your biometrics appointment, or processing of your Form I-765 will NOT be completed at your scheduled time:

1. Biometrics appointment notice.

2. Photo Identification. Acceptable kinds of photo identification are:
Passport or national photo identification issued by your country, or
Driver’s license, or
State-issued photo identification card.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=b3be194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=9059d9808bcbd010VgnVCM100000d1f1d6a1RCRD

Paper Photograph Requirements for E-Filed Applications

On August 2, 2004, USCIS announced a change in photograph requirements for all applicants from a three-quarter face position to a standard, full frontal face position. USCIS accepted both three-quarter and full color frontal photographs until September 1, 2004, after which only full frontal color will be accepted.

When applicable, you will need to submit color paper photographs taken within the 30 days of E-Filing your form. The number of photographs required depends on the type of application you are E-Filing. Please see Form M-603, USCIS is Making Photos Simpler, for information on the specifications and number of photographs required for each application.

Using a pencil, lightly print your Alien Registration Number (A#), if any, and E-Filing receipt number on the back of each photo sent with supporting documentation.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c3ce194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=9059d9808bcbd010VgnVCM100000d1f1d6a1RCRD

Apply online if your EAD is expiring in 120 days

https://efiling.uscis.dhs.gov/efile/

You can apply online at https://efiling.uscis.dhs.gov/efile/ if your EAD is expiring in 120 days. They may ask you again for finger printing if it needed. Otherwise, no documents to send, and you can pay by credit card.

The info may change at any time.

Check uscis Efiling :
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=9059d9808bcbd010VgnVCM100000d1f1d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=9059d9808bcbd010VgnVCM100000d1f1d6a1RCRD

1099 Contractor tax in a Nutshell

Forms

1. Pay estimated state and federal tax using form 1040 ES for fed, IT-1040ES (ohio) for state every quarter .

Fed: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf
State: http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/kb/estimated-taxes/2000.html
OH 1040Es voucher : http://tax.ohio.gov/documents/forms/pass-through_entities/2007/PIT_IT1040ES.pdf

Medicare and social security tax is included in 1040 ES.

2. You can Pay medicare and social security tax using form 1040 SE while filiing your tax return.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sse.pdf

3. + Other forms while filiing your tax return.

Tax due date for 1040 ES (fed and state of OH, other state due date may vary with fed)

The 15th day of the 4th month of your fiscal year, - April 15
The 15th day of the 6th month of your fiscal year, - June 15
The 15th day of the 9th month of your fiscal year, - Sept. 15
The 15th day of the 1st month after the end of your fiscal year. - Jan. 15 next year


How To Pay Estimated Tax

There are five ways to pay estimated tax.

1. Credit an overpayment on your 2007 return to your 2008 estimated tax.
2. Send in your payment (check or money order) with a payment voucher from Form 1040-ES.
3. Pay electronically using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS).
4. Pay by electronic funds withdrawal if you are filing Form 1040 or Form 1040A electronically.
5. Pay by credit card using a pay-by-phone system or the Internet

Source : http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/ch02.html#d0e6025

Due date to pay quarterly estimated tax for 1099 contractors

The 15th day of the 4th month of your fiscal year,
The 15th day of the 6th month of your fiscal year,
The 15th day of the 9th month of your fiscal year, and
The 15th day of the 1st month after the end of your fiscal year

Source : http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/ch02.html#d0e6025

Estimated Tax Payments: How to Determine What You Pay and When

How can I figure out if I must pay estimated taxes, and, if so, how much will I owe?

if you're an employee, your employer withholds taxes from every paycheck and sends the money to the IRS and possibly to your state government as well. This way you pay your income taxes as you go. And, if you're like most wage earners, you get a nice refund at tax time.
But if you are self employed, or if you have income other than your salary, you may need to pay estimated taxes each quarter to square your tax bill with Uncle Sam. You may owe estimated taxes if you receive income that isn't subject to withholding, such as:

Interest income
Dividends
Gains from sales of stock or other assets
Earnings from a business
Alimony

More info at : http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/determining_estimated_tax_payments/small-biz-article

I am self-employed. How do I report my income and how do I pay Medicare and social security taxes?

Tax for 1099 contractors

Unless you think you were an employee, you report your nonemployee compensation on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business. You also need to complete Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax, and pay self-employment tax on your net earnings from self-employment, if you had net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more. This is the manner by which self-employed persons pay into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Employees pay into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds , as well as income tax withholding, through deductions from their paychecks. Generally, there are no tax withholding on self-employment income. However, you may be subject to the requirement to make quarterly estimated tax payments. If you did not make estimated tax payments, you may be charged a penalty for underpayment of estimated tax penalty

Source : http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq4-3.html

Success

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.