“Keep it simple.” This old saying is more than a bumper sticker slogan, it’s a principle that is especially important when it comes to taxes and regulations.

Washington employers have been working for decades to simplify our state’s tax and regulatory policies. Currently, employers must work their way through a maze of complex, overlapping and often contradictory regulations and tax rules that differ from one city to the next, one county to the next.

It’s like playing a game that has 50 different sets of rules.

Wrestling with those costly and cumbersome requirements means employers — particularly small employers — spend time and money on paperwork that could be better spent creating jobs.

That’s why Gov. Gregoire is supporting tax simplification legislation. The governor wants to make it easier for all businesses, especially small businesses, to calculate and pay their Business and Occupation (B&O) taxes.

B&O taxes are assessed on a business’ gross income, regardless of profit. The state imposes a B&O tax, but local jurisdictions do as well. The amount of the local B&O taxes, as well as how they’re calculated, varies from one jurisdiction to the next.

Gregoire describes the situation this way:  “For Washington businesses, especially small business owners who operate with little help, paying state and local B&O taxes is at best complicated and at worse a nightmare.”

Under the governor’s proposal, the state of Washington would be the single collector of all local and state B&O taxes, and the state would rebate to each local jurisdiction their share of the tax — similar to how the state currently handles state and local sales taxes.

The governor also wants to create a central state website where people could apply for or renew state and local business licenses, eliminating the need for similar websites currently operated in more than 50 cities around the state.

“It will save businesses money and aggravation, reduce state and local government red tape and make Washington a friendlier place to set up a business,” notes Gregoire.

But some of the state’s largest cities are pushing back against the governor’s proposal, saying they’ll lose millions if tax simplification becomes law.

Seattle authorities say the city could lose between $23 million and $44 million a year. Tacoma officials estimate their city will lose $4 to $7 million a year. Critics say cities will lose out on millions in tax penalties and interest — money that would now go to the state — and city officials fear that state auditors will not be as aggressive in pursuing tax cheats.

Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett and Bellingham say they’re already working on a plan to simplify local tax payments, and lawmakers should wait to see how their project works before passing the governor’s plan.

Gregoire rejects the cities’ criticisms. Noting that the state currently collects and rebates local sales taxes, the governor said, “These horror stories of how they’re losing money? No they’re not. We will give it back. I think it’s the right thing to do for the small businesses of the state of Washington.”

Gregoire points out that 95 percent of Washington employers are small businesses with fewer than 50 workers. “If we can make it easier and cheaper for them to do business,” explained the governor, “they can afford to add more employees.”

“If we ever need a reform that helps business,” says Gregoire, “this is it.”

About the Author
Don Brunell is the president of the Association of Washington Business. Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes more than 7,800 members representing 650,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.

The benefit, FridayFest, will take place on February 10^th from 5pm-8:00pm. Each month they transform the market into a shopping party by turning up the music and providing free Wine, Beer, and Food Tastings throughout the market. There will be a silent auction and door prizes, with items and services generously donated by local businesses. Your Local Market will donate 10% of Friday’s online and in-store sales. In addition, a local donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has generously offered to match funds.

Camp Korey, located in Carnation, Wash., offers services for families dealing with childhood life-altering and life-threatening illnesses. The camp provides hospital outreach services, summer camps, family weekends, youth programs, athletic programs, and more. Because the camp serves thousands of children and families each year free of charge, they rely on the generosity of the community.

Jason Brown, owner and founder of Your Local Market, expressed his appreciation for Camp Korey, saying “Camp Korey provides essential services for families dealing with childhood illnesses. They’re an important part of our community and I want Your Local Market to put our heart and money back into our local community. Your Local Market is honored to support Camp Korey.”

Your Local Market invites you to join them in giving back to the community by shopping at Your Local Market on Friday, and joining them for FridayFest. Valet parking provided.

About Your Local Market

Your Local Market brings you the best of local, organic, and natural products alongside the mainstream brands you trust. Your Local Market makes it easy for you to do all of your shopping in one place without having to shop a specialty store for your organics and a conventional store for your staples or guilty pleasures. Your Local Market is conveniently located in downtown Bellevue and, in addition to in-store shopping, offers online shopping for curbside pick-up or home delivery. To learn more, visit www.YourLocalMarket.com.

About Camp Korey

Established in 2005, Camp Korey is a place for kids with serious and life-altering medical conditions to come and forget about limitations, try new things, and reclaim a lost sense of childhood – all at no cost to their families. Camp Korey reaches thousands of campers and families through medically sound, adaptive programs designed to foster creativity, camaraderie and empowerment. For more information please visit www.campkorey.org.

Here is their listing from the Eastside Business Directory at BellevueBusinessJournal.com:

Stern Financial Group

Carroll earns the award in recognition of his creation of A Better Seattle, the organization he launched in 2011 to combat youth and gang violence in our community.

“We’re thrilled that Coach Carroll has transplanted such a successful program from Los Angeles to help create ‘A Better Seattle’ in his new home,” said Justice Bobbe J. Bridge (ret.), founding president and CEO of the Center for Children & Youth Justice. “Not only is it combating violence and improving the lives of our young people, it has galvanized several key organizations to work together to benefit our community long into the future.”

The Center’s own efforts on gang intervention include initiating the South King County Coordinating Council on Gangs, which is working toward a comprehensive and cooperative process to address gangs throughout communities in South King County and Bellevue.

Partnering with the YMCA and the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, A Better Seattle – also supported by Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer – promotes and funds efforts to deploy former street youth as outreach workers to intervene directly with vulnerable young people. The goal is to help youth avoid gangs or get out safely if they are already involved. The local effort builds upon the success of A Better L.A. Foundation, which Coach Carroll founded when he was coaching at USC.

“We are honored to receive the Norm Maleng Advocate for Youth Award,” Coach Carroll said. “Our work with A Better Seattle and A Better L.A. is in the spirit of what Mr. Maleng believed. And that work is built on the notion that the greatest of things can happen for young people – especially for the most at-risk and oftentimes overlooked young people – if we provide them with a little coaching and direction. Our street outreach workers are transforming our community by reducing violence and connecting with young people in a way that creates hope and helps them understand what they can become.”

Named in honor of the late King County Prosecuting Attorney, the Norm Maleng Advocate for Youth Award recognizes those who show exemplary leadership, dedication and commitment to the youth and families of Washington state. Previous recipients include the Maleng family, the law firm Perkins Coie LLC, Anne Ramsay-Jenkins of the College Success Foundation and Jim Mallahan.

In addition to the award presentation, the breakfast will include a keynote address by Gerald Hankerson, who at 18 was convicted of being an accessory to murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Behind bars, he earned his high school diploma, started a program for at-risk youth, participated in a variety of causes aimed at bettering inmates’ lives, and became an advocate for justice system reforms. In 2009, after 22 years in prison, his bid for clemency was successful, and today he works to spread the message that “good things happen when you take personal responsibility for your actions and make good choices.”

Guests at the March 1 event are asked to make a tax-deductible contribution of $150 or more. To register or to learn more, visit the website at www.ccyj.org.

Founded in 2006, the Center for Children & Youth Justice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to shaping better lives for children and youth involved in Washington’s foster care and juvenile justice systems. In partnership with parents, advocates and policymakers, the Center develops and advances innovative approaches to systemic changes that will support kids, stabilize families and strengthen communities.

The keynote, beginning at 7:00 PM PT on Wednesday, Feb. 8, will explore the challenges, growth opportunities and best practices for technology startups in the mobile space in the UK and US

London Calling is dedicated to celebrating the important relationship between the tech communities in the UK and the Pacific Northwest. To purchase a ticket to attend the event, or for more information on London Calling and its sponsor, the British American Business Council of the Pacific Northwest, please visit: http://www.babcpnw.org/event.html.

“Over the past few years, the expansion of mobile technology has lead to a boom in the mobile industry,” said Mike Buhrmann. “Finsphere is taking the time to educate and advise mobile startups on the skills and resources necessary to jump-start their businesses to grow successfully in both local and international markets.”

Finsphere recently closed an $11.3 million investment round led by Vodafone Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Vodafone Group. With the investment, Tobin Ireland, Group Director of Commercial Development at Vodafone, joined the Finsphere Board of Directors. Participating in the investment round were existing Finsphere investors Mohr Davidow Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and Frazier Technology Ventures.

About Finsphere Corporation

Based in Bellevue, Washington, Finsphere was founded in 2007 to enable wireless carriers to help protect their customers through identity authentication services. Finsphere utilizes sophisticated analytics to provide a platform for the development of non-intrusive, privacy enhancing services to protect individuals and data across all industry segments. For more information, visit www.finsphere.com.

Tom and Jeannine Dealy and their team of experienced craftsmen at Your Total Renovation are full-service remodeling specialists that can take any room and transform it into a living space you will feel at home in. Whatever your style or taste in décor, our skilled team will work with you to create an environment that’s right for you. No matter how big or small the project, from an entire home remodel to a single room makeover, we guarantee it will be a space you will fall in love with.* Kitchens & Pantries* Bathrooms & Spas* Mudrooms & Laundryrooms* Entertainment Rooms* Room Additions* Bedrooms & Suitesrn* Attic Conversions & Basementsrn* Outdoor Kitchens & Patiosrn* Accessibility & Independent Living* Home Maintenance & Repair

The Gift Gourmet was started in 1993 by Margaret Rodgers. Her goal is to help you make gift giving memorable for your family, friends and associates.  

For almost 20 years, The Gift Gourmet has created stunning and incredibly tasteful gift baskets and boxes. We emphasize and specialize in providing gifts that feature products from the Northwest, including local wines, salmon, crackers, cheeses, coffee, cookies, chocolates and so much more. Treat your friends, relatives or business associates to something special from The Gift Gourmet.

Puls, a full-time real estate professional since 1984, is a resident of Kirkland and life member of SKCR. His affiliation with Windermere spans more than two decades.  Since 2007, when he joined the board of directors at SKCR, Puls has held several leadership positions.  He is a multi-year winner of Seattle Magazine’s annual “5-star agent/best in client satisfaction” recognition.

Other officers for 2012 and their brokerage affiliations include:

President-Elect………………………………………………….. Joan Probala, Windermere Real Estate, Issaquah

Immediate Past President……………….. Kristen Greenlaw, Windermere Real Estate Northeast, Kirkland

VP Business Practices……………………… Peter Freet, Windermere Real Estate/East, Kirkland-Yarrow Bay

VP Governmental Affairs……………………………………. Roni Strupat, RE/MAX Performance Plus, Renton

VP-Elect Governmental Affairs……………………………. William (Bill) O’Brien, John L. Scott, Seattle Center

Rounding out the governing body is a 14-member board of directors:

Rich Bergdahl………………………………………………………………………………. RE/MAX Northwest, Kirkland
Michael Cornell………………………………………………………….. Michael Cornell Real Estate Group, Seattle
Marylyn Gates………………………………………………….. Windermere RE/South  Sound, Inc., Federal Way
Kreg Kendall………………………………………. Windermere Real Estate/Bellevue Commons, Inc., Bellevue
Dan Kennedy………………………………………………. Coldwell Banker Bain Associates, Lake Union, Seattle
Marguerite Knutson…………………………………………….. Windermere Real Estate/Oak Tree, Inc., Seattle
Garrett Nelson……………………………………. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Executive, Bellevue
Cris Nelson …………………………………………………………………… John L. Scott Real Estate, Bellevue Main
Laura Polt………………………………………………. Windermere Real Estate/East, Inc., Kirkland – Yarrow Bay
Jerry Rippeteau………………………………………………… Windermere Real Estate Northeast, Inc., Kirkland
Mark Rockwell………………………………………………….. Windermere Real Estate Northwest, Inc., Seattle
William VanEngelenburg………………………………………………………. RE/MAX Realty South, Bonney Lake
Georgia Schoonover……………………………………………………………….. John L. Scott, Inc.,  Bellevue Main

(Affiliate Liaison)  Brent Miller……………………………………………. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Bellevue

Deborah is really doing a lot to help writers, from coaching, ghost writing, marketing coaching, brainstorming, market research and social media strategy and she will soon be writing a regular column for BellevueBusinessJournal.com!  She also does a lot of events, including a A Working Writing Community on Tuesday evenings each week. There is a $20 drop-in fee and I hope you will check it out.  You can also subscribe to her blog to keep updated.

Here is the info from their listing in the Eastside Business Directory:

Authentic Writing Provokes

AtWork! is a highly supportive and innovative conduit between people with disabilities and mainstream employers in the community.

AtWork! approaches its mission of helping people with disabilities be productive, integrated and contributing members of their communities from a unique 360-degree perspective. By focusing as much on the employer’s needs as on its’ clients needs, AtWork! can – and does – strategize, design and create jobs that are valuable, meaningful and deliver a measurable benefit to everyone involved.

When placing clients in new positions, AtWork! provides customized on-site training and continuing on-site support to ensure that both client and employer achieve or surpass the results they expect.

In 1998 AtWork! was created as a result of the merger of Custom Industries (CI) and Community Enterprises of Issaquah (CEI). CI, established in 1962 was Bellevue based and operated two sheltered workshop programs in Bellevue and Kenmore. It was the older and largest of the two programs. Additionally CI operated janitorial and landscaping crews operating out of a small facility in Shoreline. CEI was a smaller organization primarily known in Issaquah, established in 1965. It operated a recycling center that was enthusiastically supported by the local community and a sheltered workshop employing primarily individuals who had graduated from the Issaquah School District.

Thirty years ago when people with disabilities were released from institutions AtWork! was there to provide training. People wove pot holders and other cottage industry work for pennies. It was state-of-the-art. AtWork! was a leader. Soon those workers were saying, “Help us get good jobs, real work, doing important things just like others do at work.”

The Supported Employment movement emerged in the early 90’s and again AtWork! was a leader, launching new enterprises (janitorial, landscaping, assembly, recycling) that to this day provide jobs, training in marketable skills, and wages. Businesses saw new value in diversity. Astute companies hired the first people with disabilities and enjoyed enhanced profits and demonstrated community leadership.

Today AtWork! is a highly supportive and innovative conduit between people with disabilities and mainstream employers that designs customized jobs and provides ongoing support to create mutually beneficial beneficial work relationships.

Here is the info from their listing on the Eastside Business Directory

AtWork!