The straight line

The Baby Boomer generation — a population “boom” of nearly 80 million people born from 1946 to 1964 — has been affecting consumer market trends for decades. Now they’re ushering in a new wave of trends as they transition to the next stage of their lives as retirees, grandparents and mentors. But as consumers, their attitudes...

Generally, you’ll need to file a gift tax return for 2014 if, during the tax year, you made gifts: That exceeded the $14,000-per-recipient gift tax annual exclusion (other than to your U.S. citizen spouse), That you wish to split with your spouse to take advantage of your combined $28,000 annual exclusions, or Of future interests...

If your business has made repairs to tangible property, such as buildings, machinery, equipment and vehicles, you may be eligible for a deduction on your 2014 income tax return. But you must make sure they were truly “repairs,” and not actually “improvements.” Why? Costs incurred to improve tangible property must be depreciated over a period...

Economic shifts can produce a constriction in the flow of venture capital and that is generally bad news for the technology and start-up arena. While innovation may continue, consumers may not benefit. Venture capitalists who invest in start-up companies on behalf of themselves, wealthy individuals and institutions, can become skittish about placing faith in start-ups. Instead,...

When customers see your company’s employees, they gather impressions about your business. That’s one reason to exercise some control over what staff members can wear to work and the grooming standards they must follow. Obviously, you want your staff to reflect competence and professionalism. According to the EEOC, a company can impose a dress code and...

Last year, more than 21 million viewers tuned into the NCAA men’s college basketball championship game, and the other March Madness games averaged 10.5 million viewers each. Will you be watching this year’s festivities? Unfortunately, many games are aired during regular work hours. Rather than adopt a hard-line stance against office pools and live streaming of...