In an effort to help taxpayers during the recession, a number of tax breaks were introduced to ease matters, as well as help stimulate the economy. However, some of these tax credits will be expiring sooner than you think. The California Society of CPAs, sent to me via email, has an overview of some of the tax breaks that will soon be expiring:

COBRA Extension Benefits: If you are eligible for this tax break, you pay only 35% of your COBRA premiums, and you receive a reimbursement of the other 65% through a tax credit. Termination of your job for COBRA …read more

One of the more interesting opportunities to take a tax credit is offered by the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This is a credit designed to help workers with low incomes. For some who lost jobs this year, this credit becomes an option again. My husband and I took advantage of this credit for years when we first married and had a child. While you don’t have to have children to qualify, you get more if you have more children. A qualifying child is one that is under the age of 18 (unless permanently disabled) or a full-time student (in …read more

Marketing message experts, driven by global warming fever, are more often linking green with lean. The Association for Operations Management’s annual conference brochure (no link but check out www.apics.org) indicates that “green is the new lean”. It can be if you use lean approaches, concepts and culture change.
Value stream mapping, a lean analysis approach, is used to link wasteful production practices to reduced energy use. Consulting firms and companies have put together excellent lean programs focused on reducing waste which includes energy. But to say that all of “green” is the new lean is to attempt to piggyback an ill-defined …read more

My fascination with how global warming and green messages are being used and abused by companies continues with a brochure advertising The Association for Operations Management’s annual conference (go to www.apics.org for more info). In it they promote a “learning path” called “sustainability/green” (my emphasis provided):
“Green is the new lean. Attend this Learning Path to discover how you can apply green concepts to your daily work. Examine the financial implications of sustainable purchasing. Evaluate models and methodologies for greenhouse gas emissions and “greening” your supply chain. Discuss how to develop a successful and sustainable plan for your company.”
The first time …read more

My California Assemblywoman, Sharon Runner, keeps me up to date on my home state politics in her “Runner Report” – click here for a subscription. In it she reveals that California is leading the charge in attempting to pass taxes related to global warming. These bills have successfully made it through the Assembly and await passage by the Senate:
Plastic Bag Tax – AB 2058 (Levine – D) would force grocery stores to impose a new tax of 25 cents for every paper and plastic bag used by shoppers.
Global Warming Tax — AB 2558 (Feuer – D) would authorize the Los …read more

For those of you who believe that your carbon emissions won’t be tracked, just look at what Manufacturing Business Technology is reporting:
David Simchi-Levi, cofounder of LogicTools and now an ILOG consultant, says companies in the European Union, which has agreed to abide by the Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gases, already have a financial incentive for deploying tools like the Carbon Footprint Extension.
“Companies that can show their carbon emissions are below the limits [set by the Kyoto Protocol] can sell emission credits on the open market to companies above the limits,” Simchi-Levi says. “The market for those credits was 40 …read more

European Supply Chain Management magazine’s story about how a Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) system can assist a green strategy reveals some fascinating complications of the green agenda:
There is a tax already in place in the Netherlands based on the carbon footprint of product packaging. The challenge many manufacturers face is not simply adapting to the new demands but also ensuring their product is still safe, effective and profitable.
For products in development, these new pieces of green legislation may cause more than change – they can cause a product to be pulled indefinitely, causing heavy losses. Again PLM can help …read more