Comments on: Teabags, Toilet Paper & Tax

By: Paul Hassing

Paul Hassing — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:20:01 +0000

Thanks very much, BIT. It’s great to get your professional endorsement of our discussion. Come back soon!

By: Business Income Tax

Business Income Tax — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:22:57 +0000

I’ve been involved in taxes for longer then I care to admit, both on the personal side (all my working life!!) and from a legal standpoint since passing the bar and pursuing tax law. I’ve provided a lot of advice and righted a lot of wrongs, and I must say that what you’ve posted makes perfect sense. Please keep up the good work – the more people know the better they’ll be equipped to deal with the tax man, and that’s what it’s all about.

By: Paul Hassing

Paul Hassing — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:46:26 +0000

Dear Silvia, I’m so pleased you accepted my invitation to repeat your Twitter comment here. Stories like this are gold.

I was most impressed with your blog post on practical ways to show support for the Iranian people. I encourage those of our readers who are democratically inclined to check it out. Best regards and thanks again!

By: Silvia

Silvia — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:21:02 +0000

My accountant told me about a client of his with a home office who deducted all the home’s toilet paper as a taxable expense. When he got audited by the Canada Revenue Agency and they said he could only claim part of it, he said: “But I only go at work.”

He got the deduction.

By: Sonia Cuff

Sonia Cuff — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:16:27 +0000

Sometimes it does, but unfortunately some people take advantage of our love of ‘free’ for their own benefit – nowhere moreso than on the Internet!

By: Paul Hassing

Paul Hassing — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:32:54 +0000

Struth, Sonia! Even the T&C excerpts in your article were enough to make my head spin! ‘Free’ doesn’t really mean that any more, does it?

By: Sonia Cuff

Sonia Cuff — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:27:14 +0000

Oh Paul, don’t get me started on reading Terms and Conditions, especially with free software!

Read one of my blog entries for an example of the gems that can be hidden amongst all those words, that you are agreeing to:

http://ctaspley.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/support-on-click-aka-reading-the-fine-print/

This includes agreeing that any of your information is not confidential, and that they can pass on your information to their partners. And you’ve just agree to this.

It all comes down to the individual intent of the piece of free software. Some are ‘capability-limited’ versions of the full thing, to get you enticed to upgrade, but many of these free versions are not licensed for business use.

By: Paul Hassing

Paul Hassing — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:46:16 +0000

Thanks, Sonia. That has certainly got me thinking! I thought that, like ID’s Doom and Acrobat’s Reader, AVG’s free version was a calling card with an option to trade up. I’ve read that this method of distribution, once revolutionary, is now common due to its proven success in creating and educating markets.

It’s a completely new thought to me that free software comes with the moral obligation you describe. And as a moral sort of chap, I’m surprised I don’t feel like rushing out and buying full versions of all my freeware.

Certainly the words you use ring with official authenticity, which brings me to another question: Should I always read those reams of terms and conditions before checking the ‘I agree’ box and downloading? Doing so seems more trouble than it’s worth. But perhaps I’m being foolish. What say you?

By: Sonia Cuff

Sonia Cuff — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:31:24 +0000

Just saying that you can’t expect to have it both ways. If you are using a computer for business use, and claiming at as a business asset/getting a tax deduction, then I don’t think it’s fair to run software on it which is ‘not for commercial use’. AVG Free is a classic example (AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is for private, non-commercial, single home computer use only. The use of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition within any organization or for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited).

The question is are you a business or aren’t you? Certainly take advantage of the fact that you can be compensated (by tax deductions) for the fact that your business at home is incurring operational costs (e.g. a bigger home electricity bill), but then you shouldn’t be applying free ‘for home use’ stuff to your business.

By: Paul Hassing

Paul Hassing — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:58:58 +0000

Dear Sonia, I’m afraid I lost you there. How can using free versions of SpyBot, AdAware and AVG AntiVirus (which I consider perfectly suitable) queer the pitch? Could you perhaps explain what you mean by ‘tax breaks’?