| A.
R. Kakhsaz Company
an accountancy corporation
Member
American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants
International associates:
Tavana & Co.
Chartered Accountants
Toronto, Canada
Tel.416-229-2221
|
INFLATION ON THE
ECONOMY'S HORIZON? Dramatic rise of natural gas
and electricity prices: Over the past year, the
natural gas component of the Consumer Price Index
has risen by:
| U.S. average |
54% |
| San Francisco Bay area |
135% |
| Los Angeles area |
50% |
| San Diego area |
35% |
| Seattle area, Washington |
46% |
| Portland area, Oregon |
18% |
Rising energy costs affect consumers directly through
increased energy bills and indirectly through rising
prices of other goods and services. It is estimated
that the average California household will pay an
additional $750 a year in direct and indirect price
increases due to higher energy costs. That's more
than 1.5% of average household income in California.
Further exacerbating the problem is the incredible
rise in automobile fuel prices, altogether making up
a sure recipe for fantastic inflationary pressures -
no matter how strong the rate of productivity!
DADS WANNA HAVE FUN. They're tired of ties. Goofy
gifts, grown-up toys and cutting-edge adult board
games will be best for Father's Day, say retailers.
EVERY PERSON AND BUSINESS of financial responsibility
and accountability prepares and publishes at least a
balance sheet and an income statement once-a-year.
Why shouldn't the federal, state and local
governments?
DON'T LOSE WISDOM WHERE THERE IS TOO much
knowledge and don't pass on knowledge where there is
too much information.
ANOTHER FLAW in the health-care system: The
way doctors and hospitals are paid often encourages
the use of older, more expensive and sometimes
riskier medical procedures. Needle biopsies offer an
effective, less intrusive method of diagnosing
breast cancer. But women often are advised to get
scarring surgical biopsies because doctors and
hospitals are paid substantially more. The cheaper,
less traumatic alternative to surgery, called
core-needle biopsy, has been available for a decade.
While a surgical biopsy can cost as much as $3,000
for requiring general anesthesia, an operating room
and a nurse-monitored, post-surgery recovery area,
a core-needle biopsy can cost much less than half
that amount. |
IMAGINE THE U.S. WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS? Chinese
and Indian immigrants run a quarter of Silicon
Valley's high-tech firms. Eight of the 11 U.S.
residents who shared Nobel prizes in physics
and chemistry in the past three years were
born outside of the U.S. More foreigners than
Americans are studying graduate physics at U.S.
schools. The graduate program in statistics at
Michigan State University has recently had 153 applicants,
seven from the U.S., 123 from China. The good
news is that, historically, most foreign students
remain to reside in the U.S. after graduation.
The U.S. benefits enormously by being a magnet
for smart and ambitious people.
18% OF U.S. WORKERS SAY THEY DON'T USE all
their vacation days because they are too busy at
work.
THERE IS NO FAIRNESS OR JUSTICE in a tax code
that only highly paid accountants can understand,
says Dick Armey, the U.S. House of Representative's
Majority Leader.
AMID CRITICISM OF THE IRS's low audit rate of
individual income-tax returns, the IRS Commissioner
Rossotti says: With document-matching and
other return-verification techniques that will
eventually be enabled by new technology,
"it is my view that there is no need to return
to the levels of individual audit coverage that
existed even five years ago."
HAVE YOU VISITED OUR WEBSITE LATELY? Go
to: www.ARKCPA.com
THE MAXIMUM TAX-DEDUCTION FOR INTEREST on
student loans is increased to $2,500 for the year
2001. Up from $2,000 for the year 2000.
THE LARGEST U.S. HEALTH INSURANCE companies
have decided to identify those doctors who
prescribe antibiotics in inappropriate cases. A
growing number of bacteria have become resistant
to the antibiotics that are used to kill them.
The U.S. seems to be hooked on antibiotic prescriptions.
They are prescribed in cases where they are of
no help, such as for the flu, common colds,
fever and most sore throats. U.S. insurance
companies are determined to fight to discourage
over-prescribing of antibiotics.
-
WE SEE
MORE IN NUMBERS than just numbers… We see opportunities for you.
Ali R. Kakhsaz, CPA, MAcc
www.arkpca.com
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