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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Great!! Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Bruce
Dornfeld<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, February 24, 2008 1:03 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> pianotech<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: insurance<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>Insurance
and protection by forming a LLC is a subject that I wrote a little about
for the Economic Affairs Committee and ran in the Journal less than a year
ago. Below is the article. A couple of resources are
mentioned, it may be beneficial for you to take a closer look at some.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b> Cover
Your Assets<o:p></o:p></b></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Bruce Dornfeld, RPT<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Economic Affairs
Committee<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>People will try to protect what belongs to them in different
ways when in business. Insurance is always the primary way, the first wall of
protection. Insurance has limits depending on the policy and what it does or
does not cover. Without adequate protection, in a worst case scenario, your
life savings, retirement accounts, house and all of your property are potential
targets for someone suing. If your business is a corporation, only the
business assets are at risk in most common situations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The number one reason people incorporate is limited
liability. As a sole proprietor, your liability for business debt is
unlimited; all of your assets are at risk. Forming a corporation, probably an
S Corporation, or limited liability company (LLC) makes your personal assets
and your business assets clearly separate. This protects them from some types
of risk, but certainly not all. Money your business owes its creditors or
contractors would be limited by forming a corporation or LLC. This assumes
that these obligations were made by the company and not just in your name.
Always read the small print!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Still, being a sole proprietor or partner may make perfect
sense for you. According to <i>Incorporating Your Business for Dummies</i>,
“Many lawyers and doctors are sole proprietors because state laws refuse to
limit the liability of professionals, especially when the matter involves
professional negligence or malpractice. Perhaps your business is relatively
small and the product or service you provide is unlikely to create harm or
damage. If so, limited liability would be unimportant to you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Forming a LLC would not change how you pay taxes, but it is
possible that you could save money in taxes by incorporating. Your corporation
can pay you a salary that would be taxed as normal income, but then can pay you
a dividend that is taxed at a lower level. You would pay less Social Security
tax. If your corporation provides you with health care or similar normal
benefits, they would be deducted from the business bottom line before taxes.
However, tax laws in recent years are being reformed to close some of the
loopholes that could motivate incorporating to save on taxes. Corporations
also need to file taxes separately, making for a bit more work at tax time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>There are initial costs to incorporate and quarterly
paperwork also. One web page that can help you through the process is <a
href="http://www.mycorporation.com/">www.mycorporation.com</a>. It is from
Intuit, the same folks who bring us Quicken, TurboTax, and QuickBooks. Since
the laws differ from state to state, and they each set their own fees, the cost
for incorporating can vary from around $100 to $800. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The more basic your piano service company is, the more
likely you are best off as a sole proprietor. If you have a more complicated
business, and more liability concerns, then you should take a good look at the
different options of incorporating or forming a LLC. Good business insurance
is your first and best protection. The Safeco policies that have been developed
for the PTG are proven and hard to beat! Be sure to review your policy and
consider growth or changes to your business, and don’t forget good auto
insurance. If you think incorporating your business might make sense for you,
look at the resources mentioned above and talk with a good lawyer who knows the
la! ws in your state. Just make sure your assets are covered and remember: the
large print giveth and the small print taketh away. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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