Visa Rules Are Being Tightened

I'm not sure that you can say a rule is being "tightened", but this is the phrase being tossed all over Washington D.C. right now. What really is happening, in my opinion, is the rules are actually going to be fully enforced. This leads me , and many other Americans, to a question of impact. Why are we not fully enforcing Visa rules on a continued basis?


Homeland Security officials said Monday that they will immediately begin demanding more information from visitors from countries with visa-free entry, bowing to growing fears that jihadists from Iraq or Syria could use a loophole to bring their battle to the U.S. mainland. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson did not suspend the Visa Waiver Program despite pressure from some key lawmakers on Capitol Hill, but he said the government will order travelers from visa-waiver countries to report more information such as parents’ names, city of birth and aliases. This is a concern for me!

We should always be demanding more information from travelers into our country. Period. In my book, Homeland Security; A Comprehensive Guide for All , I discuss why some of the reigns may be tightened or loosened due to financial restrictions. We don't plan on money running out to sustain ongoing issues, which is a problem. But now, we have to spend more money that we don't have to sustain what we should have been doing all along. Does anyone else notice the irony here?

So, where is the fine line? There isn't one. Nothing with Homeland Security matters is cut and dry nor black or white. We need to tighten the rules around the clock. We need to put more money into sustaining our current efforts and look at what it may cost to utilize new media tools in the future. We need to prepare better in order to stay safer.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett of IME

An Overview of Your Business' Legal Status

How you define your business to the government can have a lot of benefits. However, it can also lead to a lot of headaches if done incorrectly. So what type of status should you claim when starting a business? Well, let me help!

Sole Proprietorship: This type of business does not make a legal distinction between the business owner and the business itself. Although costs can be low (from taxes to licensing fees)the down-side is that you will be personally responsible for any business debt that may occurs, potential law suits, and your personal income tax reflects your entire business' profit.

A General Partnership is the same as a sole proprietorship but with several owners. Again, the set-up costs are low and there are relatively few regulatory requirements. And, again, the owners are completely liable for all the actions and debts that stem from the business.

Limited Liability Partnership(much like a LLC) is very similar to a general partnership. However, there is a separate classification of partners making each person's liability limited. The downside to this classification is it only "limits" a partner's liability, not erase it completely- which is a common myth. Also the filing and administrative requirements are complex.

C-Corporation is only a form of doing business that creates a separate legal entity from the individual owners. This legal entity can act and do business on its own just as a person would do (i.e. borrow money, enter into lawsuits and contracts, etc.).
With a C-Corporation your "owners" are now shareholders who are not personally liable for the actions and debts stemming from the company. However, if a shareholder wants to leave the business then the paperwork involved isn't easy, making a separation a long-one- which in the case of a nasty separation only makes the situation worse. Also, owners (shareholders) are taxed twice.

S-Corporation is a type of corporation but the business is taxed as if it is a sole proprietorship. Its formation is subject to certain legal criteria such as a maximum number of shareholders. The benefits, unlike a C-Corp., include owners only being taxed one time. However, the administrative costs are higher and all owners (shareholders) have to be U.S. citizens.

Many business owners either chose to set-up as an LLC or an S-Corp. Note, I will not advocate for either because you need to discuss your personal situation with a lawyer and a CPA. However, I will state that an LLC may have to pay more self-employment taxes than S-corps due to IRS regulations.

Have other business questions? Please ask as I am happy to answer them!

Twyla