Individual Tax Calendar 2014

Everyone knows that April 15th is Tax Day, but the Internal Revenue Service has other payment and filing deadlines throughout 2014 that small-business owners, the self-employed or others who do things beyond just collecting standard paychecks must meet.
Here's a look at the tax agency's key 2014 deadlines for individuals, plus some details about who must file by April 15th -- and what to do if you can't. -- By Jerry Kronenberg

Key Tax Dates
January 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during December 2013 must report them in writing to their bosses using Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer,"  although that's not mandatory.
January 15, 2014	Fourth-quarter 2013 estimated tax payments are due for self-employed people or others who don't pay all liabilities through paycheck withholding. Use Form 1040ES, "Estimated Tax for Individuals." Or, you can skip Form 1040ES and simply file your full 2013 tax return (including any taxes due) by Jan. 31. (Farmers and fisherman have until March 3.)
January 31, 2014	Deadline for businesses to give workers and certain borrowers or service providers their 2013 W2, 1098 and 1099 forms as well as for companies and some non-profits to report 2013 gambling/sweepstakes payouts via W-2G statements.
February 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during January must report amounts to their bosses. Use of Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is optional.
February 18, 2014	Workers who claim exemption from income-tax withholding must file an annual Form W4, "Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate," by this date to avoid withholding for another year. This is also the deadline for businesses to provide 1099-B, 1099-S and 1099-MISC forms to certain clients and vendors.
March 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during February must report amounts to their bosses. Using Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer." is optional.
April 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during March must report totals to their bosses. Use of Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer." is optional but not required.
April 15, 2014	TAX DAY. Most individuals must file their 2013 tax returns (Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ and pay any remaining money due by midnight to avoid possible penalties. People who employ nannies or other household workers must also generally file a Schedule Hif they paid their help $1,000 or more in cash during any 2013 quarter or at least $1,800 during the entire year. If you need more time to prepare your return, file a Form 4868, "Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return," by midnight.This will extend the deadline to file your return (but not to pay any taxes due) until Oct. 15th. Additionally, individuals who don't pay taxes through paycheck withholding should make a first-quarter 2014 payment using Form 1040ES, "Estimated Tax for Individuals."
May 12, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during April must report amounts to their employers. Use of Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer." is optional.
June 10, 2014	Wait staff and other workers who received $20 or more in tips during May must report amounts to their bosses. Using Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is optional.
June 16, 2014	This is Tax Day for U.S. citizens, resident aliens and most military personnel who live and work outside the United States or Puerto Rico. Expatriate 2013 tax returns are due today, except for armed-forces members and some civilians who are deployed in combat zones or certain military-staging areas. The IRS gives such people additional time to file returns and/or pay any taxes owed (see IRS Publication 3 and these FAQs for details). Other U.S. expatriates who need additional time to file can submit a Form 4868, "Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return," by midnight to extend their filing deadline to Oct. 15. In addition to being Tax Day for expatriates, this is also the deadline for all taxpayers to make second-quarter 2014 estimated tax payments if you don't have regular paycheck withholding. Use Form 1040ES, "Estimated Tax for Individuals."
July 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during June must report amounts to their bosses. Using Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is optional.
August 11, 2014	Waiters and others who earned $20 or more in tips during July must report totals to their bosses. Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is available for optional use.
September 15, 2014	Third-quarter 2014 estimated taxes are due if you don't have regular paycheck withholding. Use Form 1040ES, "Estimated Tax for Individuals."
October 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during September must report amounts to their bosses in writing, although using Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is optional.
October 15, 2014	This is Tax Day for those who got automatic six-month extensions using Form 4868. File your 2013 Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ and pay any taxes, interest and penalties due by midnight to avoid problems with the IRS.
November 10, 2014	Waiters and others who got $20 or more in tips during October must report amounts to their employers. Use of Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is optional.
December 10, 2014	Wait staff and others who got $20 or more in tips during November must disclose amounts in writing to their bosses. Using Form 4070, "Employee's Report of Tips to Employer" is acceptable but not mandatory.

Market Holidays 2014

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) together with the NASDAQ Stock Market are the two prominent U.S. stock exchanges that are widely considered to be "the stock market." Both stock exchanges observe the same holiday schedule, which appears below for the year 2014. 

The U.S. bond market is less centralized than the stock market -- bond market holiday closures are not enforced, rather, recommended* by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). 

All times appearing below are quoted in Eastern Standard Time (-5).

2014 Market Holidays and Half-Days	New York Stock Exchange	NASDAQ	SIFMA (Bond Market)*
New Year's Day -- January 1, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- January 20, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Washington's Birthday -- February 17, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Thursday -- April 17, 2014	OPEN	OPEN	REC. 2:00 P.M. CLOSE
Good Friday -- April 18, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Friday -- May 23, 2014	OPEN	OPEN	REC. 2:00 P.M. CLOSE
Memorial Day -- May 26, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Thursday -- July 3, 2014	OPEN TIL 1:00 P.M.	OPEN TIL 1:00 P.M.	OPEN
Independence Day -- July 4, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Labor Day -- September 1, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Columbus Day -- October 13, 2014	OPEN	OPEN	REC. CLOSE
Veteran's Day -- November 11, 2014	OPEN	OPEN	REC. CLOSE
Thanksgiving Day -- November 27, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
Friday -- November 28, 2014	OPEN TIL 1:00 P.M.	OPEN TIL 1:00 P.M.	REC. 2:00 P.M. CLOSE
Christmas Eve Day -- December 24, 2014	OPEN TIL 1:00 P.M.	OPEN TIL 1:00 P.M.	REC. 2:00 P.M. CLOSE
Christmas Day -- December 25, 2014	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE
New Year's Eve Day -- December 31, 2014	OPEN	OPEN	REC. 2:00 P.M. CLOSE
New Year's Day -- January 1, 2015	CLOSED	CLOSED	REC. CLOSE

.......................................................................

Sources: NYSE EURONEXT and NASDAQ OMX and SIFMA.

Cisco Offers $300K Bounty For Internet of Things (IOT) Security Apps

Now we’re talking: Cisco is putting up hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to deliver the security solutions necessary to protect the growing wave of connected devices in the Internet of Things. IoT security is a huge deal, both because of the potential disasters that could befall individuals, businesses, and cities with unprotected smart devices and also because to date there are essentially no security measures in place for connected devices that aren’t computers, smartphones, or tablets.

Cisco agrees. “We’re connecting more of our world every day through smart, IP-enabled devices ranging from home appliances, healthcare devices, and industrial equipment. These new connected devices are offering new ways to share information and are changing the way we live,” wrote Cisco’s Chris Young in a blog post. “Yet, as our connected lives grow and become richer, the need for a new security model becomes even more critical.”

Cisco’s Internet of Things Grand Security Challenge aims to address those security woes. The competition seeks submissions from anyone who can offer a solution that meets the following criteria:


The company is giving out $300,000 in prize money to six recipients that will receive $50,000 to $75,000 each. The deadline for submissions is June 17, and winners will be announced this fall.

Here’s hoping this contest helps jumpstart a new wave of much-needed security.

Conciliatory words hide Putin's anger over Ukraine

(Reuters) - At almost midnight and with little fanfare, the Kremlin put out a statement outlining President Vladimir Putin's orders on Ukraine - and they were as conciliatory as earlier Russian announcements had been confrontational.

Ordering his government to work with Ukrainian and foreign partners to find a financial package to shore up Ukraine's collapsing finances, Putin struck a measured note compared to the military muscle-flexing of other officials, who had put thousands of Russian troops on high alert.

As the Kremlin issued its statement, armed men in Ukraine's Crimea region, thought to be ethnic Russians, were holed up in the local parliament. Within hours, Ukraine had accused Russian forces of taking over two airports on the Black Sea peninsula, despite Moscow's denials.

Later on Friday, ousted President Viktor Yanukovich turned up in Russia - a move by Moscow that could anger the West or be intended to taunt Ukraine's new leaders, who want him extradited to face accusations of mass murder.

Since Moscow lost a struggle with the West for influence in Ukraine, Putin's policy has been to allow his lieutenants to stir up passions over a change in power in its "brotherly nation" while he stands above the fray.

But his mild words, Kremlin insiders say, conceal a more active plan, one that is informed by a strong sense of betrayal over the West's abandoning of an EU-brokered peace deal signed last week in Ukraine and acceptance of "illegitimate" rulers.

The question now for Russia is how much to spend to help the Slavic, Orthodox Christian neighbor and its crumbling economy.

"No matter what Russia does, Kiev will be firmly pro-Western. The only question left is are we prepared to pay more for this course or not?" said Alexei Pushkov, a Putin loyalist and a senior member of parliament.

CONSULTATIONS

The Kremlin said in its statement Putin had ordered his government "to conduct consultations with foreign partners, including the International Monetary Fund, on the provision of financial aid to Ukraine".

The three-paragraph statement issued at 11:45 p.m. offered little insight into the mind of a man who hoped Ukraine would play a central role in his project for a trade bloc stretching from the frontiers of China to the edge of the EU.

But it spoke volumes to his attitude towards Western support for the new leadership in Ukraine, and contained a veiled warning along the lines of - if you hold talks on rescuing Kiev from bankruptcy without us, Moscow will act.

Russia looks unlikely to press on with its $15-billion bailout for Ukraine, which had been seen as a reward for Yanukovich's decision to spurn a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties to Moscow, and Ukraine is now looking for funds from the West.

A mission from the International Monetary Fund is due in Kiev next week, and Ukraine's new leadership has said it will meet any conditions.

"For him (Putin), Kiev no longer exists. There was an agreement with Western countries which those Western countries did not fulfill. I think that is uppermost in his thoughts," said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin spin doctor.

"He was tricked and he has to punish that."

There was no immediate way to confirm whether the Kremlin had any connection with the fast-moving events in Crimea, Ukraine's only region with an ethnic Russian majority, which Ukraine's government described as an invasion by Russian forces.

Pavlovsky and other Russian insiders said Putin's role in Crimea could be similar to what he believes the West did when violent protesters took control of the situation in Kiev - standing back and letting local events take their course.

Ukraine's top security official blamed the Kremlin directly, saying it was commanding the armed groups in Crimea.

"I don't think Putin is waiting for anything, he is acting according to his plan," said Pavlovsky. "I see action, the taking of Crimea. I think this is action."

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: "I am not commenting. This is all rubbish."

MOVES IN RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT

Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has said it is ready to discuss a draft proposal to make it easier for a country or a region to become part of Russia if it has expressed a desire to do so in a referendum.

Yanukovich wants Russia, and Putin, to do more.

"I think that Russia should act and is obliged to act. And knowing Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin's personality, I am surprised that he is still saying nothing," he told a news conference in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.

He said he had spoken to Putin since Kiev a week ago but had not met him.

Kremlin insiders said Yanukovich could not have arrived in Russia without Putin's blessing. His presence could force the Russian leader to show more solidarity, despite Putin's animosity for man he sees as weak.

"I think Putin probably said to Yanukovich, why are you here? Go back to Ukraine where you are president," said Sergei Markov, a Russian political analyst.

"Putin wants to be constructive ... but the West told him to get lost and 'we will give you no role in Ukrainian affairs' ... He will continue to be silent as long as the West ignores Russian interests."

Meetup.com fights off hackers, refuses to pay $300 ransom

(Reuters) - Social networking website Meetup.com is fighting a sustained battle against cyber-criminals who are demanding $300 to call off an attack that has kept the site offline for much of the past four days.

The site, which enables strangers to meet for shared-interest activities ranging from parents' groups to software development, was back online but still under attack late on Monday afternoon, Meetup CEO Scott Heiferman told Reuters.

Meetup has refused to pay the small ransom as it believes doing so would make the perpetrators of the attacks demand more money.

"It's a cat and mouse game," Heiferman said, adding he was not yet sure how long it would take to keep the site reliably online.

A Meetup blog had earlier said the company was a victim of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) campaign, a type of attack that knocks websites offline by overwhelming them with incoming traffic. It said that no personal data, including credit card information, had been accessed.

Heiferman said he was open to the possibility of some financial relief for members who pay between $12 and $17 a month to organize Meetup groups in their geographic and thematic areas of interest. He said his first priority was to resume the service of creating communities wholly via an Internet connection.

"we're going to come out of this much stronger. And I don't mean that as just a trite euphemism, I mean it literally. Like, we are going to be much more secure," he said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the attack since late last week when the assumed criminal group first offered to withhold it if Meetup paid $300.

The attack was the first in the site's 12-year history, and Heiferman defended the move not to pay the paltry ransom.

"We made a decision not to negotiate with criminals," he said in the post. "Payment could make us (and all well-meaning organizations like us) a target for further extortion demands as word spread in the criminal world."

Meetup has almost 17 million members and, when online, was signing up between 15,000 and 20,000 people every day.

The site represents a soft target for online criminals, who often attempt to extort companies in return for calling off DDoS attacks, said Kevin Johnson, chief executive of cybersecurity consultancy Secure Ideas.

"It's very common for this sort of attack to start off with a small demand," Johnson said. "It's not like Meetup can write a check for a million dollars."

Heiferman's blog post said the site should be able to protect itself over time, even though it has struggled to stay online since the attacks began on Thursday morning. He said Meetup spent millions of dollars a year to secure its systems.

The Meetup site and related mobile apps have been intermittently unavailable since Thursday.

The privately-held, New York-based site counts Twitter co-founder Ev Williams and Fred Wilson's Union Square Ventures among its investors and has raised more than $18 million in external funds.

Lead Generation

Overview

Lead generation tracks customer interest in a product, service, or company. Computer programs, databases, Internet tools, and consulting firms provide resources for customized marketing services. Leads help businesses develop products, increase sales revenue, and search for new clients. Goals include acquiring beta customers, identifying potential lead sources, and developing a market entry strategy. Leads can also help businesses understand reasons for unfilled sales, customer needs, and opportunities for new business.

A lead consists of specific information about a target customer. Information includes names, addresses, and email addresses of individuals in corporations, agencies, and institutions. Search engines, personal networks, and websites provide the primary source for leads. Marketing companies can create databases with leads through strategies that include online lead generation, broadcast advertising, direct mail, seminars, training sessions, public relations events, trade shows, email correspondence, telemarketing, and product literature. Lead generation benefits companies in all industries.

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Benefits

Lead generation helps businesses make the most out of their online presence. Leads can help businesses make strategic sales and marketing decisions and can help with forecasting and budgeting. A fully developed marketing plan can help businesses increase sales, become more efficient, and raise profits.

How It Works

You must first set a strategy and objective for why you are collecting leads. Work with a consulting firm or marketing agency to find a plan that works best for you and your agency. Your plan should include a hypothesis for why your research will help increase revenues. When you're ready to design tools to generate links, take some time to connect with other websites that have the same target markets. Exchange links to display on each others' website to see if you can generate additional traffic. Have an option for your visitors to sign up for a mailing list. Maintain strong relationships with your clients by asking them to give feedback, testimonials, and to take surveys. Send them thank you letters, publish press releases, and arrange for seminars.

Companies/Brands

Convente, Global Logic, and TSL Marketing provide lead generation services.

Paid Inclusion

Overview

Paid inclusion is a process of paying search engines to list your website on their result pages. You pay a predetermined amount of money to the search engine operator to ensure that your website is included in the search engine results pages (SERP) for particular keywords. Paid inclusion is a common search engine optimization (SEO) technique that helps drive traffic to websites.

When a search engine operator accepts payment to index a website, it does not guarantee specific placement of the website link on the result page. They may be listed as sponsored ads, paid listings, or as advertisements depending on the policies of the search engine.

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The cost of paid inclusion usually varies from $30 to $49 for a single URL. You can also submit more URLs and the prices increase accordingly. The cost depends on the company and the number of web pages you are going to submit to the search engine operator. Not all search engine operators offer paid inclusion services.

Benefits

A great advantage of paid inclusion is that your website will be included in search engine results. Another benefit is that the search engine's web crawler will regularly visit your target page. Paid inclusion provides faster indexing and frequent refresh rates. If you make any changes or modifications to your web pages, the changes will be automatically reflected in the search engine's results.

By using paid inclusion, you can increase the visibility of your website on the Internet. New online merchants can benefit greatly from paid inclusion services that drive quality website traffic. Online advertisers also benefit from paid inclusion techniques.

How It Works

The two ways that search engines offer paid inclusion are organic spider and paid spider. The automated program in an organic spider crawls and indexes all pages in the website. On the other hand, the paid spider only indexes specific pages in the website. When the search engine operator offers paid inclusion using paid spiders, it uses an additional program to crawl the website and to index only particular pages.

Search engines use different algorithms and methods to display search engine results. Paid inclusion generally works through search inclusion, content networks, and banner ads. With search inclusion, the search engine places the sponsored search result on top of the regular search results page or in the right hand column of the results page. In content networks, search engines pay websites to display the advertisement of other websites. These advertisements may be displayed as banner advertisements or text ads. Animated ads or banner ads of your website can be can also be placed on popular websites.

Companies/Brands

Beyond ROI provides paid inclusion services. Search engines that offer paid inclusion services are Ask and Entire Web. Yahoo Search will provide paid inclusion services until the end of 2009.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is an online marketing practice that enables businesses to create an advertising network of companies and vendors that work together to promote particular products and services. Advertising affiliates will earn a commission after facilitating earnings. Examples of affiliate marketing programs include rewards websites, coupon websites, and brand networks. Through affiliate marketing practices, businesses can benefit by expanding their customer base and advertising their products for free. Yahoo! Search Marketing is a good example of affiliate marketing. They help to promote their products such as Yahoo! Personals and Yahoo! Hot Jobs.

Traditional Internet marketing techniques include paid search engine marketing, email marketing, and display marketing. Affiliate marketing techniques include lead generation, contextual advertising, and revenue sharing. Gambling and retail businesses are among the most active organizations that use affiliate marketing techniques. When employed effectively, affiliate marketing strategies can promote products and boost sales.

The concept of revenue sharing emerged in 1994. Adult entertainment companies were among the first merchants to pioneer affiliate marketing practices with a cost per click program. Affiliate programs compensate advertisers using the following three payment models: cost per sale, cost per click, and cost per action.

Web 2.0 communities such as blogging networks and online communities have also pioneered affiliate marketing programs. It is believed that the mobile advertising industry will experience growth through affiliate marketing within the next several years.

Lead Generation

Lead generation is an affiliate marketing technique that helps connect prospective customers with a business or service. As a general sales and marketing term, the term lead refers to a prospective sale. Using leads, companies can compile lists of prospective customers by acquiring email addresses and other contact information.

This information facilitates effective marketing and advertising campaigns. Based on a user's interests, online shopping behavior, and demographic information, it is possible to create a more customized and personalized advertising approach.

Lead generation relies on computer software to track information. Many software programs can compile detailed reports and provide recommendations. Using this data, companies are better able to develop a more effective and sophisticated marketing strategy. With a fully developed marketing plan, businesses are in a better position able to increase sales, improve efficiency, and raise profits.

Contextual Advertising

Contextual advertising is a method of behavior-based marketing in which advertisements target particular users based on their online shopping patterns and search engine activity. Contextual advertising systems scan the webpage that the user is viewing. Based on the content of the webpage, advertisements or pop-up ads are displayed on the webpage. These ads are generally placed on top of the webpage.

If you have a website, you may be able to work with an advertising program that can help you place contextual advertisements on your page. Even if you have a personal website, you may be able to earn income, especially if you attract a high number of visitors.

You will receive a commission based on the website viewer's action. Three basic compensation models are available: cost per action (CPA), cost per click (CPC), and cost per sale (CPS). With CPC, the target viewer must click on the advertisement in order for the webpage owner to receive a commission. With CPA, the website owner earns commission when someone views the advertisement. With CPS, a transaction needs to take place in order for the webpage owner to earn a commission.

Advertisers will choose to work with you based on your website traffic, page view time, and conversion rate. Typically, your website needs to gain a substantial amount of traffic for a website to become profitable. The placement of your advertisements can also affect your earnings.

Revenue Sharing

Revenue sharing began as an offline technique and gained momentum after attracting a following on the Internet. It is a marketing technique through which businesses share profits and losses. This technique can also be used to generate new leads for your website.

When a user clicks on the advertisement, you receive a predetermined amount and the company that places that advertisement will also earn an income through the sale. Cost per sale is a technique that is responsible for the majority of revenue sharing practices online.

Another method of revenue sharing involves people working together and sharing profits in a similar way to a typical business. For example, many websites will hire people to develop content based on a revenue-sharing model. Designers and writers will earn a commission based on the earnings of their proceeds.

Contextual Advertising

Overview

Contextual advertising is an online marketing technique that is based on a website's content. When users view a particular web page, automated systems display advertisements related to the content. Advertisers are able to match advertisements with content by associating their advertisements with relevant keywords.

This technique assumes that an advertisement will appeal to a reader because it relates to content that he or she is interested in. The goal is that audiences will find the advertisement informational or beneficial.

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A website developer may choose to display advertisements on the website. He or she can also have complete control over what ads to display. Most publishers display advertisements that have the potential to generate income. If a viewer clicks on the audience, the website owner receives a predetermined amount of money from the company that has placed the advertisement. A website publisher can also earn commission when a user looks at an advertisement or when a sale is complete.

Advertising costs vary by how much you will need to bid for a keyword from a search engine. You might also need to hire an agency to design and develop your advertisement. You will also need to pay website publishers to display your advertisement. Internet advertising will cost you money, but it is relatively inexpensive compared to other advertising methods. Online advertisements are a powerful marketing tool and can help you increase your business.

Benefits

Internet advertising is relatively inexpensive compared to other advertising methods. Contextual advertisements are powerful marketing tools and can help drive traffic to your website. Advertisements will help expand a business's customer base. You can also build strong relationships with the companies who advertise your products. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether Internet advertising will be profitable for your company.

How It Works

In general, you will work with an online marketing firm to match your advertisements with publishers of content website. In some situations, you may want to work with the content publishers, themselves. Many marketing firms work with tools that enable web pages to generate and regenerate displayed advertisements. This software scans the text on the page for specific keywords. The software will then display advertisements based on the page's keywords. Advertisements could be pop-ups, banners, or text.

Companies/Brands

Xapads, WideProfile, and Chitika offer contextual advertising services. Google AdSense, Microsoft AdCenter, and Yahoo Advertising create contextual ads for businesses.