Hey all!! Man, I missed you guys sooo much!! I've been reading like crazy, trying to catch up with all the goings-on.
The weather around here is crazy, lol! One hour it's cool and breezy, the next it's so hot you can't breathe, and the nights are finally cooling off enough I don't have to run my ac all night!! I am totally looking forward to the fall. The kids will be in school all day and dh should be cleared to return to work from his injuries. We're hoping we'll be far enough along financially that we can finish up some odds-n-ends around the house, though we still can't side the garage this year. The garden is doing wonderfully--even though EVERY SINGLE cucumber plant turned out to actually be summer squash. That is wierd, considering I bought them from two different sources. Dh is bummed I won't be making pickles unless I get a really good deal at a produce market.
It's great to be back after all this time--I look forward to "seeing" you all again!!
MrsManiac, Hello so great to hear from you! I think you are having the same type of summer as us..here far north! We are not use to this heat...it is actually cool today...I wore a light long sleeve shirt...for some places still have AC on and it is too cold!!
Funny thing about your cukes! Sounds like someone mislabled the containers...
This is the first year I didn't have a garden..our weather was too cold earlier and that made our already short season, much shorter. lol
How is your price of gas there? $2.99 here..it is down some now..
About the cukes--Dh thinks everyone around here got the plants from the same greenhouse or something and that they were mislabeled. I got one pack here in town and the other over in Port Huron, so who knows.
Gas down here is anywhere between $2.79 and $3.19, depending on how close to the expressway you are. It's higher here in the "boonies" than in the city. I'm glad it didn't hit the $5 they were talking earlier this year!!!
uhm! these posts look kind of old.
I hate Granholm! the state senate has removed the Single business tax and now she has to have another tax to take its place as soon as the other is up and no longer there.
they have to tax us small businesses, heaven forbid that we make any money!
I live on IN and MI State line in St Joesph County MI. one son in the Marines, one mentally handicapped, my husband and I have a small trucking company.
live in the country with 3 acres and 3 trucks, 4 trailers.
we are taxed to death by several states including ours.
My oldest is now engaged to a girl and expecting to get married in 2008.
I wish they could come up with a way to make taxes more fair...maybe if they could raise sales tax..they could generate more income to run the state. Everyone buys goods, so everyone would pay their fair share.
Hmm, I have been back living in MI since 1992 and it was 6% then..
Here is a little bit of info on MI tax:
Michigan's key state taxes are:
Single Business Tax – the only general state tax for business
Property Taxes
Sales and Use Taxes
How Michigan Compares to the Nation
Michigan ranks below the national average in local business taxes as a percent of private sector Gross State Product according to the Council on State Taxation (Cost).
Michigan businesses pay 39.4% of the state and local taxes compared to 43% nationally.
Michigan business taxes have been growing substantially slower than the rest of the nation since 2000. Michigan's business taxes were up by 5.9% since 2000, compared to 13.7% nationally. Only three other states had slower business tax growth rates.
Single Business Tax
The Single Business Tax (SBT) is a modified value-added tax that has been in effect since 1976. The current SBT rate of 1.9% is scheduled to decline 0.1% per year until the tax is eliminated in 2010. The scheduled tax rate decline could be delayed if the state's budget stabilization fund drops below $250 million. The SBT:
replaced seven different business taxes including business income taxes, franchise taxes and property tax on inventory.
is based on value added during the production process, measured by total compensation with adjustments, business income, net interest paid and depreciation – all apportioned to Michigan.
offers exemptions, deductions and credits, including an investment tax credit for capital purchases made in Michigan.
provides eligible small businesses an alternative tax of 2% on adjusted business income.
Other important SBT notes:
Michigan businesses with less than $350,000 in sales are exempt from SBT.
Treasury Department data show that 58% of Michigan businesses pay $1,000 or less in SBT; 45% of all businesses pay no SBT.
The gross receipts reduction ensures that the tax liability cannot exceed 50% of adjusted gross receipts.
Purchases of real and personal property in Michigan may be deducted as an investment tax credit and the value can be carried forward for 10 years.
Just a little note trucking companies are taxed more than just the single business tax,
on top of regular employee tax, your self tax, tax we have to pay on fuel at the pump end of each quarter we also have to pay another tax, road tax (2290) or heavy use tax (federal), were charged every year just for being in business, we are taxed on what little profit we do make both state and federal, SSR expired in Jan of this year but they will be replacing real soon!
I have to not only pay tax to our state but also other states we run in as well. Lets not forget soon I have to renew plates, depending on where I run for just 4 states to start is 1600 per truck I will be paying over 5400 in March for 3 trucks.
Permits, audits, and everything. We our first year only made 13,000 above and beyond our bills and taxes and that was only a 10 month year for us.
this is our first full year and I don't know what we will make this year but when we pay off this trailer this year we will have a little bit more profit hopefully.
Janet
sales tax 
