Computers And Finance Essays - Taxation In The United States

Computers And Finance Computers And Finance Computers have made financial bookkeeping much easier, and people no longer have to spend hours tracking investments or pay someone else to do their taxes. Moreover, the advancement in technology has allowed governments to cut back on the number of big companies and employees hired to process tax returns, resulting in the saving of millions of dollars. Although these advancements are extraordinary, they are not without their shortcomings. The IRS has had increased trouble in tracking fraudulent tax returns, and has had to revamp its detection system. The most surprising part of Microsoft's current purchase of Intuit, the maker of the Quicken line of personal finance software was not the $1.5 billion price, which was fifty percent over the market value (Schlender 14). It was not even the fact that Bill Gates, America's richest entrepreneur, is in a position to become America's richest banker (14). The most surprising thing was that it did not happen earlier (14). For years Gates has had a dream of putting "electronic commerce at the core of personal computing," and now he finally has the software to accompany that dream (14). His idea includes a "Wallet PC" that can be carried around with people at all times (14). Microsoft believes that it can provide what executive VP Mike Maples refers to as a "whole new value chain" that will allow customers to interact by modem with banks, insurance companies, pension funds, etc. (14). Quicken is already being used by six million people to pay bills, manage credit, write checks, and handle taxes (14). For those of you scoring at home, it has 5.2 million more users than Microsoft's Money software (14). That is a prime reason that Gates basically wanted to give up the product and donate it to his competitor Novell (14). Programs such as Quicken are excellent for keeping track of what is spent at home, but can be a big hassle for keeping track of the money spent on business trips (Baig 20). One way to solve the problem would be to carry a notebook computer with Quicken on it, but as Edward Baig states "It's just not practical to boot up a laptop each time I step out of a taxi" (20). Intuit has released Pocket Quicken, a "Quicken Lite" for those who carry around digital assistants to help alleviate that problem (20). Pocket Quicken is built into the new Hewlett-Packard 200LX palmtop, the Tandy/Casio Zoomer PDA's, and the AST Gridpad 2390, but is not sold as a separate product just yet (20). Eventually this will also be available on the Motorola Envoy (20). Pocket Quicken allows users to categorically follow expenditures such as food, gas, and rent by creating checking, credit card, and cash accounts (20). Pocket Quicken lets travelers sequester what is spent into areas such as trip, client, project, or class (20). People can share data with regular Quicken with the HP 200LX's $119 optional cable and software package, or with the $30 addition to the Zoomer (20). However, Pocket Quicken does have its shortcomings because it does not allow for the set up of budgets or the following of investments (20). It also does not compute net worth or tax summaries, and does not have all the graphs with which Quicken comes equipped (20). If Pocket Quicken is not of interest, another option would be to record expenditures at the end of each day (20). Yet, another possibility would be QuickXpense for Windows from Portable Software (20). This program allows users to work with the exact expense form they would like to use because many of the forms from large corporations have been previously loaded into the program (20). Another of its qualities is that if a specific company's form was not included, they will put it on a disk for customers if they send blank copy of the form to Portable Software (20). All entries are entered the same as Quicken, but this program will also figure mileage cost for driving, convert foreign currency, and catalog each type of expense included on hotel bills (20). QuickXpense will also let the user know when it is time to file an expense report (20). Computer and technology outsource companies typically handle the dirty work behind tax collecting; however, with the recent advances in technology, the state of New York was able to hire a financial group to handle the responsibility (Halper 63). The New York State Department of Taxation gave Fleet Financial Group a $197 million contract to handle computerized tax collections and refunds for the next ten

Definition and Examples of Leading Questions

Definition and Examples of Leading Questions A leading question is a type of question that implies or contains its own answer. By contrast, a neutral question is expressed in a way that doesnt suggest its own answer. Leading questions can serve as a form of  persuasion. They  are rhetorical in the sense that the implied answers can be an attempt to shape or determine a response. Phillip Howard says: While we are on about questions of rhetoric, let us put on the record for those being interviewed on television that  a leading question is not a hostile one  that goes to the nub and puts one on the spot(A Word in Your Ear, 1983). In addition to TV journalism, leading questions can be used in sales and marketing, in job interviews, and in court. In polls and surveys, a problematic question can skew the results: Subtle leads  are questions that may not be immediately recognized as leading questions. Harris (1973) reports studies which demonstrate that the way a question is worded can influence the response. For example, asking somebody how tall a basketball player is produced greater estimates than when respondents were asked how short the player was. The average guess of those who were asked how tall? was 79 inches, as opposed to 69 inches for those who were asked how small? Hargie describes a study by Loftus (1975) which reported similar findings when forty people were asked about headaches. Those who were asked Do you get headaches frequently and, if so, how often? reported an average of 2.2 headaches per week, whereas those who were asked Do you get headaches occasionally and, if so, how often? reported only 0.7 per week. Some interviewers may deliberately use subtle leads to obtain the answers they desire, but often neither the interviewer nor respondent is aware of the extent to whic h the wording of the question can influence the response.(John Hayes,  Interpersonal Skills at Work. Routledge, 2002) In Court In a courtroom, a leading question is one that tries to put words in the witness mouth or looks for the person to echo back what the questioner asked. They dont leave room for the witness to tell the story in his or her own words. Authors Adrian Keane and Paul McKeown illustrate: Leading questions are usually those so framed as to suggest the answer sought. Thus it would be a leading question if counsel for the prosecution, seeking to establish an assault, were to ask the victim, Did X hit you in the face with his fist? The proper course would be to ask Did X do anything to you and, if the witness then gives evidence of having been hit, to ask the questions Where did X hit you and How did X hit you?(The Modern Law of Evidence, 10th ed. Oxford University Press, 2014) Leading questions are not allowed on direct examination but are allowed on cross-examination and select other instances, such as when the witness is labeled as a hostile one.   In Sales Author Michael Lovaglia explains how salespeople use leading questions to gauge customers, illustrating with a furniture store salesperson:   Buying a roomful of furniture is a major purchase, a big decision....The salesperson, waiting impatiently, wants to hurry the process along. What can she do? She probably wants to say, So buy it already. Its just a sofa. But that would not help. Instead, she asks a leading question: How soon would you need your furniture delivered? The customer might answer Right away or Not for a few months, until we move into our new house. Either answer serves the salespersons purpose. The question assumes that the customer will need the stores delivery service, though that is true only after the customer buys the furniture. By answering the question, the customer implies that she will go ahead with the purchase. The question helps push her into a decision that she had been uncertain about until she answered it.(Knowing People: The Personal Use of Social Psychology. Rowman Littlefield, 2007)