Hendrickson Thesis free essay sample

I Table of Contents Introduction 3 General Facts about Gift Cards Tax Accounting Implications 7 Recognition 7 Gift Card Companies Statement Laws 10 Financial Accounting Implications Recognition 13 Disclosure 15 Further Research 20 Conclusions 21 works Cited 22 Introduction 4 13 Gift cards have become an area of both opportunity and risk for retailers. They have come to provide a critical source of earnings, yet at the same time, the regulatory environment, including tax and financial reporting for gift cards, has become increasingly complex. The bottom line is that financial executives within the retail industry cannot afford to be blindsided by tax, regulatory and financial reporting changes in this area; Giles Sutton, State and Local Tax (SALT) partner and national Retail Tax practice leader. (Grant Thornton ALP. , 2011) In the recent years gift cards and certificates have become immensely popular with both retailers and customers. Gift card sales for 2010 are currently estimated to have exceeded $200 billion, with $25 billion coming from holiday season spending. This can be compared to $24. 1 billion in the 2 holiday season and $24. 9 billion in 2 (Duff Phelps Corp., 2011) The large amount of money that gift cards represent indicates that they must be clearly regulated from both a tax accounting and financial accounting perspective. This is not entirely the case. Tax laws have changed several times over the past decade in regards to gift card revenue recognition and may yet change again. GAP does not currently have any specific literature regarding how gift card revenue should be recorded and reported. The main issue that is confounding both of these perspectives is what to do with gift cards that are unlikely to be redeemed. Its estimated that the percentage of gift card balances that remain unredeemed, known as breakage, range from 10 to 19 percent. (Grant Thornton ALP. , 2011) Accounting for breakage income will be the main topic of this paper. General Facts about Gift Cards There are two basic types of gift cards; ones issued by credit card companies like Visa, and ones that arent. Those that arent issued by credit card companies are called embank gift cards or, frequently, closed-system cards. They get this name because they are used only at the retailers that issue them. In addition to retailers; restaurants, grocery stores, movie theaters and more have all begun to use these loses system cards. Embank gift cards are either distributed by the retailer or by a gift card company. A gift card company is a separate legal entity that is formed by a company as a subsidiary for the sole purpose of administering the companys gift card program. (Marred Forsyth, 2007) Unlike cards from Visa or Mastered, other gift cards do not come under the Jurisdiction of federal banking laws. This lack of legal regulation of embank gift cards leads to companies attaching a variety of conditions to their cards. Cards may carry monthly fees, carry activation fees, and may have an expiration date. These attachments arent as common as they used to be, however, due to customer complaints. The existence of these attachments on some cards however will influence how they are accounted for, as we will discuss later. (Marred ; Forsyth, 2007) Gift cards are prized by both companies and customers. Customers love them for several reasons. Theyre convenient, easy to use, easy to carry, and everyone appreciates them. There is no worry of getting the wrong gift and theyre appropriate for everyone be it family, friend or employee. While customers are limited to one retailer in using the card, they can purchase anything hey want from the retailer which can persuade people to buy items they otherwise wouldnt have. (Marred Forsyth, 2007) A recent survey has shown that 57% of adults wished to receive a gift card for the holidays in 2010. (Grant Thornton ALP. , 2011) Companies love gift cards even more than customers do. Gift cards lead to increased sales, increased marketing opportunities, and help with cash flow and inventory management. Gift cards have a huge influence on sales. On top of the initial gift card purchase, customers are almost guaranteed to spend more than the amount of the gift card when they redeem it. The way that pricing works, customers are extremely unlikely to perfectly use up their gift cards with no excess paid out of pocket. Rather than leave a balance on the card, customers are inclined to treat the gift card amount as a minimum purchase price. Studies have shown that customers spend an average of 1. 4 times the amount on their cards in the transaction where they redeem them. The prevalence of gift cards as holiday gifts effectively extends the holiday gist buying season, making the January and February clearance sales into some of the most lucrative non-holiday periods for companies. (Marred Forsyth, 2007) Marketers love gift cards because they generate two customer contacts and two sales opportunities. Marketers can also use incremental information gathered from gift card transactions to design future marketing plans and promotions. Gift cards benefit inventory management and cash flow in a big way as well. The delay in the transfer of inventory allows for significant operating cash flow benefits to a business by allowing them to purchase inventory over time instead of all at once. This delay also meaner that since gift cards are predominantly sold during the holiday season and redeemed in the off season, businesses will have mother COGS expenses over the entire period, instead of huge Jumps in COGS at one time. (Kill, 2007) As mentioned before, 10 to 19% of the value of all gift cards sold never gets redeemed. Customers may lose a card, or intentionally fail to use it. Some customers forget to use up their balances before the expiration date. Some customers use the card and leave money left on the balance. This remainder is then either forgotten about or disregarded as being immaterial. Whatever the reason, these unredeemed cards can add much to a businesss bottom line, should they be allowed to recognize it. Kill, 2007) Gift cards do have a downside however. Any retail store that uses gift cards can fall victim to fraud, either due to customers or employees perpetrating the fraud. Customers can shoplift cards, either using the cards themselves or stealing the authorization information from the magnetic strip with an electronic device. Stolen, fake, and empty cards are also frequently sold on auction sites or bargain sites. Employees are Just as likely to steal cards, but also have other opportunities to commit fraud. They may pretend a customers card is empty or deactivated and convince the customer to hand over the card. Or they may use sleight of hand to swap the customers card with an empty one. Losses from fraud can be significant, but the benefits a company gains from its gift card program often far outweigh the losses. (Marred Forsyth, 2007) Tax Accounting Implications Gift cards pose several problems when related to taxation. Most basic is at what point companies should recognize income for gift card sales for tax purposes? Gift card companies must be sure whether they can claim money received as for gift cards as income at all. When should gift card fees be recognized? How do state statement laws impact gift cards? All of these topics will be examined in this section. Recognition In general revenues is recorded when it is earned for financial accounting purposes, and when it is received for tax purposes. Retailers that used gift cards understandably were resistant to this. To have all their gift card sales count upfront would make it so that they could not balance out these sales with their related expenses as they would not have been incurred yet. The IRS forbids realizing COGS before the cards is redeemed as it cannot be predicted what product will be purchased wit n the card. (Suitors amp Bender 2009) It a company can properly use the advance payment deferral rules from Treasury Regulation S 1. 51-5 and Revenue Procedure 2004-34 then unredeemed gift card income can be deferred until up to the last day of the second tax year after the card is sold. (Smith, 2009)

Why effective communication is important in work setting free essay sample

1. 1 Identify the different reasons people communicate Different reasons people communicate is to engage in conversation, to make a point, to explain a reason a point or a command and to receive important information. 1. 2 Explain how communication affects relationships in work setting. Communication can affect relationships in a variety of ways, one way it can affect relationships is for example if the person on the receiving end has a hearing impairment which they may or may not know about depending on the severity of the impairment. Another way could be a language barrier which would then make the person trying to get there point across frustratingly difficult. One other way could be the person talking or listening could have a learning difficulty and may not understand how to either explain their point or take in the point being made. Outcome 2: meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals. We will write a custom essay sample on Why effective communication is important in work setting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2. 1 demonstrate how to establish the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals. Everyone has a slightly different style of communicating this is one of the things that make every individual unique. As we know communication is a two-way process and effective communication requires everyone involved to be able to express their own thoughts and messages and to understand the communication of others. In a way it is our job to ensure that we find ways of communicating language needs, preferences can be quite wide ranging, someone may require an interpreter or signer or someone else may need communication to take place in a quite environment. When you meet an individual for the first time, it is important to establish how you will communicate and how they, and you, would like to be addressed. A good way to start is to introduce yourself and explain why you are there using a few simple words. If the person clearly has use of their hands, you might also offer a handshake greeting. 2. 3 demonstrate a range of communication methods and styles to meet individual needs. There are lots of different ways to communicate. We use all of our five senses to communicate and receive information: ?Visual – seeing Auditory – hearing Olfactory – smelling Kinaesthetic – feeling Gustatory tasting Communication methods can be split into 2 categories, verbal and non-verbal. .Verbal communication: tone of voice, vocabulary (words and different languages), pitch (high or low). Non-verbal: eye contact, signs, symbols or pictures, writing, touch, gestures, body language. 2. 4 demonstrate how to respond to an individual’s reactions when communicating. By observing an individual’s reaction, you can ascertain if they are happy, satisfied, comfortable, sad, worried, agitated and many more†¦ This tells you if everything is ok with the service you are providing and with the individual in general or if there might be a problem, which would then make responding to the individual easier and with the correct manor. Outcome 3: be able to overcome barriers to communication. 3. 3 demonstrate ways to overcome barriers to communication. Discuss with your supervisor / manager the individuals you will regularly work with and whether there are any known communication barriers. This will enable you to consider your skills in this area and whether you need to undertake some training and development activities to improve your skills in this area. 3. 4 demonstrate strategies that can be used to clarify misunderstandings. It is easy to assume that everything is ok and that people are happy if they do not challenge or question what is happening but this may well be because they have not heard or understood what is happening or they simply do not want to make a fuss. Sometimes a simple â€Å"thumbs up† will help to check everything is ok. Or simply asking the person if everything is understood and offer the chance to clarify or go over things again. Outcome 4: be able to apply principles and practices relating to confidentiality. It is responsibility to adhere to your employer’s policy on confidentiality, so you should ask to see the policy and familiarise yourself with it. This policy should cover many aspects of your work, including disclosure of information to internal and external sources and the use of electronic computer systems. It is important that information is only shared with people â€Å"who need to know†. If you are uncertain whether a person has a right to access information and is requesting information from you, always check with your supervisor / manager. 4. 2 demonstrate ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication. Do not leave computers on or allow other people to use your passwords. Do not conduct conversations (including telephone conversations) about the individuals you support or any aspect of your work, in a public place or anywhere you can be overheard. Do not disclose information to anyone unless you are sure that they have a right to see the information. Always check with you supervisor / manager if you are unsure. Do not name the individuals you work with in front of other people during training sessions when talking about examples. Do not leave personal records or information unattended in public places.

Opinion Essay Topics - Grade Levels

Opinion Essay Topics - Grade LevelsSo you're up for writing your first opinion essay and you want to make it an opinion essay topics that are easy and fun to write about. Well here are some great ideas to help you out.Many topics are geared towards grade levels, but make sure you are writing for the appropriate level. You don't want to blow any time on a topic that's too advanced for your grade level. Use common sense and your own experience.Don't get hung up on the 'common sense' idea. If you're looking for a question that involves understanding of your reader, don't worry about keeping things so obvious. Be original in your writing and most importantly, add some humor to make the topic not seem so 'ducked'.Also, don't list the topic in the body of the essay as simply as you would do in a thesis statement. There are many other options for easy topic choices. Use the topic ideas as a jumping off point for brainstorming on your own.Instead of just copying and pasting, keep it up to da te and make sure your writing style is fluid. If you feel stilted you may have problems transitioning from one topic to the next and will lose readers' interest.Another easy topic would be one where you are using your child as your viewpoint. If you're lucky, your child will already have some basic knowledge and will be able to express their opinions without breaking any rules.If you decide to put your children into separate children, let them go at their own pace and don't try to keep them at the same pace or they may end up too nervous. And yes, your children will definitely benefit from the opinions you share in the essay as they grow up.If you follow these ideas, you should be able to write an opinion essay topics that are easy and enjoyable for all grade levels. Go ahead and have fun and express your thoughts!

Self Presentation and Social Perception Essay Example

Self Presentation and Social Perception Essay Example Self Presentation and Social Perception Paper Self Presentation and Social Perception Paper Module 2: Social Psychology Mathis, Ronald Self Presentation and Social Perception Ronald Mathis Grand Canyon University: Soc 369 Due July 3, 2011 From my perspective, the material in the textbook relate to Matthew 7:3-5 in this way; when people put their judgments on others, but fail to see that they have faults, and that things are wrong with them too, they have failed to see themselves for who they really are. According to Oliver Sachs (1985), we have an inner self that is private and an outer self that we show to other people. However, our outer self is biased, and want to cast judgment on others. We want to go around correcting people and telling them what to do. All the while, in the private, we do the same thing. The biased, they tell people they shouldn’t do that, and could be guilty of doing those very same things. Sachs also says â€Å"the self is heavily influenced by social factors† (Kassin, 2008, p. 55). For instance, if I start an infectious laughter, or yawing as if I am sleepy, and there are other people in the room, they will say â€Å"girl you are making me sleepy. With laughter, even if I were faking it, someone would say â€Å"what are you laughing at? † If I act like I could not stop, people would just start laughing too. Therefore, being biased can catch on like an epidemic. From my perspective, Matthew 7: 3-5 relates to me that I should not perceive things to be a certain way and they really are not. For instance, I should not perceive that just because I see someon e that has on rich fancy clothes that they are wealthy, and they are better than me. Also, I should not let others try to make me feel bad about myself when an attempt is made to put me down or make me feel degraded. This to me is taking the plank out of my eye. A person can appear to be rich and not really be, and it could make me have feelings of inferiority if I allowed myself to feel that way, or if that person showed some type of affluent bias towards me like scorn of poverty stricken people. On the other hand, I should not attempt to do that to someone if I were in a position of having the appearance of wealth. In conclusion, when people bring their judgments they have failed to see themselves. Don’t perceive things to be a certain way when they really are not.

Poem Lyrics of Some of the Best Emily Dickinson Poems

Poem Lyrics of Some of the Best Emily Dickinson Poems Here are the poem lyrics of some of the best Emily Dickinson poems. To make your browsing more effective, I have included a bit of each poem after the title. A Bird Came DownEmily DickinsonA bird came down the walk:He did not know I saw; A Door Just Opened on a StreetEmily DickinsonA door just opened on a streetI, lost, was passing byA Drop Fell on the Apple TreeEmily DickinsonA drop fell on the apple treeAnother on the roof;A Light Exists in SpringEmily DickinsonA light exists in springNot present on the year A Long, Long Sleep, a Famous SleepEmily DickinsonA long, long sleep, a famous sleepThat makes no show for dawnA Narrow Fellow in the GrassEmily DickinsonA narrow fellow in the grassOccasionally rides; A Thought Went up My Mind To-DayEmily DickinsonA thought went up my mind to-dayThat I have had before,After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling ComesEmily DickinsonAfter great pain, a formal feeling comesThe Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs Because I Could Not Stop for DeathEmily DickinsonBecause I could not stop for Death,He kindly stopped for me; Death Sets a Thing of SignificantEmily DickinsonDeath sets a thing significantThe eye had hurried by,Delight Becomes PictorialEmily DickinsonDelight becomes pictorialWhen viewed through pain,Departed to the JudgmentEmily DickinsonDeparted to the judgment,A mighty afternoon;Each Life Converges to Some CentreEmily DickinsonEach life converges to some centreExpressed or still;For Each Ecstatic InstantEmily DickinsonFor each ecstatic instantWe must an anguish payGod Gave a Loaf to Every BirdEmily DickinsonGod gave a loaf to every bird,But just a crumb to me;God Permit Industrious AngelsEmily DickinsonGod permit industrious angelsAfternoons to play.He Fumbles at Your SpiritEmily DickinsonHe fumbles at your spiritAs players at the keysHeaven Is What I Cannot Reach!!Emily DickinsonHeaven is what I cannot reach!The apple on the tree,Hope is the Thing With FeathersEmily DickinsonHope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soul, I Died for Beauty But Was ScarceEmily DickinsonI died for beauty but was scarceAdjusted in the tomb, I Felt a Funeral in My BrainEmily DickinsonI felt a funeral in my brain,And mourners, to and fro, I Found the Phrase to Every ThoughtEmily DickinsonI found the phrase to every thoughtI ever had, but one;I Had Been Hungry All the YearsEmily DickinsonI had been hungry all the years-My noon had come, to dine-I Had No Time to Hate, BecauseEmily DickinsonI had no time to hate, becauseThe grave would hinder me,I Heard a Fly Buzz When I DiedEmily DickinsonI heard a fly buzz when I died;The stillness round my form I Like to See It Lap the MilesEmily DickinsonI like to see it lap the miles,And lick the valleys up, I Lived on Dread; to Those Who KnowEmily DickinsonI lived on dread; to those who knowThe stimulus there isI Measure Every Grief I MeetEmily DickinsonI measure every grief I meetWith analytic eyes;I Never Hear the Word EscapeEmily DickinsonI never hear the word escapeWithout a quicker blood,I Never Saw a MoorEmily DickinsonI never saw a moor,I never saw the sea; I Taste a Liquor Never BrewedEmily DickinsonI taste a liquor never brewed,From tankards scooped in pearl; If I Can Stop One Heart From BreakingEmily DickinsonIf I can stop one heart from breaking,I shall not live in vain;If You Were Coming in the FallEmily DickinsonIf you were coming in the fall,Id brush the summer by Im Nobody! Who Are You?Emily DickinsonIm nobody! Who are you?Are you nobody, too? Success is Counted SweetestEmily DickinsonSuccess is counted sweetestBy those who neer succeed. Did you like this poem? Why not receive free classic poems by email? Here are the poem lyrics of some of the best Emily Dickinson poems. To make your browsing more effective, I have included a bit of each poem after the title. T Was Just This Time Last Year I DiedEmily DickinsonT was just this time last year I died.I know I heard the corn, The Sky is Low, the Clouds Are MeanEmily DickinsonThe sky is low, the clouds are mean,A travelling flake of snowThe Wind Trapped Like a Tired ManEmily DickinsonThe wind tapped like a tired man,And like a host, Come in,There is No Frigate Like a BookEmily DickinsonThere is no frigate like a bookTo take us lands away,Theres a Certain Slant of LightEmily DickinsonTheres a certain slant of light,On winter afternoons Theres Been a Death in the Opposite HouseEmily DickinsonTheres been a death in the opposite houseAs lately as to-day.This is My Letter to The WorldEmily DickinsonThis is my letter to the world,That never wrote to me, Wild Nights! Wild Nights!Emily DickinsonWild Nights! Wild Nights!Were I with thee, You Left Me, Sweet, Two LegaciesEmily DickinsonYou left me, sweet, two legacies,A legacy of loveDid you like this poem? Why not receive free classic poems by email?

MUSCULOSKELETAL CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MUSCULOSKELETAL CASE STUDY - Essay Example The patient states that he has had this pain in the past, but it usually went away, and it was never this severe and he has never had the tingling sensation that he is having now. He describes the pain to be located at the middle of his back, near the waist (mainly lumbar), and is exacerbated when he bends forward. There is numbness and tingling that radiates down the back of the right thigh to the toes. The pain and numbness has been increasing for the past three days without relief, and he has tried stretching, as well as over the counter Ibuprofen. He reports that the pain is so bad that he is currently out of work, has been having problems sleeping and the only thing that helps is the use of his friend’s medication (does not state which medication it is). His main concerns today are that he will not be able to return to work to make money; he has no health insurance and is concerned that he may have a herniated disk. Includes similar back pain that was never this severe, and he sought the help of a chiropractor three years ago, and with manipulation, the pain was relieved. He denies any chronic medical problems, surgeries or hospitalizations. Reports increased weight gain. He does not seek medical attention on a routine basis, nor does he have any recent blood work or imaging studies. He reports having a penicillin allergy that causes rash, and does not take any prescription medication, however, has been taking ibuprofen 800mg every 4 hours for his pain and is compliant with the regimen. He is the sole offspring, and both parents are positive for hypercholesteremia, his father has prostate cancer and has a positive family history of heart disease. A review reveals lumbar pain with radiation to the right buttock and positive for tingling and numbness to the toe. He denies urinary or bowel incontinence, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain or pain with urination, and no gross hematuria. He has decreased strength of the

Khaled Mashal; The Hamas Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Khaled Mashal; The Hamas Leader - Essay Example The domestic or local basis of power for Khaled Mashal is the people who support the establishment of the Palestine state and containment of Israel as per the pre-1967 border. Khaled Mashal is one of the most powerful leaders in the organization. Also, most of the middle-East countries support his cause and methods except Jordan that challenges his policies. The main adversaries of Khaled Mashal are the Israeli  leadership,  including the Prime Minister  Benjamin  Netanyahu,  who ordered his assassination in 1997.   Although the US primarily wants peace in the region, still the US is  wary  about dealing with Khaled  Mashal,  whom they consider as an extremist. Nonetheless, they are willing to negotiate with him as he is one  of the influential  leaders. The political negotiations however are not progressing smoothly for Khaled Mashal, as Israel is adamant about its position.   The international power base of Khaled Mashal is completely dependent on the support of various Middle Eastern countries. If there is some change in political opinions of these countries, it may put pressure on Khaled Mashal. Although, Khaled Mashal is cautious about the intentions of the European Union or US, as they may cause hindrance to his policies by  pressuring  Iran or  Saudi Arabia,  the main supporters. As per Khaled  Mashal,  he supports the border lines of pre-1967 between Israel, Gaza and West Bank. In addition to that, he wants a substantial amount of administrative right over the city of Jerusalem for complete peace.   Khaled  Mashal  supports the  establishment of Palestine as the sovereign  state, including all political  rights,  including the control over air space and coastlines, so that they are not dependent on Israel for issues related to logistics, transport and travel.  Khaled Mashal is not completely in favour of demilitarization of Palestine as he supports armed resistance as a part of Palestinian resistance. He rejects the suggestion of Israeli presence at