Good Morning!!!!!!

[Dotch]

If you're talking about Tampon Timmy's new ESST, as it was explained to me by my accountants, there are 3 basic options the employer can choose from glenn.

Option 1. Accrual and carryover:

• employees begin accruing ESST from their first day of employment;
•  ESST accrues at a rate of at least one hour for every 30 hours worked;
employees are permitted to accrue a minimum of up to 48 hours of ESST in a year (more if the
employer agrees to a higher amount); and
• employees can carry over unused ESST into the next year. However, at no time can an employee's
accrued ESST exceed 80 hours (unless the employer agrees to a higher amount).
•  Under this method, unused hours do not need to be paid out.

Option 2.

Front loading with pay out and no carryover:

• A minimum of 48 hours of ESST is provided to an employee and made available for immediate use at
the start of each year; and
•  unused ESST hours are paid out at the end of the accrual year at the employee's hourly rate.

Option 3.

Front loading with no pay out and no carryover:

• A minimum of 80 hours of ESST is provided to an employee and made available for immediate use at
the start of each year; and
•  the ESST hours the employee did not use are not paid out at the end of the accrual year.

[Scenic]

Good morning All.  Another brisk morning here but only -6 this morning.  Came outside and you can hear the lake cracking.  Going to be another good day for working in the shop this afternoon.  Have a good day.

[Jerkbiat]

Morning boys. -8 here and heading close to zero today. Was a pretty steady -8 all night. I don't hear the wind howling. But it is hard to tell when it comes from the west. Still supposed to be windy, just not as crazy as yesterday though. Otherwise just getting ready for another day in the salt mines. Have a good one boys.

[Gunner55]

Mornin all, -8/-27WC for our start & they're sayin we'll hit 3 later. The WC Advisory expires tomorrow @ 9 but it won't warm up much 'til Sunday the way it looks. Did manage to get out for a while yday AM. Nothing pressing on the schedule again today, so back to the routine. 'Bout it here, have a good day.

[LPS]

Morning boys.  It is -7 here today.  I have to go to therapy this morning.  I do feel like I may be loosening up some.  The bike does help too.  When I get sore I get on it and peddle for awhile.  By spring I should be healed.  lol  Other than that just gonna keep the fire going.  Not much else so have a good one.

[mike89]

mornin all, -5 here this morning..  should see above 0 today..   slept in some this morning and it felt good..   might have to get out and about today too..  been a few days for me too..  stay warm and have a good day all!! 

[tangle tooth]

      Good morning, campers. At -6°, the sun is shining, birds all over and under the feeders and I get to go shopping for a new snowblower. Got my eye on a nice little Ariens unit.
      Stay safe, everyone.

[glenn57]

morning fellers.......didnt do didley squat yesterday!!!!!! felt like a Gunner, mikey kinda day!!!!!! reckon i'll have to do overtime today!!!

yea dotch thats the one!!!! i wasnt aware that you could use it before you accrued it. i gotta use that on one of my absences headed to the cabin!!!!!!

[deadeye]

Dotch, I don't envy you trying to interpret all the everchanging Minnesota tax laws. It must be a nightmare. We run into this quagmire of "one-offs" every year. What needs to be entered (differs on the federal return) as an "addition" or a "subtraction, who qualifies for what, partial credit for this or that, calculating "household" income and the list goes on and on. Then, just to throw a wrench into the mix, they change the rules in mid-season. My head hurts. Actually, preparing the Federal tax return is a walk in the park compared to Minnesota taxes. I'm going to bore you with one example of the mess they made. Take how to handle the K-12 education expenses.
1. Different maximum amounts for K-6 $1500) than 7-12 ($2500)
2. Some expenses can lower taxes by taking the "credit" option. Of course, these can be refundable or non-refundable.
3. Some expenses can lower your taxable income by taking a "subtraction".
4. Some expenses MUST be taken as "expense" and not allowed as "credit"
5. Adjusted income over $75,000, no credits, only expenses.
6. Some expenses can be split between credits and expenses. Others cannot be split.
7. Some expenses have a "family" limit while others have individual student maximums.
8. There's a million other rules and exceptions documented just for this single tax item.
(how about if the neighbor pays you drive his kid to school along with your student,,,
They CAN take a subtraction but you CANNOT.

 

[markn]

Not a lot going on today. May go to Wadena for a meeting tonight other than that going to stay warm and watch for mailperson and floor mats from Amazon. Wait for the warm-up so I can scrape off apron on garage with loader and then toss the blower on. Thinking I might park the 1/2 ton with the plow on it outside to free up some room inside too. Too many decisions, more coffee, later...... 

[Dotch]

Mornin' comrades! -9 at choretime, -7 on the way into Bugtussle, heading for a high a few degrees above zero. A little breeze, 10 - 15 mph, gusting to 25 so it bites if you can't get out of it. Ya all this tax & employment stuff just drives me nuts. The folks you work for are darn lucky to have you deadeye. MN is definitely the worst. Used to be easy peasy until Dayton's gang got in & it instantly became complicated. Fortunately I've had some good accountants to work with over the years that have helped me try to understand some of their tom foolery. It helps too that the gal at the feed store sends me a spreadsheet on all our purchases so I don't have to dig thru all the receipts like I used to for the farm business.

Although after having gone thru an audit back in ~ '95, I'm not sure that's such a good idea either. I'd started organizing everything and a friend who had been thru an audit told me to stop, leave it in a mess. Best advice ever. When they came to the accountant's office I told them everything was in the boxes, knock yourself out. The IRS guy came out to the farm & he wanted to see the sheep. Guessing he thought we maybe had Fluffy, Muffy & Clover, using it as a front. He opened the barn door and instantly, ~50 ewes with all their lambs started bellering, thinking they were gonna get fed. He closed the door quickly, shook his head & said he couldn't believe all the sheep in there. Ya, I said, it's a good thing we cut back. We used to have 60!     

[Scenic]

Good morning All.  -10 this morning but since the wind finally laid down it feels like a heat wave.   Might go check some ice out at some point today and maybe even find a fish or two.  Then planning another shop day.  Probably need to remember to put my new tabs on my truck.  Buying them things and then driving on these pothole roads sure makes a guy feel violated. 

[Jerkbiat]

Morning boys. -6 here and heading for 2 above today. I hear ya Scenic on the feeling violated. And to think the flannel furor raised the price of them again. I can't wait for that to take effect. I changed our the headlights in my blazer last night. Switched to LED. Hopefully they are brighter. Otherwise just getting ready for another day in the salt mines. Have a good one boys.

[mike89]

mornin all, 0 here this morning and hope to see 5 today...   going over to Alex this morning and get a few things...  besides it's time to get out of the house for a bit...  talked to my son yesterday and they went tubing last Sat..   good thing he bought all the new clothes for snowmobiling so they stayed warm!!!  still hasn't gotten the sled out!!   have a good day all!!   stay warm too!!

[markn]

On today's list of things to do is
1. Beer-run.
2. Harbor Freight to find an insert for the 2 1/2" hitch on truck. 1/2 ton is 2".
3. Got to town board meeting tonight.
4. ? Drink beer?
Have a great day everyone, later....

[LPS]

Morning boys.  It is -9 now.  Should get near 0 I think.  Got through therapy ok yesterday.  Left to my own devices today.     Just the way I like it.  That means no big plans for the day.  Maybe put a few miles on the bike.  Maybe I will have to put some Harley stickers on it so I am as cool as Mike.  LOL  Well have a good one. 

[Gunner55]

Mornin boys, got 0 already & we may see double digits to the + side today. TWC's site is actually saying 13 for our high & we're finally done with the WC Advisory at 9 this morning too. Got a couple errands to run but that's about it. Have a great day.

[mike89]

Morning boys.  It is -9 now.  Should get near 0 I think.  Got through therapy ok yesterday.  Left to my own devices today.     Just the way I like it.  That means no big plans for the day.  Maybe put a few miles on the bike.  Maybe I will have to put some Harley stickers on it so I am as cool as Mike.  LOL  Well have a good one.

don't forget the straight pipes too!!!   

[glenn57]

morning fellers........scenic....JB..........whats wrong with getting violated???

i have no plans today....... at least not to Markn's extent!!!!!!

[LPS]

 

[Dotch]

Mornin' comrades! -3 at choretime heading for a high in the upper single digits above zero. Yesterday, it topped out at 10 above in Waseca, 9 in Owatonna & 7 in Albert's Leaf. Had 9 at the ranch altho with the windchill factor it really didn't feel like it. It still overachieved based on what had been forecast. Had thought there was a webinar to listen to this a.m. but that starts next week. Hafta be satisfied to read about how many dead people there are in Albert's Leaf I reckon. I can't speak for boober but I am routinely violated by the Mrs. when grilling. 

[LPS]

Got the plow truck back yesterday.  Just like new again.  Had 2 bad u joints and a broken yoke in the front axle.

[Dotch]

  Yup, that'd make sounds like that. Better than having to deal with the transfer case innards anyway.

[LPS]

Darn right. 

[tangle tooth]

      markn, I made the beer run yesterday after I bought the new snowblower. I picked up a 1L bottle of Evan Williams Small Batch.

[mike89]

when I was in Alex this morning gas was $2.52  to $2.57

[Dotch]

Gas took a jump here recently. From $2.56 at the CWOP & $2.58 at the WWC the other day to $2.77 & $2.79 respectively today. 

[Bobberineyes]

How'd the bulbs work out JB? I just picked some up fer the pick em up also, just waiting for it to warm up a smidge to get after it.

[Jerkbiat]

The bulbs worked awesome. Incredible how much further they shine. It is like night and day difference. No pun intended. 

[Jerkbiat]

Morning boys. -9 here and heading for -3 today. Gas is 2.74 in Warroad. Diesel is 3.94. otherwise just getting ready for another day in the salt mines. Have a good one boys.