ASPA BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE'S Management Letter Vol. 7-Aug. 15, 1982 IRS will allow 4 month extensions... which is automatic, if you file for an extension on filing Form 1040 and will extend 4 months up from the previous 2 months allowed. Great news for baldies! IRS has agreed that the surgical hair transplant is deductible medical expense because it "affects the structure of the body” - the skin and subcutaneous layers. Cost of hair removal through electrolysis is also deductible along with that of a "face lift”. What wonderful news! Flat rate tax is getting lots of conversation but has a lot of reactions developing... what about capital gains, dividends, pensions, and so forth. The good thing from all of this is that the whole tax system will get a very close review, scrutiny and analysis and this is long overdue. Simpler tax laws could result. Desk clutter, it is said, is a sympton of management problems when... it takes more than 10 minutes to find what you are looking for, when you don’t do what you are suppose to do because you lost the reminder note, when you miss an appointment because you misplaced the reminder. Efficiency experts say that in order to avoid harmful clutter you need to make immediate decisions on what to do with the item when it arrives at your desk. Just 2 options - act on it or throw it out. Set up a file with the names of the various persons to whom you direct the things to be done and keep it at your desk. Instead of calling the individual in each time some­ thing comes up, accumulate "things for them to do" in one file and then meet with them and go over several items at one time. Notices from IRS for additional payments... should be clearly understandable in your mind. If you are uncertain why, there is a phone number on the bill which should be called immediately and ask for details. Get the complete breakdown of tax, interest, and penalty. Keep a record of everything because computers are slow and sometimes rather wily. But never ignore an IRS notice! Loafing can be good for you, according to health authorities. Find a place that makes you want to relax, leave a message "I’ll be back in awhile" and then disappear. Gasoline prices to stabilize... some services report. $1.30 per gallon national average is predicted. When filing something, remove an item out of the file every time you put a new one in. Helps get rid of accumulated "stuff". (OVER) American Sod Producers Association Assn. Bldg., 9th & Minnesota Hastings, Nebraska 68901 Phone (402) 463-4683 Business about to begin weak recovery... which is counter to the current pessimistic talk, according to one source. Greatest strength will be shown near the year end and maybe lose a little steam next year. Gross national product is up 2% to 3% in this half of the year. Unemploy­ ment will touch 10% and stay around 9% for most of 1983. Inflation around 6% this year and next. Housing forecast not good - troubled by interest rates. OSHA deregulations has resulted in fewer inspections and more cooperation on the part of management to correct situations, knowing they are not going to get pounced upon like a cat on a mouse by the bureaucratic work forces. Economic recession... while really difficult in the short range, has its positive sides, according to some management experts. Belt tightening, increased efficiency, labor saving devices, more aggressive management supervision... all take on increasing importance. Cutting on essential travel, entertainment, and so forth are important. Computer usage on such things as shutting off lights, heating, air conditioning, etc. have their place. One to one contact with customers still remains important. Calling on former customers to learn why they have stopped buying, letting them know the desire of the firm to meet their needs and to correct complaints, produces dividends. Selling is more and more the name of the game. Manual on temporary foreign worker program (H-2)...is available through the National Council of Agricultural Employers. It contains 246 pages of information regarding the program and instructions on how to evaluate the program and participate in it if supplementary labor is needed. Contact the ASPA office for further information if desired. Field sanitation standard coming... according to NCAE. Target date for the final rule is within 31 months. Farm Labor Contractor legislation agreed upon. Is a”consensus” draft of a bill which was agreed to by employer and farm worker advocate organizations. Thirty agricultural associations have voiced approval. While the bill is not ideal, it is the best possible alternative to present poorly defined terms and ambiguities.