Bess Kane

read moreIf you have a tax question that you think other people would be interested in, send it to me. If I use it in my Tax News Blog or on my General Tax Info Page, I'll send you a Starbucks card! Update: The SBE has announced that if a company files 3 consecutive "zero returns, " it will automatically be taken off the list of companies required to file. California is desperate for tax revenue, so it has begun to enforce a law that's been on the books for decades. When a California person or business buys anything without paying sales tax, you have always been required to report the purchase and pay use tax.

read moreIf you have a tax question that you think other people would be interested in, send it to me. If I use it in my Tax News Blog or on my General Tax Info Page, I'll send you a Starbucks card! Stock in an ESPP is usually purchased at a 15% discount from what it's selling for on the open market. Your purchases are deducted from your paycheck with after-tax dollars. If you hold the stock for two years after the option is granted and one year after you buy the stock and you remain employed by the company for at least three months after you exercise the option, the gain (or loss) will qualify for capital gain treatment.