Month: April 2009

Big Box Watch: Companies want tax refunds to cut losses

Posted on by chase

According to CNN.com, many large companies, inluding Office Depot and International Paper Co., are lobbying to revive a campaign to get refunds for taxes paid as many as five years ago, as losses mount.

At issue is a proposal to allow companies to use 2008 and 2009 net operating losses (NOLs) to get refunds for taxes paid as far back as 2003. Current law allows only a two-year carryback of those losses.

“The NOL provision is the strongest tool you can provide to help companies in a broad cross-section of industries weather the current economic conditions,” the CEOs wrote to lawmakers.

“It will allow businesses to meet payroll, retain their work force, help avoid additional layoffs and stabilize the business environment,” they wrote.

So basically, a lot of large big-box companies are in such deep trouble that they’re looking to extend the rule (which allows you to seek reimbursement for taxes paid up to two years ago) to go back FIVE years to try to cover their ever-expanding losses. I’m all for economic stimulus, but I’d like to think that there must be a better way to “meet payroll, retain workforce, avoid layoffs” and so on. In Office Depot’s case it’s especially hypocritical; they ask for government assistance with one hand and engage in all kinds of shady dealings with the other. Try offering value to your customer and provide a fair and honest work force, and I doubt you’d have all these money troubles. Seems to work for us.

Space-saving: The Office Desk Under The Stairs

Posted on by chase

Our good friends over at Lifehacker are showcasing a pretty impressive setup with one of their user’s home offices. Lacking space, one of their readers decided to use the opening under the large metal staircase leading up to his terrace as the ideal location for a compact workspace. Looks like a simple table desk, a standard metal filing cabinet, and his computer and knick-knacks on top of the desk, and it’s ready to go. Oh, and a pretty nice-looking chair as well.

All in all, an innovative approach to the all-too-common problem of not having enough space to suit your needs. If you’ve got a similarly compact home office setup you’d like to share, by all means forward it on to me at chase@ontimesupplies.

NOPA Urges Governments to End Sole-Source Contracting

Posted on by chase

In light of recent allegations of big-box retailers abusing their stranglehold on government contracts, the National Office Products Alliance (NOPA) has put out a statement calling for an end to single-source contracts with state and local governments. The statement was triggered by an announcement to local government customers that, effective approximately March 30, nationwide pricing of office products under the “U.S. Communities” contract would be changed across-the-board without input from local government customers. According to the NOPA press release:

NOPA contends that more competition is essential at the local government and school district levels to ensure consistent delivery of “best value” and help government customers avoid the need for costly, time-consuming and sometimes embarrassing audits of their office product purchases. “Regrettably, such competition has been lacking and the growing number of public audit findings indicating non-compliance with contract pricing and product purchasing requirements should be a major concern,” said Chris Bates, president of NOPA. “In several cases, state and local governments have been refunded public funds that their audits determined were due.”

This sort of day-to-day competition would not only close the door on single companies that seek to abuse their contracts, but open a new one for smaller, independent retailers to get their products in the hands of those who need them. More competition leads to better value for the buyer, and more opportunities for the seller. It’s a win-win situation, and one that’s been a long time coming.