For the third year in a row, I filed my family taxes only to then receive a "replacement tax statement package" from my investment company of choice. (Yes, those investment totals continue to shrink, but who isn’t sinking in that boat).

But we’re here to discuss business taxes — with the complications there making my amended 1040 seem rather paltry. The Indiana Chamber continues to offer a variety of resources to assist companies with federal and state needs, while the Indiana Department of Revenue (IDOR) has put in place a new online tool to make it easier to conduct business with the state.

Newcomers first: IDOR’s New and Small Business Education Center provides interactive video assistance and a direct connection to INtax — where needed forms can be obtained and various types of taxes can be paid. IDOR Commissioner John Eckart offers the example of a business that is expanding and hiring new employees being able to find information about state withholding taxes.

Chamber resources come in a trio:

• The 2009 Indiana Tax Conference on June 2-3. Participants learn the latest federal and state changes from issue experts
• The Indiana Taxation Handbook, which includes numerous recent updates and provides comprenhensive information in an easy-to-understand manner
• A free tax helpline (for Chamber members only), manned by Chamber tax and fiscal policy expert Bill Waltz, who can answer your questions and link you to additional resources

Don’t go it alone. Take advantage of the tax help that is available in our state.

Customers spoke — and we listened.

While many devoted purchasers of our human resource and other issue-specific compliance books enjoy the tangible copies, some just wanted searchable information right on their computer. For those folks, we now offer most of our compliance publications in downloadable PDF form.

To purchase, just visit our web site and search through the book categories; you will see a related page offering an "online guide" if we have that book in PDF form. The cost is the same as the hard copy, and they are for credit card purchase only.

Happy reading, and happy compliance…ing!

You can visit the Indiana Chamber web site to learn all about the programs and benefits of Chamber membership. But what do members say when asked, and they are asked on a continuing basis, about why they join or remain members?

Before getting to the list, do note that membership has increased to nearly 5,000 companies (and many more individuals within those organizations). The growth continues despite the economic times that have forced a number of businesses to close and others to cut back. New companies are coming on board every day, complementing the nearly 300 that have been members continuously for more than 50 years.

The top reasons:

• Advocacy: companies want to support the Chamber role of improving the state’s business climate through lobbying efforts at the state and federal levels
• Discounted health insurance: companies with 99 or fewer employees take advantage of the ChamberCare program presented in partnership with Anthem. The savings generated here typically more than pay for the Chamber membership
• Information and assistance: this includes free Business Research Center leads and helpine guidance, as well as significant discounts on regulatory compliance publications and employee training seminars

That’s what the members who are surveyed on a rotating basis have to say. How about you? Let us know what you think.

How are small business owners dealing with the latest financial crisis? How do they know if their bank is failing? What if they have a loan that is taken over by the FDIC or is acquired by a competitor? How could "Alf" speak English so well? You’re telling me the guy is from Melmac, eats cats and has the face of a bull terrier, yet he can pontificate like Oscar Wilde?

BusinessWeek responded to three of these pressing questions in a recent article focused on the impact the recent financial goings on have had on American small businesses. The article touches on the status and trends of banks, credit unions, loans and other information that could be useful to know:

While the financial crisis doesn’t necessarily affect the small business sector directly, economic pessimism and fears about winter fuel costs are likely to sap consumer confidence for some time. "Entrepreneurs should be mentally and financially prepared to hunker down in this economy for a couple of years," Thacker says. "The downturn that started a year ago could last another two Christmas seasons. I’m hoping its going to be less time than that, but people are worried."

Shameless plug: For those truly interested in helping their small business thrive, the Indiana Chamber offers Building a Business in Indiana. This publication, authored by attorneys at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, walks new business owners through myriad trials and issues regarding a new business — things like protecting your company, taking advantage of the available tax credits and grants, legal obligations to employees, tax status and much more.

A new study, titled How the Disciple Became the Guru, was recently released by the Kauffman Foundation. I’ll let the experts from Duke and Harvard, who authored the report, explain:

I got an e-mail Monday afternoon about an event starting the next day that would continue throughout the rest of the week. It was referred to as a “massive poster shipping party.”  These four words didn’t really seem to go together, but I was pleased to be invited nonetheless.

 The e-mail explained that people could help as they were able — purely on a volunteer basis — and that free pizza would be provided to show appreciation. There were also a few more paragraphs, but I didn’t really read much after the "free pizza" part.

 I was in our conference center for most of the next couple days, helping to prepare a shipment of the latest labor law compliance posters (you know, the laminated ones you’ve pretended to be interested in during awkward breakroom encounters). The process involved rolling the posters up and stuffing them into tubes, which were then sealed and slapped with a shipping sticker. Since the work didn’t require a great deal of concentration, the atmosphere was pretty relaxed and we got to watch DVDs on the conference center screens. The women took the helm for media selection, which meant that we rolled and stuffed to the likes of "Footloose" and "Jon Bon Jovi Live."

 Sometimes when you’re blocking out sensory information, you tend to focus on material you’d normally overlook. I became quite familiar with the content of the labor law posters, and if you haven’t updated yours in a while, you may want to do the same. Recent updates to the posters include:

• Military Leave Notice added due to Family Medical Leave Act amendment
• Federal Minimum Wage increase; 2007, 2008 and 2009 wages given
• Child Labor Law phone numbers updated and layout changed
• Indiana Minimum Wage updated on state posters to reflect new federal wage

So as I head into July 4th weekend, I just hope my festivities aren’t interrupted by Bon Jovi tunes running through my brain.

And as for your compliance needs: You might be thinking, “I don’t have to get new posters. It’s My Life.” However, not having updated posters is against the law. You’re Livin’ on a Prayer if you don’t have them displayed, and getting nabbed for it can be a shot through the heart. Bah!

A small number of businesses are making a large impact on Indiana’s economic landscape. The numbers are in a new Indiana Chamber Foundation study titled Accelerating Growth in Indiana’s Mid-Market Companies.

Digest these digits: mid-market firms (those with annual sales between $5 million and $100 million) account for 3% of all the state’s for-profit organizations, yet provide 30% of the jobs and more than 40% of the sales for that same group. Additional data, an online survey and one-on-one interviews with mid-market company leaders indicate there may be a tremendous opportunity to enhance the state’s economy.

The further purpose of the project is to find ways to help these already successful Indiana companies grow even more. The details are outlined in a press release, 12-page study summary and audio commentary from foundation leader Mark Lawrance.

Take a look, review the numbers and let us know what you think.