The day after an account becomes overdue, you should place a polite phone call to the customer who owes you money. If that doesn’t work, you may want to send a few past-due letters yourself, or you may want to go directly to a credit collection agency. Base your decision on how much money is owed to you and the history of your relationship with the customer. If it’s the first time you are doing business with them, you’ll want to call in a credit collection agency earlier than you would with a 10-year customer with a solid credit history.

Most companies call in a credit collection agency once a debt is 60 days to 90 days past due. If you wait much longer than 90 days to begin collecting unpaid receivables, your chance of collecting drops dramatically.

If you discover that your customer has gone out of business, find out what type of business it was – a corporation, a partnership, or a proprietorship. If it was a corporation, don’t bother calling for the help of a collection agency. It is doubtful that you, or any one else, will be able to squeeze the last few nickels out of that client. If the company is a partnership or a proprietorship, you may be able to get the individual owners of the company to pay you out of their own pockets.

If you try to recover an account and fail, consider that bad debt a tax-deductible item (Tax Code IRC 166, Reg. 1.166). You will be able to deduct the cost of the goods sold (but not paid for) as an ordinary business expense. You can’t deduct any lost profits from the sale, nor can you deduct the money owed for services rendered.

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The first concerns new car sales and tax deductions. If you purchased a new vehicle, including a car, motorcycle, light truck or motor home, on or after February 16th 2009 and by December 31st 2009, any excise or sales tax paid may be considered a deduction.

In 2010 and also 2009 the American Opportunity Credit replaces the Hope Education credit. This new credit is worth $2,500 per student, this is based off the first $4,000 of qualifying educational expenses.

Homeowners that make energy efficient improvements to their existing homes can claim a credit of 30 percent of the cost of all of the upgrades, up to $1,500. This includes things such as adding insulation, energy efficient exterior windows and energy efficient air conditioning and heating systems.

Last year was rough for a number of workers, and layoffs hit record levels. However, unemployment compensation is considered taxable income. But now, the first $2,400 in benefits is excluded from income.

Because of the Bicycle Commuter Act, cyclists will receive reimbursement of workplace transportation costs into a tax favored account and bikers can utilize the cash to put towards purchase of a bicycle, helmet, bike lock, bike parking fees and general bike maintenance.

Also, if you pay your income tax by credit or debit card, you can deduct the convenience fee that will be charged for the transaction. The card fee, as well as any other IRS approved miscellaneous deductions must exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income before they will count. Despite the fact that this measure limits the value of this break for many, filers with substantial expenses to claim should be sure to add the card fee.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a third party debt collection agency. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Collectors have to be careful to follow the Federal and State laws that apply because people’s financial problems are a sensitive issue. The Federal Trade Commission says that a collector must positively identify the person who owes money before they can announce that the purpose of the call is to collect debt.

The collections agent will then read a prepared statement, which is also known as a “mini-Miranda” that lets the debtor know that they are in fact a collections agent.

Collectors also must follow the state laws that say how they must proceed. A lot of companies utilize electronic systems now to help bill collectors remember all of the laws and regulations regarding each call.

Collectors use computers and an assortment of automated systems in their jobs. Companies will keep track of their accounts by using computers, and collectors are able to keep track of collection attempts in the past and other information in notes on the computer. As with most call centers, collectors use headsets in lieu of regular phones. Automatic dialing allows bill collectors to work efficiently and quickly and with no chance of dialing the wrong number. Typically, in house bill and account collectors work in an office environment, people who work for a third party agency may work in a call center type environment.

The work has the capacity to be stressful; people get confrontational when they are asked about their debts. The best collectors have to face rejection regularly, but still be prepared to make their next call in a positive tone of voice. Luckily for them, a number of debtors appreciate help in resolving their debts.

Mallory Megan is employed by a debt collection company. She also composes stories on business and finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.

According to bankruptcy attorneys, it isn’t only layoffs and firings that are encouraging people to file. It’s the losses of once-regular over time pay and full time status that have left debtors unable to keep up with monthly payments that in the past were not an issue to pay.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court records show us that there were 27,413 bankruptcy petitions filed in Wisconsin in 2008. More than 80% were Chapter 7 cases. Chapter 7 cases resolve medical bills, credit card balances, and other types of debt. Recent Research by The Associated Press says that more than 1.4 million bankruptcies were filed in 2009, an increase of about 32% from 2008.

And although bankruptcy takes care of the looming debt and gives debtors a fresh financial start, consumers often remain unemployed and are not able to find any new type of employment to get an acceptable income again.

Even more depressing, unless the economy improves enough for businesses to start hiring again, there is not much reason to think that bankruptcies will go down in 2010. Researchers have noted that home foreclosures will continue to pile up in 2010 because people who used to have acceptable credit have lost employment and cannot keep up with payments.

Bankruptcy might look like a good option to get start anew, but it has a negative effect on your credit report for ten years, which might hurt your chances to get a car, place of residence, or employment. Before declaring bankruptcy, it might be a wise decision to speak with your creditors and see if some sort of repayment plan can be worked out.

Mallory Megan works for a debt collection agency. Also she composes stories on business and finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Empathy may just be the plan of action that can turn the industry around. A large number of people who owe money are being called by various collections agencies, and if they do obtain money, they are not going to want to give it to the aggressive threatening collector, they will give it to the person they can work with.

As agencies are perfecting training courses to include advice on how to be gentler with consumers, there will be a change of focus that includes being put on coaching, mentoring and counseling debtors, rather than aggressively threatening them. Trainees are urged to reflect on their personal experiences with collectors or someone that they know has dealt with them.

One recent trend has been to suggest that debtors speak with their parents or grandparents about taking out a loan against their life insurance policies or reverse mortgage against their house. The collectors who practice this technique claim that our grandparents remember the Great Depression. They may not want this generation to feel that kind of pain and may be more apt to take a loan against the life retirement account or the life insurance policy.

Collectors who practice this philosophy think that it is in actuality a positive thing. They think that it doesn’t hurt anyone. If a person borrows against life insurance it may be preferable to borrowing against a 401(k) or a retirement plan. This is because the person will be counting on that money to survive.

Right or wrong, it could do the collections industry some good to reassess its situation, and look for new innovative ways to collect in a suffering economy.

Mallory McGuinness works for a debt collection company. Also she writes articles on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.