Archive: Business & Technology

Buffalo, NY -- As we get closer to the tax filing deadline of April 18th, Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York wants everyone to know that tax and IRS scammers are STILL making calls, trying to trick people into paying taxes they don’t owe.

Did you get a call from Steve Martin, Ron Schneider, Kevin Mason, Vicki Thompson or Dennis Gray?

Or, did you get a message like one of these?

"You will be arrested if you do not make restitution immediately. This is your last chance before going to jail,"

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office stopped $25 million in questionable or fraudulent personal income tax refunds from being paid so far in 2016.

DiNapoli's office paid out 4.5 million state refunds totaling $4.2 billion. Another 152,000 refunds totaling $134 million are expected to be paid in the coming days. The average state tax refund from the state is $840.

When Tal Oron Cohen caters an event she goes all out.  It is one thing to say that her table has something for everyone, whether you are vegan, lactose intolerant, unable to handle glucose, or meat or butter.  All that is true.  But it is also true that everything looks and tastes amazing, and there is a lot of it!  That's what Cohen is going for with her business, Ba-Li Cravings, which specializes in Mediterranean cuisine and indulgent deserts.

"It comes from my passion for making healthy, delicious, fresh food for people, and make them happy," Cohen says.  "When I do events I always have a buffet that is welcoming to all.  There will be something vegetarian, and vegan, and gluten-free, and dairy free, and meat if they want some meat.  The philosophy is to be very welcoming for all."

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced Wednesday that five Fortune 500 companies – Coca-Cola Enterprises, Raytheon, Waste Management, Union Pacific and Centerpoint Energy – have agreed to the New York State Common Retirement Fund's (Fund) request that they publicly report all direct and indirect corporate political spending.

As a result of the agreement, the Fund withdrew shareholder proposals it had filed for consideration at each company's annual stockholders' meeting.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) is investing $7 million (£5 million) in Northern Ireland through the Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund (NI). The fund, managed by Kernel Capital, was established in 2013 by Invest Northern Ireland and Bank of Ireland to assist Northern Ireland based SMEs to accelerate growth.

"We're pleased to announce another investment in Northern Ireland's dynamic economy that will provide a solid return for the New York State Common Retirement Fund," DiNapoli said. "Northern Ireland is on the move, as I saw firsthand during a recent visit. The peace process has opened doors and created economic opportunities for all communities. We're proud to be able to play a part in Northern Ireland's economic resurgence. This partnership will benefit our retirees, taxpayers and Northern Ireland for years to come."

The average bonus paid in New York City's security industry declined by 9 percent to $146,200 in 2015 as industry-wide profits declined by 10.5 percent, according to an estimate released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

"Wall Street bonuses and profits fell in 2015, reflecting a challenging year in the financial markets," DiNapoli said.  "While the cost of legal settlements appears to be easing, ongoing weaknesses in the global economy and market volatility may dampen profits in 2016. Both the state and city budgets depend heavily on the securities industry and lower profits could mean fewer industry jobs and less tax revenue."

Many people think of simply looking good, or Andie MacDowell in those television commercials when they think of makeup.  For Emilie Rawlings it is about much more than that.  Rawlings is the Director of the Empowered Unit that sells Mary Kay Cosmetics.  She worked her way up to the position of Director in a very short time since she decided to sell Mary Kay products full time last August.

"The reason I got back into Mary Kay was that I knew that I had a passion for empowering women," she says.  "I sort of made empowering women my mission statement.  In September I decided to phase out my fitness management position, and decided that Mary Kay was a natural place for me to go where I could still help empower women, but in a different way.  I feel like people connect to the fact that I am genuinely sincere about not just the products, but also the company itself.  It was founded with the idea of enriching women's lives, not just with the products, but with the business opportunity.  I'm very passionate about it and I think people sense that."

March 9, 2016 Elevate announced today it has promoted Stephen Kimball into a newly created position in charge of its client development and marketing efforts.

Elevate has promoted Stephen Kimball into a newly created position in charge of its client development and marketing efforts. In addition, Stephen manages a select group of clients, handling all aspects of their communications and fundraising programs.

Tompkins Financial Advisors announced that Kara G. Taylor has joined the firm as managing director for the central New York region. She is based in the Tompkins Financial Advisors office located at 119 East Seneca Street in Ithaca.

In her new role, Taylor is responsible for establishing and executing the wealth management strategy for the central New York region, as well as, ensuring that clients receive the highest level of care.

The Tompkins County Workers' Center is pleased to announce that we have now certified 104 employers as being Living Wage Employers, having just recently added the Town of Enfield on the western border of Tompkins County.

The Town of Enfield employs a total of 22 workers. This brings the total of workers, countywide, who are working for Living Wage Employers up to over 3,110 people. Additionally, the Town of Enfield joins the following government entities in Tompkins County as Living Wage Employers: City of Ithaca; Tompkins County; Town of Caroline; Town of Danby and the Town of Ithaca.

Tompkins Financial Advisors is pleased to announce that Marilyn Keating has joined the firm as wealth management associate. She is based in the Tompkins Financial Advisors office located at 119 East Seneca Street in Ithaca.

In her new role, Keating is responsible for account administration, performance report preparation, client service, and providing support to wealth advisors and trust officers.

Rochester, N.Y. -- Insero & Co. CPAs, LLP (Insero) and JC Jones & Associates, LLC (JC Jones) have announced the formation of a strategic alliance designed to enhance each firms' service offerings.

"This alliance is the result of years of working together on client projects and the common goal of providing the highest level client of service," said Nancy Catarisano, Managing Partner of Insero. "Together we can create more opportunities for our employees as well as a deeper bench for our clients in terms of experienced and knowledgeable partners. We have always been impressed with JC Jones' commitment to client service, and now that we are aligned I am confident that our clients will see an immediate benefit."