Archive for November, 2009

eMod Mandatory for AIMS in January-Is Your Schedule Next?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

The GSA Greater Southwest Acquisition Center notified Advertising and Integrated Marketing Solutions (AIMS) Schedule contract holders last week that the online modification tool, eMod, would be mandatory for AIMS contracts starting January 18, 2010. AIMS will become the fourth GSA Schedule to process its modifications exclusively through eMod (the Scientific Equipment and Services, LOGWORLD, and Facilities Schedules were part of the eMod Pilot Program, launched in February, 2009). So what does this mean to other GSA Schedule contractors? (more…)

VA Tax Amnesty ends Dec 5, 2009

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Beginning October 7 2009, and running through December 5, 2009 Virginia has enacted legislation that grants tax amnesty, with certain exceptions, to taxpayers  who have an outstanding bill or delinquent return for any tax administered by the Virginia Department of Taxation.  Get Square VA allows the taxpayer to pay only the tax due and half the interest on eligible outstanding bills and delinquent returns; the remaining interest and penalties will be waived.  Seek our previous post for additional information.

U.S. to Strengthen H-1B Visa Enforcement Program

Friday, November 27th, 2009

According to Computer World, the U.S. Government is taking H-1B enforcement from the desk to the field. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service plans to conduct 25,000 field inspections this fiscal year. This represents an almost 5-fold increase from the 5,191 field inspections conducted last year. The increase in field inspections is in response to an agency study that found fraud or other violations in 20% of the H-1B applications. 

The field inspections are designed to determine (1) whether the location of the employment actually exists, (2) if a beneficiary is actually employed at the location specified, (3) performing the duties as described, and (4) paid the salary identified in the petition. Significantly, the Citizenship and Immigration Service has hired Dunn & Bradstreet to help verify the information submitted by firms hiring H-1B workers.

In view of the above, all contractors should review their H-1B program to determine that sufficient internal controls are in place to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations.

Where Do You Get Your Government Contracts Information From?

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

On September 11, 2009, after a “summer break… in part to contemplate the state of federal procurement,” The Washington Post suspended their blog, Government Inc.  Active since July 2007, more than 300 Government Inc. postings will remain available as archives.  Government, Inc. reported “on the good, the bad and the sometimes very unsettling” state of federal procurement and fraud, waste and abuse of tax dollars.  The Washington Post took stock of its Web offerings in an effort to make the best use of its resources ending in a decision to suspend many of their blogs for the foreseeable future.

The Aronson FedPoint blog fills the requirement for contractors seeking to stay up-to-date with important news and trends.  FedPoint help government contractors keep current through original articles, online resources, reading and research recommendations, statistics, trends and more.  Are there topics you’d like to see more of? Send an email to Ask Fedpoint and let our experts know what information  you need to have to make informed decisions, increase government sales, and streamline your business for maximum profitability.

IRS Announces 2010 Retirement Plan Limits, 401(k) Unchanged

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

The Internal Revenue Service announced the 2010 cost of living adjustments for retirement plan limits.  The limits generally remain unchanged.

LIMITS	2010	2009	2008
Salary Deferral Limit for 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) Plans	$16,500	$16,500	$15,500
Catch-up Contribution Limit  for 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) Plans	$5,500	$5,500	$5,000
Maximum Annual Addition to a Defined Contribution Plan (does not included catch-ups)	$49,000	$49,000	$46,000
Maximum Compensation for Benefit Purposes	$245,000	$245,000	$230,000
IRA Contribution Limit	$5,000	$5,000	$5,000
IRA Catch-up Contribution Limit	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000
Employee Contribution to a SIMPLE Plan	$11,500	$11,500	$10,500
Employee Catch-up Contribution to a SIMPLE Plan	$2,500	$2,500	$2,500
Highly Compensated Employee Compensation	$110,000	$110,000	$105,000
Social Security Taxable Wage Base	$106,800	$106,800	$102,000

For additional cost of living adjustments, click here.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Mark E. Flanagan of Aronson & Company’s Benefit Plan Services Group at 301-231-6257 or mflanagan@aronsoncompany.com.

Top GSA Schedule Contractors by Schedule Type – FY 2010 YTD

Friday, November 20th, 2009

A quick look at the overall Top 100 contractors receiving GSA Schedule contracts by Schedule Type in FY 2010 which began October 1, 2009 reveals a healthy mix of spending across a variety of schedule types.

While the GSA Information Technology Schedule (IT 70) remains king for the most part, the top contractor on the list provided below holds a GSA Financial and Business Solutions Schedule (FABS 520) with close to $52 million in sales, walloping the top GSA IT Schedule 70 contract holder by almost 4 times as of the tally we ran on 11/19/09. The Top GSA IT Schedule 70 contractor had only $14 million in sales thus far.

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Recovery.Gov’s $6.4B Problem

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

While watching the local Fox morning program today, I was startled to hear the words “recovery.gov” coming from my television. My attention successfully diverted from my bowl of cereal, I listened to the anchor interview Elizabeth Williamston from the Wall Street Journal about a phenomenon they were calling phantom Congressional districts. (more…)

SBA Offers Free Web-based Training for Woman-Owned Contractors

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has developed an 0n-line training module designed specifically for women entrepreneurs who wish to enter the Government contracting market.  The training is entitled “Women in Contracting” and is available for free on the SBA’s website.  This step in undoubtedly in response to pressure from Congress to increase the number of Federal contracts awarded to woman-owned firms.

Marketing Your “Green” Products and Services to Federal Agencies

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

How can you market your “green” products and services? As noted in our 11/10/09 post, GSA Schedule contractors have new opportunities to sell to federal agencies. This comes as a result of Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, and in particular, the green procurement policy which will cover 95 percent of new contracts and acquisitions. If you’ve worked with the government for any length of time, you know everything old is new again. For example, in 1998, the Planet GSA Agency Initiative focused on Buying, Building, Driving, and Saving Green. So… what’s likely to be in demand this time? Listed below are “Green”-focused products, services, and policies to assist agency compliance with the procurement responsibilities outlined in federal environmental laws and regulations, including efforts to:

• (more…)

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming GSA Events

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

GSA is sponsoring the following training and events online or in the DC area:

November 17, 2009: GSA Schedules Training Webinar - The Office of Small Business Utilization conducts monthly training on the process of obtaining a GSA schedules contract.

November 24, 2009: GSA Schedules Contract Training - How to Obtain a GSA Schedules Contract (Washington, DC)

November 24, 2009: Q&A Webinars for Small Business - This webinar is a follow-up to the monthly GSA Schedules webinar and the quarterly Marketing webinar.

December 1, 2009: Marketing to the Government Webinar - This webinar provides marketing tips and strategies for vendors with government contracts.

December 29, 2009: GSA Schedules Contract Training - How to Obtain a GSA Schedules Contract (Washington, DC)

April 21, 2010: 20th Anniversary OSDBU Procurement Conference 2010 - This conference will provide networking and educational opportunities for small businesses. (Chantilly, VA)