Yuki Noguchi

Some Net Retailers Aren't Buying Online Sales Tax Proposal

Yuki Noguchi — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Congress is considering a bill that would allow states to collect sales taxes from online retailers. Proponents say a law is necessary to level the playing field with brick-and-mortar stores and to raise revenue for states.

Simply put, the Marketplace Fairness Act would require any online retailer with more than $1 million in annual sales to collect and remit sales tax. But Joseph Henchman, a vice president at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, says it's not that simple. He says the bill, at about five pages of text, is unusually brief.

When It Comes To Productivity, Technology Can Hurt And Help

Yuki Noguchi — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:07:00 +0000

Even when people think they're buckling down, studies show the average office worker wastes over a third of the day. There's Facebook, of course, and the email from a friend with a YouTube link.

Shifting Retail Landscape Tilts Support For Online Sales Tax

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:32:00 +0000

The U.S. Senate may vote this week on the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bill that would allow states to collect sales tax from more online retailers. And as the political and retail landscape has shifted from the last time around, the Senate is expected to approve the measure.

The proposal to require online sellers to collect out-of-state sales tax has been kicked around for many years. For a decade, Amazon was a fierce opponent.

And Amazon had U.S. Supreme Court precedent on its side.

After Missteps, Does J.C. Penney Stand Another Chance?

Yuki Noguchi — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:28:00 +0000

A year and a half ago, J.C. Penney's then-brand new CEO Ron Johnson undertook what was supposed to be a transformation of the 110-year-old department store. Yesterday, the retailer cut his tenure short.

J.C. Penney lost nearly $1 billion last year as customer traffic dropped off.

Now, it's bringing back former Chief Executive Officer Myron Ullman to try to stanch the bleeding.

The fanfare that originally accompanied Johnson seemed well-placed.

As Housing Industry Builds Up, Other Sectors Follow

Yuki Noguchi — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:32:00 +0000

When fortunes rise in the housing industry — as they currently are — it tends to lift sales for other businesses, too. Home construction, sales and prices are all improving. And according to many analysts, the market is gaining steam.

For nearly two decades, Scott Gillis has owned his own moving company, Great Scott Moving in Hyattsville, Md. Moving high season is just around the corner, which means Gillis is hiring.

"I'm doing it right now, I'm calling up all my old employees.

For Some Ready To Buy, A Good Home Is Hard To Find

Yuki Noguchi — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:07:00 +0000

The first day of spring typically signals the high season for open houses and home sales.

The season seems to have arrived early in some places where homebuying is already frenzied, and in many markets, the pendulum has swung from an excess of homes on the market a few years ago to a shortage.

In Baltimore, Patrick and Britney Bove are fighting on two fronts, so to speak. On one hand, they're hosting an open house in the city's Hamilton neighborhood, and on the other, they're trying to find a house to buy.

U.S. Probes Abuse Allegations Under Worker Visa Program

Yuki Noguchi — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:21:00 +0000

A group of foreign college students who came to the U.S. on cultural work exchange visas in December have been protesting their working conditions at a McDonald's in Harrisburg, Pa. In the process, they've wading into a debate about guest workers in the U.S.

The students include Jorge Rios, who says three months ago he eagerly did the legwork necessary to get a J-1 visa, used for student work exchange.

"I had to do a lot of paperwork back in my country to get the visa.

Experts Boil Telecommuting Decisions Down To Flexibility Vs. Serendipity

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:42:00 +0000

Yahoo touched off a debate about the effectiveness of telecommuting when it told employees last week that they may no longer work from home.

Technology Upends Another Industry: Homebuilding

Yuki Noguchi — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:21:00 +0000

Years into the economic recovery, hiring remains slow. Many businesses learned to do more with less during the recession, so they don't need to bring on as many people now.

These new efficiencies have led to what economists call "labor displacement," which is taking place around the country.

Money Replaces Willpower In Programs Promoting Weight Loss

Yuki Noguchi — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:06:00 +0000

Sticking to a diet is a challenge for many people, but starting next year, Americans may have an even bigger, financial incentive to keep their weight in check.