I have taxes on my mind at present, as I suspect many of you do.

So I appreciated coming across this article from the Wall Street Journal Small Biz section today on how to handle those not-so-easy-to-classify expenses.

Great rule of thumb, from the article!:

"If court rulings and IRS pronouncements don't offer much guidance, then it's time for what tax pros refer to as the "laugh test." Can you write off an expense without snickering about pulling one over on the IRS? "If there is a concern in the taxpayer's mind, that probably means it's not deductible," says Keith Hall, national tax advisor in Dallas for the National Association of the Self-Employed."

One gem I unearthed in the article was a reference to the National Association of Self Employed (NASE) -- an organization providing a litany of resources (education, member-benefit discounts and group rates) for micro-businesses. And then there is NASE Women in Business which offers an array of links to resources specifically for women entrepreneurs. Whether it is access to health care insurance at group rates, discounts for sending holiday bouquets to valued clients or expert advice from CPAs and attorneys, the member benefit list is long.

I'll be checking this out!