Bob Smith, who is in his 40s, has just become covered by an extremely generous defined benefit retirement plan at his company. He has decided he no longer needs his variable annuity for retirement purposes and wants to use the money for a trip to Africa. Over the past 10 years, he has invested $60,000 in the annuity, and its net value is now $80,000. If Bob should go ahead and surrender the annuity, the tax consequences will be

You are chairman of the board of a successful technology firm. there is a nominal federal corporate tax rate of 35 percent, yet the effective tax rate of the typical corporation is about 12.6%. your firm has been clever with use of transfer pricing and keeping money abroad and has barely paid any taxes over the last 5 years; during this same time period, profits were $28 billion. one member of the board feels that it is un-american to use various accounting strategies in order to avoid paying taxes. others feel that these are legal loopholes and corporations have a fiduciary responsibility to minimize taxes. one board member quoted what the ceo of exxon once said: “i’m not a u.s. company and i don’t make decisions based on what’s good for the u.s.” what are the alternatives? what are your recommendations? why do you recommend this course of action?

What would not cause duff beer’s production possibilities curve to expand in the short run? a. improved manufacturing technology b. additional resources c. increased demand

Peppy knows a lot about marketing, but not much about the legal or financial aspects of starting a new business. he wants to consult with a lawyer and accountant, but his budget is tight with all of the expenses involved in getting peppy's pizzazzeria up and running. peppy should: trust his basic instincts and try to put it together without the advice of lawyers and accountants. delay talking with a lawyer and accountant until the business has established a positive cash flow for at least one year. immediately hire full-time lawyers and accountants for his staff. consult with a lawyer and accountant even though the budget is tight.