Play Meter

f ROM THE EDITOR Days of wine and pencil sharpeners 0 h boy! I can't believe that the holidays are over. The Christmas lights have been packed away, all New Year's resolutions have been modified considerably, Mardi Gras is just a month away, and it's time to start thinking about income tax returns. Drag out the bottle of wine, sharpen those pencils, and get to work! I clearly remember vowing last year to be so organized, it would put Bonnie's husband to shame. After all, he is the only person I know who crossreferences his taped video movies alphabetically and numerically and makes a chart of how often his son will get the car a full year before the kid starts driving! You guessed right if you figured I haven't even labeled a movie since I got my VCR. But every so often I'll play the unmarked tapes to see what's on them. It's much more exciting that way. But alas, my vows of organization have gone astray. I open my desk drawer and find the receipts that have piled up without so much as a glance all year. My spiffy spiral notebook for keeping track of my car expenses and mileage is filled with torn pages (! needed a scrap of paper to throw away chewing gum or to leave messages for the kids) and scribbled notes, supposedly to myself. But even I don't remember what "cny cin #4 at 45" means." Do you think the tax man will know? Last year Play Meter got quite a few calls from operators who wanted the scoop on the correct way to do certain things on tax returns. Some called who were facing an audit and wanted all the information they could lay their hands on. Surprisingly, many of those calls were referred to us by the Amuse- PLAY METER 10 FEBRUARY 1992 ment and Music Operators Association (AMOAJ. This industry is unique in many ways, none more evident than when it comes to depreciating games. There are several ways that have been utilized, but not every IRS agent agrees with some of those ways. One operator may like to do it one way and has been successful with that method while another may try it only to be told he can't do it that way. I remember thinking after every call that Play Meter should not be referred to by AMOA, but we should be able to refer operators to AMOA on the subject. I had lengthy conversations about it with board member Randy Chilton and the new AMOA president, Gene Urso. His goals during his reign as president are those that will help operators run more efficient businesses. He agreed that helping operators sort out the complexities of income tax problems would suit his goals very nicely. As of now, AMOA is working on compiling information on tax-related items that will be a must for every operator. If I was an operator, I would be more than happy to join AMOA, if only for this one benefit! Although each state has different rules , and IRS agents are left to translate the law into what works in that state, there are certain things that can be delved into and be uniform throughout the states. In fact , one operator's experiences can perhaps help another operator make his plans. AMOA could be, in effect, a clearinghouse of tax information. I'm excited about AMOA taking on this project and urge all who are asked to participate to give it your all. I know it goes without saying, because operators who belong to AMOA have long proven that they are not afraid of hard work. I talked with one of our writers about doing an article on depreciation-he had done one way back in the early '80s-but he was not sure it was possible to do in one article. He told me that there are different approaches and the one recommending a seven-year depreciation on games, which brings cries of "unfair" from operators all over the country, could have its merits as well as its disadvantages. Operators have been left to their own devices up to now. I don't know all of the details about what AMOA plans to do , but whatever it is will be welcome. In this issue, as we have done in past February issues, we have compiled some pertinent tax articles designed to help when it comes to tax time. We know that every tip will not apply to every operator, but who knows what information might make a difference. Computers have made a world of difference in keeping track of route information and programs are being refined every day. Operators who have them (the number of those not having them is dwindling) know the advantages and are probably wondering how anyone can do without one. Computers can make doing our taxes much easier-at least more organized. Maybe there's hope for me yet! D Valerie Cognevich Editor