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Comment period on vending regulations ends: Businesses, including restaurants, raise serious and sub
February 29, 2012
Comment period onvending regulations ends: Businesses, including restaurants, raise serious andsubstantive concerns about proposed regulations WASHINGTON, DC (March 1,2012) – Today marked the end of a nearly 6 week period during which theDepartment of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) accepted commentsconcerning proposed regulations to govern vending, including food trucks, inthe District of Columbia. Over 70 restaurant operators employing over 6,500area residents expressed concerns about the proposed regulations, principallyabout a provision that allows food trucks to operate...
February 7, 2012
Food Trucks In Other CitiesFebruary 8, 2012 Below are interesting pieces from other cities. Thearticle from Austin is particularly interesting in that, even with restrictionsagainst trucks in CBDs and elsewhere, they were looking to have over 1,600trucks by the end of 2011. Austin is a little bigger than DC but not by much,so the continued and growing popularity of the trucks says a lot about sensiblepublic space management not hampering their business. CURRENT FOOD TRUCK VENDING REGULATIONS Baltimore1.) No food truckvending is allowed within the "downtown area,...
January 26, 2012
THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD Report of the Acting General Counsel Concerning Social Media Cases This report presents recent case developments arising in the context of today’s social media. Social media include various online technology tools that enable people to communicate easily via the internet to share information and resources. These tools can encompass text, audio, video, images, podcasts, and other multimedia communications. Recent developments in the Office of the General Counsel have presented emerging issues concerning the protected and/or concerted...
January 4, 2012
The Washington Post Arlington County Board dives into work for 2012By Patricia Sullivan, Published: January 2While most of the Washington area did whatever it does on a day when nearly everything is closed, the Arlington County Board claimed bragging rights Monday as the first local government to get to work in 2012.It’s a tradition fulfilled by appointments, calendar-setting and speeches. In the hour-long meeting at the noticeably empty county building, all four board members took advantage, touting the virtues of the urban-suburban county, from affordable housing to free mulch...
December 1, 2011
2011 DC Sales Tax law change notices effective October 1, 2011 Please click links below for important tax law changes: Security Services • Cigarettes • Parking • Alcoholic Beverages
May 25, 2011
The DOL rules took effect May 5, 2011. They were released with only 30 days' notice and make major and significant changes to existing tip-credit-notice regulations. Failure to follow the new regulations could result in an employer losing the right to apply any tip income toward minimum wage obligations.The National Restaurant Association cannot give you legal advice but we urge you to take the following steps: 1) Understand the rules. Under the previous regulations, employers were able to provide a simple notice to inform tipped employees that the employer was applying a tip credit...
February 8, 2011
New Disorderly Conduct Law Includes Noise Violation The new disorderly conduct law passed by the DC Council in December became effective citywide at midnight on February 1, 2011. This includes the new "Noise at Night" violation that has been mentioned in the media. While MPD will continue to work with individuals and communities to appropriately balance the rights of each, the new law makes it clear that a person who makes an unreasonably loud noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is likely to annoy or disturb one or more other persons in their residences is...
October 25, 2010
To view the Heartland/USI/RAMW presentation on PCI click here .
September 28, 2010
RAMW provided to its members a special communication summary of PCI DSS. The document explains the key technology involved in payment card security, and highlights the serious risks that data breaches and PCI DSS poses for restaurants.While restaurants account for approximately 10% of Visa and MasterCard transactions, they account for the vast majority of alleged data breaches.Since 2005, the payment card industry has required all merchants - including restaurants - to comply with a technology standard to protect payment card transactions from computer hackers and electronic identity-thieves...
August 30, 2010
Credit/Debit Card Reform On July 21, 2010, President Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) into law. A section of the bill authorizes the Federal Reserve to issue regulations that ensure interchange fees imposed on debit card transactions are "reasonable and proportional." It will allow merchants to set minimum amounts (not to exceed $10 per transaction) for credit card usage and offer customers discounts for use of cash, checks and debit cards, directly passing on the savings to consumers. Click here for Q&A on credit/debit card...
August 2, 2010
The Internal Revenue Service has announced a new compliance initiative to increase IRS Form 8027 filings in the restaurant industry.The IRS believes many tableservice restaurants don’t file IRS Form 8027 as required. The Employer’s Annual Information Return of Tip Income and Allocated Tips must be filed with the IRS every February by employers who operate large food and beverage establishments.If you have tipped employees, take a look at Form 8027 to determine whether you must file the form. Generally, Form 8027 must be filed by food and beverage establishments that meet three...
May 13, 2010
The Internal Revenue Service is starting a new compliance program to assess the employer's share of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes on tips reported on Form 4137.Employees who receive cash and charge tips of more than $20 per calendar month and do not report them have to report them on Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income.The service will notify employers via notice and demand letter with the amount owed. The agency will ask employers to include the taxed on their next Form 91 and will not subject employers to interest or penalties if they are...
May 13, 2010
The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act Employee Affidavit, Form W-11 , was released April 7 by the Internal Revenue Service. The new form will help employers claim the special payroll tax exemption that applies to many newly hired workers during 2010, IRS said.The form will be used to confirm that the new hire is a qualified employee under the HIRE Act. Employers cannot claim HIRE Act benefits, including a payroll tax exemption or a new-hire retention credit, unless the employee completes and signs the affidavit or similar statement President Obama signed the HIRE Act (Pub. L...
October 15, 2009
RAMW Board Member Geoff Tracy testifies in front of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business about the impact of rising food prices on restaurants, and how Congress can help.Date: June 2008.PDF File RAMW Board Member Oren Molovinsky joins with Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) to introduce a bill that clarifies credit card interchange fees and provides retailers greater flexibility in accepting different types of cards. Date: June 2008.PDF File
October 15, 2009
RAMW General Counsel Andrew Kline testifies in front of the DC Committee on Public Service and Consumer Affairs, supporting the Vending Regulation Act of 2009 but voicing concerns over certain components.Date: June 2009. Issue Status: The Act was approved by the DC City Council in July 2009. PDF File
October 15, 2009
RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Health about the positives and negatives of smoking bans, and how the restaurant market is already solving the problem through certain restaurants voluntarily going smoke-free.Date: Sep 2005. Issue Status: Effective January 2007, smoking is banned in all bars/restaurants places in DC (excepting outdoor areas). PDF File Former RAMW Chair Ron Hallagan testifies about the over-regulation of restaurants that smoking bans add to, and how such bans consistently hurt small businesses.Date: June 2005....
September 9, 2009
Below are some of the recent legislative issues in Virginia that RAMW has worked on, all of which have important implications for Northern Virginia restaurants. As always, we strive to recognize all RAMW members' concerns regarding public policy, and strongly advocate for our members' interests to public employees and elected officials. VA Smoking Ban In February 2009, the Virginia General Assembly passed a statewide ban on smoking in all restaurants and bars in Virginia (HB 1703). Smoking will still be allowed on certain outdoor patios and in separate ventilated rooms....
July 23, 2009
By:Jim O'Brien , O'Brien & van Stiphout LLCAs Friday, July 24, 2009 the federal minimum wage will rise to $7.25 per hour. That means that DC’s minimum wage will also rise on that day to $8.25 per hour, because the DC minimum wage law requires the payment of $7 per hour, or the federal minimum wage plus $1, whichever is higher. The minimum wage in both Virginia and Maryland will rise to the federal rate, $7.25 per hour.The federal tip credit rate (also applicable in Virginia) will remain the same, $2.13 per hour. And while the tip credit rate in DC is not directly tied to...
November 14, 2008
The Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act (ASSLA) became effective November 13, 2008. The act requires all employers to provide paid sick leave to eligible employees working in the District for absences related to physical or mental illness, preventive medical care or family care, and for absences associated with domestic violence or sexual abuse.Employers must provide the following sick days to their full-time employees: 7 days of paid leave a year from an employer with 100 or more employees 5 days of paid leave a year from an employer with 25 to 99 employees 3 days of paid leave a year from an...
November 5, 2008
Meals tax cooked, school bonds pass By Elizabeth Coe Source: Loudoun Times-Mirror TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 2008 Voters in Loudoun County overwhelmingly turned down the proposed meals tax Nov. 4, which would have added asmall tax to food and beverages in restaurants and prepared, ready-to-serve foods in grocery stores. Only about 29 percent of voters in the county voted "yes" to the tax. Several groups had come out against the tax, proposed by the Board of Supervisors to help fund new school construction. If passed, the meals tax could have raised $13 million annually. Such a...
October 2, 2008
We are pleased to inform you that District of Columbia Enterprise Zone (DCEZ) Tax Incentives are available once again to private for-profit businesses located in, or doing business within, the DCEZ. Last week, President Bush signed into law legislation that, among other things, extends the DCEZ designation through December 31, 2009. The narrowing of opportunities within the capital and debt markets today make these incentives more important than ever before. For example:If your pending or planned capital project is situated within the zone, you seriously should consider...
September 15, 2008
Stop Loudoun County HospiTAXityVote NO November 4th on thisUnfair Grab at Your Food and Beverage DollarsThrough Restaurants and Prepared Food OutletsDid you know that upwards of 27% of your restaurant tab goes to government coffers? (And you thought you were just paying for a burger and fries.) Think a tax like this doesn’t really affect the restaurant – hey, it’s just a pipeline from your pocket to the county’s pocket. Think again. Whether it’s the price of the burger or another new tax, your dinner is going to cost more as it’s taking a...
May 28, 2008
PCI ComplianceWhat is PCI?In 2004 from the efforts of Visa and Mastercard® to create common industry security requirements, the industry standard known as PCI (Payment Card Industry) was instituted to help protect cardholder data from getting into the wrong hands. Who regulates the standards?The five major credit card brands (Visa International, MasterCard Worldwine, American Express, Discover Financial Services and JCB) collaborated to form the PCI Standards Council as an independent body to oversee the development of the PCI data secutiry standard. What is the PCI Data Security Standard...
February 14, 2008
Hopes for Public Smoking Ban Are Snuffed Out By Anita Kumar Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, February 15, 2008; B05 RICHMOND, Feb. 14 -- The Virginia House of Delegates defeated several proposals Thursday to prohibit smoking in restaurants, stores, offices and other public places, effectively killing all anti-smoking legislation for this year's General Assembly session. For the fourth year in a row, the Republican-controlled House killed a smoking ban in the state, where tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturing have been integral to the economy. The District and more than 20...
