This is the fifth article of the series:

“The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran”

Few quotes from the previous articles of this series are given here.

In language, the foreign or the strange woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman. However, as determined by the Bible, the foreign or the strange woman is the non-Israelite woman.

Subsequently, all non-Israelite women are foreign or strange women.

This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate (genuine) or Foreign (strange).

According to the inspired word of God (Ezra 10), the Bible says that while Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites, men, women and children, gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then the son of Jehiel said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women. Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.

Then, the entire congregation responded with a loud voice: you are right! We must do as you say. And by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women. Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.

Upon citing the tribes even the Levi, 15 families and group of people even the singers and of the porters and 111 men, the Bible says that all these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, it is certain that such marriages (with non-Israelite women) are sinful, and ought not to be made.

On the other hand, Verses 16:96-97 of the Quran talk about the fact that all women are equal in Islam. The verses say:

All which is with you of the things, all what you have of wealth, in the life of this world will come to an end; it will perish. But that which is Allah has of reward remains; it will never come to an end; it will never perish. Allah shall surely pay those who were patient, in fulfilling their covenants, in refraining from making a false pledge and acknowledge the Truth, their reward according to the best of what they used to do, and the best here means the good. Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily Allah shall revive with a goodly life. This is said to be life in Paradise; or it is in the life of this world by providing him or her well balanced provision for both the body and the spirit.

[It is interesting that the suicidal tendency in the very poor Islamic counties is extremely low in comparison to its high rate in the very rich western counties. This is simply because the non- balanced provision for both the body and the spirit. Remember that man is composed two parts, body (material) and Spirit; both need well-balanced nutrition!]

Back to the subject of foreign women, it is clear that the Quran is not interested at all in race, color, nationality of the male or the female. All men and all women have the same rights, duty, and responsibility; the best among them is the closer to his or her Lord, the Almighty Creator.

==================================

The Bible: Ezra 10:1-3, 10-14, 17-19 and 44 (King James Version)

1Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

11Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

14Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

==================================

The Quran (Yusuf Ali Translation):

Verses 16:96-97

96) What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will endure. And we will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward according to the best of their actions.

?97 whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to him will we give a new life, a life that is good and pure and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.

==================================

Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:

Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?

About the Author:

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – In Bible versus Quran: The strangest command: get rid of your wife

Though it is cold in winter, regardless of the low temperature, snow storm or solid ice, nothing can reduce our enthusiasm towards Christmas.

Every year on the very day of December 25, it is one of the most important festivals, Christmas, which is an annual holiday celebrated by people worldwide. It commemorates the birth of Jesus. Christmas day marks the beginning of larger season of Christmastide.

Christmas day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many other countries, celebrate Christmas gradually became one of their important annual activities.

The celebrations of Christmas can vary markedly in form, reflecting different cultural and national traditions. In spite of this, several secular aspects of Christmas has been adopted worldwide, such as gift-giving, decorating and Christmas trees.

If you spend your every minutes on your work and do not pay any attention on the outside, now open your door, walk out and open your eyes widely, you will see decorations everywhere and even in your home, you will find a well-decorated Christmas tree.

As one of the most important festival, no one can stand out of the cheerful atmosphere; even the otaku will put down their favorite games, join us and have fun together.

What about you? Are you ready for your holiday? What would do to celebrate the big festival?

As for me, though I stay in mainland, I was completely surrounded by the strong Christmas atmosphere, the stores, shopping malls, and even the trees on both sides of roads are fulfilled with beautiful decorations. Receiving and giving gifts cheers me up. Wearing my newly bought Nike shoes, walking on the street with my best friends, and celebrating the big day together sounds like my best choice I’ve ever made.

Well, hope you have a good time and merry Christmas!

Listen, the kids are singing:

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer
We won’t go until we get some;
We won’t go until we get some;
We won’t go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

About the Author:

Oceania aims at finding the best and most economical Nike shox shoes /Nike air riftfrom the unlimited online resources for the sports shoes fans and the public.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Are You Ready for Christmas?

Self builders are likely to build over 20% of new homes this year as big developers batten down the hatches and smaller developers go out of business. This means anyone thinking of building their own home has never had a better opportunity to build a property from scratch, or use timber frame kits to help create a bespoke home.

Before the credit crash, building your own home in the UK would have cost around £300,000, with the land costing around £150,000 and the rest spent on labour and materials. The property would then typically be worth around 30% more than the cost to build, so once built it would be worth around £390,000. Whereas now, costs of the land, labour and materials have all fallen, making self build a really good value option to buying an already built home.

Here are the top five reasons to self build in 2009:

1. Land prices have fallen by 15-50%

As developers have cut down the number of properties they are building due to the credit crunch, it means there is less competition for buying land and smaller, local developers in particular are not buying land as they have in the past, so there are more plots available and there are less buyers competition to purchase. So grab a land bargain!

2. Builders, electricians and plumbers are readily available!

In 2009 most people are worried about buying a new home in case prices fall more and they end up in negative equity. However, as self build’s are typically worth 30% more than the cost of building, depending on what you build and how much you pay to build it, you are less likely to end up in negative equity than if you bought a new or second hand home.
If you want a quick build, you can now buy or have a bespoke timber frame kit, which can allow yourself build to be eco friendly and help to fix over 40% of your build costs.
Remember, trying to find a good builder or sub contractor in 2006 or 2007, it was almost impossible? However with the recession, many tradesmen have been laid off by big developers and are now free to work on residential projects.

About the Author:

Want to find out *more* valuable information to get huge discounts on Self Build Houses products without paying a penny? Check this out… http://timberframekits.info

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Top Five Reasons to Build Your Own Home in 2009!

China Wind Sector Analysis

With swift economic growth and flourishing industrial sectors, China has been witnessing a continued increase in the electricity consumption over the past few years. Because of this surge in demand, China has witnessed significant development in its power sector, with renewable energy sources garnering the major attention. Although there has been substantial growth in electricity generation from RES such as nuclear, hydroelectricity and solar, wind power industry has emerged as the fastest growing segment of the industry. ( http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=129527&rt=China-Wind-Sector-Analysis.html )

According to latest market research report “China Wind Sector Analysis”, the cumulative wind power installed capacity is forecast to grow at a CAGR of around 43% during 2010-2012. With this, the country’s share in total cumulative wind power installed capacity worldwide is expected to double by the end of 2012 from current levels.

China’s national energy policy that strongly emphasizes on supporting clean energy development continues to drive growth in the country’s wind power sector, among others. Driven by this, despite economic crisis, China’s wind power industry enjoyed an investment spree in 2008, making it the largest global investment market for wind power.

Our research provides an in-depth analysis of the wind energy market in China. It gives an insight into the currently dominating market trends. Besides this, the factors that are fuelling the growth of the Chinese wind energy market have been discussed in detail, including the description of the key manufacturing companies in the country.

On the provincial/state level, we found that the top five provinces rich in wind resource – Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Hebei, Jilin and Heilongjiang – accounted for more than 65% of the country’s cumulative installed wind power capacity in 2008. These states will continue dominating the Chinese wind market in future also. Besides this, our report highlights various priority areas that the government must focus on to ensure healthy growth of the wind power industry in coming times.

To know more and to buy a copy of your report feel free to visit : http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=129527&rt=China-Wind-Sector-Analysis.html

Or

Contact us at :

Bharat Book Bureau
Tel: +91 22 27578668
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About the Author:

We are the leading information aggregator, facilitates and supports the business information needs. With over 115,000 reports, you can get instant access and insights on the studies in yo for market research , corporate / strategic planning by providing the latest information in the form of reports, journals, magazines and databases on varied industries like automotive, oil and gas, shipping, textiles, pharmaceuticals, energy, banking, finance, insurance, risk management, country intelligence, consumer & durable goods, chemical and more ur areas of interest. Contact us at +91 22 27578668 / 27579438 or email info@bharatbook.com or our website www.bharatbook.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – China Wind power Industry exhibits a strong growth potential

Every honeymoon should be special, memorable and enjoyable. There are many honeymoon destinations that will ensure this. Create yours by staying at world renowned honeymoon get away accommodations.

To make your honeymoon memorable and fun, the location plays a vital role to achieving this. It is a once in a lifetime experience after one’s marriage which should be well-planned and saved for. Hence, you don’t need to travel far to enjoy your honeymoon, there are many places in the US you can already travel to. Here are some of them:

The Setai – This is a tranquil oceanfront honeymoon hotel at the Center of South Beach. It is located at 2001Collins Avenue Miami Beach, Florida. This hotel is strategically surrounded by many establishments that define the culture of Miami.

The Setai luxury hotel has 85 rooms and 45 suites plus a penthouse. Each room is provided with air-conditioning units, satellite TVs, wireless Internet access, room services, espresso machines, mini bars, personalized housekeeping services and laundry valet services. It has 3 glorious azure pools with different water temperatures for the guests’ convenience. They also have a fitness center, full-service Spa and personal trainers for Pilates as well as Yoga. More equipments and gadgets are also available for rent. This includes jet skis, a yacht and deep-sea diving equipments which are readily available for honeymoon couples who wish to enjoy the sun and do some water activities.

The Resort at Paws Up – This resort offers an unforgettable romantic honeymoon get away at the wilderness. It is located at 40060 Paws Up Road Greenough, Mt. This Resort features luxury tent suite accommodations for honeymoon couples. Additional resort accommodations such as Wilderness Estate, Big Timber Homes, Meadow Homes, Blackfoot River Lodge, Morris Ranch House, The Bunkhouse, Tent City, River Camp, and Encampment at Bull Creek are still available.

Thomas Henkelmann Homestead Inn – This is a mountain resort that offers an elegant colonial theme. It is located at 420 Field Point Road, Greenwich CT.

Thomas Henkelmann Homestead Inn has 19 rooms that are designed to create a lavish atmosphere through its styled romantic rooms which is very ideal for honeymoon couples. The room furniture is detailed and some are even hand crafted craft masters to make you fall in love with the place. Thomas Henkelmann Homestead Inn has meeting facilities, fax services, laundry facilities, multi-lingual staffs and wireless Internet connectivity.

King Pacific Lodge – This is among the top romantic get away honeymoon hotels situated in the beautiful wilderness. This wilderness resort is located at 225 West Street, North Vancouver Canada.

King Pacific Lodge has 17 huge room accommodations that offer great nature views. It also offers suite rooms with Jacuzzis which greatly complimenting the romantic room ambiance. More great services and facilities such as large open decks, dining areas with great sunset views, powerful telescopes for star gazing or wildlife views, meeting facilities and spa services are also available in this resort. The resort is also surrounded by many activities that guests would surely enjoy like guided fly fishing trips, luxury hiking, heli-hiking and wilderness kayaking activities.

About the Author:
Enjoy a blissful union, discover more stunning romantic hotels where you can celebrate your honeymoon go to http://www.honeymoon-suites.org. Check list of promo package and discounts on top luxuryhoneymoon suites.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Top Honeymoon Hotels

It’s called “settling”. Perhaps you’ve reached a certain age – an age where you think you should be married or at least on the way there – and Mr or Ms Right is nowhere to be found….

You’ve tried the best online dating sites and the singles chat rooms, you’ve met some good people – worthy people – but there are no sparks. No fireworks. No chemistry!

At this point, the correct path would be to keep a stress-free eye open…and keep your heart open to the possibilities of romance and the belief that the world, despite its problems, is a magical place.

But what a lot of people do in this situation is “settle” – as in settle for second best. The wonderful romantic film Waiting To Exhale, which is based on the novel by acclaimed author Terri Morrison and stars Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, tackles this subject.

It’s about women who are waiting for someone who will take their breath away – about the one that makes them fill their lungs and wait to exhale. It’s about not settling for second best.

Rachelle, a 28-year-old beauty therapist, made a comment on our dating blog, and meets a lot of women in her line of work. “My clients are mostly regulars, and I’m always privy to what’s going on in their love lives. In my view, there are two types of women – the ones that want a romance so great they’ll make a movie out of it; and the ones that will basically take the next guy that comes along.”

Life’s too short to settle in romance. Apart from sentencing yourself to a life of unhappiness, if you’ve settled, chances are the relationship won’t last. And we wouldn’t be surprised if unconscious settling is behind a lot of break-ups…

Writes Gary Caine on womens-homepage.com: “There are numerous aspects implied when one settles. An individual may not even recognize that they are actually settling. Fed up with alienation and yearning for a balanced relationship, a person may put up with a less than well-matched relationship. In the outset of the relationship, this person will feel a passing relief from the troubles of being alone. With the pattern of existing as a single person in their past, they will move into a relationship with full force. Dismissing danger signs, and brushing off any subconscious uncertainties, this person will persist in the relationship until it breaks apart. The partnership may be rough, as a result of an incompatible association, or it may be a rather passive relationship but missing the strong and compelling passion that one needs”.

…We all desire the feeling of being safe and secure in the arms of another. Settling does not produce those results.”

As Caine points out, we may not even be aware that we’re settling, although we know we have lingering doubts we can’t quite put our finger on. It’s perhaps better in the long run to be single than wish you were…look for the one who will make you wait to exhale.

Visit us for reviews on free dating websites America which include internet dating services if you are looking to expand your social circle.

About the Author:

Relationships article on maintaining true love. Todaysdating provides free American singles chat rooms including local singles dating sites Cincinnata Ohio Register, then type in your zipcode to find your match.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Never ever settle for anything less than real love

When purchasing a new carpet, consumers should choose carefully and make sure what they are buying will be easy to clean.

According to UK Flooring Direct, choosing flooring for the home is a major issue, so householders should make decisions based on what will be compatible with their homes.

Picking a carpet or rug that has maximum dust-repellent qualities is also important because dirt tends to cling very tightly to carpet fibres making it difficult to remove by ordinary carpet cleaning methods.

Writing in About Property, the firm explained that consumers should take the time to determine what type of material they want their carpets to be made from and browse through the various fabrics and textures.

“Do you want one that is made from 100 per cent wool?” UK Flooring Direct commented. “What about the attractive 80/20 per cent wool twists out there on the market? Furthermore, there are deals to be found on natural carpets and Berbers.”

“Either way, you should always ensure that you stick to your budget and plump for the carpet that will best suit your home.”

Vacuum cleaning company RydoExpress recently said that householders have to take enough time and care to remove stubborn stains from their carpets using the appropriate carpet cleaning methods.

London cleaning companies offer a wide range of carpet cleaning services for all your urgent domestic needs.

Our cleaning company guarantees all of our work to ensure complete customer satisfaction.Our carpet cleaners in London are trained professionals that give you the best service to keep your carpets and upholstery looking clean all year around.

About the Author:

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Consumers urged to choose carpets with care

When a person has cancer that has a very poor prognosis doctors are very wary about the patient having what they call “false hope”. They get very angry with individuals and information websites who suggest that the fatal consequence might not have to happen. From their perspective it is cruel to suggest that someone has the power to heal when it is, in the doctor’s opinion, patently not true. But is that stance justifiable?

I would have to answer both yes and no. It is justifiable as most people just want to do as they are told and for those who believe in medical cancer remedies it is probably accurate. However it is not justifiable in the sense that even if only one person has beaten the medical odds and recovered when it wasn’t expected then there is a physiological pathway for healing to occur.

If there is a biological mechanism for a cancer tumor to regress, to get smaller in size, then there is a mechanism for it to continue to regress, perhaps to extinction. I was reading a medical journal article that discussed how the extended hours of summer sun, and the body’s conversion of it to vitamin D could encourage a regression of the size of metastases. And if there are pathways such as this then hope is reasonable.

One of the interesting pieces of research in people with HIV has shown that those who have positive illusions about how long they personally will live and about how much they can control the illness, actually do better than those who do not. This bothers some doctors and researchers as living an illusory life is not generally considered to be indicative of good mental health or good health generally.

Additionally people do not do worse if or when they find their illusions shattered by progressing illness. This also bothers the same doctors and researchers. These behavioral aspects are likely to be very similar to people with cancer.

As a result of these two findings doctors and researchers have to rethink how to manage patients who appear to be quite unrealistic and irrational in their beliefs about their potential longevity and quality of life. Instead of trying to disillusion them and bringing them back to reality, they should encourage their patients’ autonomy and positive attitudes, praising them for their work at improving their quality of life and for their survival to this point. They should recognize that positive attitudes are just one aspect of cancer remedy self care.

My own research has found that long term survivors interpreted every symptom as an indicator of improving health, not progressing disease. They preferred not to have the evidence of progression pointed out to them, but instead to focus on those little aspects over which they could control.

This control could be physical, as in taking some exercise to assist lymphatic drainage, or it could be imaginary, as in creatively visualizing the lymph finding a new way to drain after surgery had removed some of the glands. In one case the patient interpreted her badly swollen leg as an indicator, not of metastasized melanoma needing lymph glands removed, but of the cancer being removed and her body now clear of the cancer. She was now visualizing her leg as normal. The leg did return to normal from being over twice the normal size, and her multiple chest metastases regressed fully so that she became clear of cancer for years. Sadly I lost contact with her.

This patient had refused to attend the oncology clinic because the doctor was too negative. The patient’s oncologist would sometimes meet up with her husband at his work, ask after her health, and go on his way shaking his head saying, “Impossible, it just doesn’t happen.”

But it does happen. There are many natural cancer remedies that can be undertaken but I would urge any person who is ill not to put faith in just one herb, pill or potion. Natural healing is much more complicated than that. It is a holistic treatment requiring not just one aspect to be addressed, but the body, mind, social relationships and more. Seek and you shall find.

Dr Harriet Denz-Penhey is an internationally recognized health researcher who has done groundbreaking research into patient self care in serious illness. The web site http://www.cancerremedies.org discusses aspects of natural cancer treatment and remedies for good general health.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Cancer Remedies: Is Hope Real or False?

With the number of articles that discuss weight loss and fitness enhancement, we took the liberty to wrap up the topic with the top 7 suggestions on ways to be the fitter, healthier and trimmer you:

1. Drink water. This is not only to keep the body well hydrated, but also to aid proper elimination of waste. Maintaining good hydration is important in maintaining healthy detox, as it supports liver and digestive functions. Aside from that, water is also very helpful in reducing appetite and limiting the cravings for unhealthy beverages such as cola and other sugar-laden drinks.

2. Observe more frequent meals. The expert team of Gold Coast Gym advises having 3 well-balanced meals and healthy in-between snacks. That is because taking small and more frequent meals prevent ravenous binging, particularly at dinnertime. Allowing long hours to pass in between meals will only work out your appetite and cause you to eat more than what you need. Hence, with more frequent meals, the more you lose weight.

3. Buy and stock up your kitchen only with the good stuff. It’s high time that you give up your sugary treats, donuts and biscuits and start making healthy replacements. For instance, instead of your usual donut treat, try snacking on sugar-free dried fruits and nuts. Instead of demolishing frosted cakes, try preparing whole wheat bread sandwiches, be easy on the dressing. Instead of shopping bags of potato chips, try shopping for kiwi, mangoes, banana, oranges, and other cheaper yet healthier foods that will help you stay in shape for always.

4. Exercise properly. Before doing anything, do some warm up and stretching exercises. Tight muscles can cause cramps and pain, especially when you plan on going through your fitness regimen. Properly warming up or stretching your body as you start the day minimizes your risk of getting injured and promotes normal body functions.

5. Never deny yourself severely with the food or things that your body craves. For instance, it wouldn’t hurt if you still eat your favorite frosted donut, cookies and cakes. Try baking your own treats, use healthy substitutes to the usual ingredients. This way, you get to limit the bad stuff in it and put in a lot of good stuff instead. Occasionally, allow yourself a serving of these treats to avoid the possibility of binging and to feel good about yourself.

6. If possible, allow your family to join you in making such a healthy change in your lifestyle. Take them to the local fitness center so you can work out together as a family or you can organize a weekend and spend time biking or hiking or jogging with everyone. If you are trying out a diet, why not involve the whole family in it. This way, you get to share them the immense benefits of eating the right kinds of food and limit their risk of heart disease, diabetes, or obesity. This way, you also get to lead a good example to your kids.

7. Enjoy. Your fitness and health routine will be meaningless if you will not enjoy it. The whole idea of being healthy is having a healthy physical as well as mental state. Overall, you need to feel good at the end. Otherwise, you sure have a great chance of failing your fitness goals and stalling your exercise program. Nobody achieved better health and lose weight overnight. It took weeks and months to achieve. Patience and persistence sure matters in this regard.

About the Author:
If you are serious about feeling good, exercising, or becoming healthier, watch our Gold Coast Personal Trainer videos. Our 100% private Gold Coast Personal Training Studio offers best Studio Fitness Training on the Gold Coast.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Seven Ways to be Fitter, Healthier, And Trimmer.

Moving is an experience most people dread. Not only is it stressful, its expenses often run in the thousands of dollars. One silver lining is that those moving expenses are often tax-deductible. This article details the IRS guidelines on tax deductions for moving.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These are guidelines based on material published by the Internal Revenue Service, but always check with your tax professional.

Qualifying for the Deduction

There are two basic ways to qualify for moving-related deductions:

• Passing two IRS requirements for moving deductibility because of your job: the distance test and the time test
• Qualifying under special circumstances

You will have to meet all the requirements under one of these two methods for any of your expenses to qualify.

The Distance Test

The IRS wants to determine that your new job is more than 50 miles further from your old house than your old job was from your old house.

Sound complicated?

It isn’t once you get familiar with it. Let’s break it down to make it easier. There are only four numbers involved.

First, calculate how far your old job was from your old house. Let’s say that was 10 miles. We’ll call this the “old house, old job distance.”

Next, calculate how far your new job is from your old house. We’ll say that this distance is 75 miles. We’ll call this the “old house, new job distance.”

Third, we need to subtract the “old house, old job distance” (10 miles) from the “old house, new job distance” (75 miles). That difference is 65 miles (75- 10 = 65). We’ll call this the “old job vs. new job distance.”

There’s only one step left. If your “old job vs. new job distance” is greater than 50 miles, you pass the distance test! If it’s less than 50 miles, I’m afraid your move doesn’t qualify.

The Time Test

Fortunately, the time test is a bit easier. If you spend 39 weeks out of the first 52 weeks at your new job as a full-time employee, you pass. If you’re self-employed, you need to spend 78 weeks out of the first 2 years at your new job. Again, as long as you meet this standard, you pass the test.

Special Circumstances

While there are many special circumstances that can affect your eligibility, I’ll just mention 3:

• Armed Forces. If you are in the Armed Forces and you moved because of a permanent change of station, you do not have to meet the distance test. See Members of the Armed Forces, later.

• Main job location. Your main job location is usually the place where you spend most of your working time. This could be your office, plant, store, shop, or other location. If there is no one place where you spend most of your working time, your main job location is the place where your work is centered, such as where you report for work or are otherwise required to “base” your work.

• Union members. If you work for several employers on a short-term basis and you get work under a union hall system (such as a construction or building trades worker), your main job location is the union hall.
Now let’s focus on what types of moving expenses are deductible.

Most of this information is taken directly from the IRS website: however, it is vital that you check with your tax professional on any information you find here.

For deductible expenses, the IRS writes the following:

Household goods and personal effects.

You can deduct the cost of packing, crating, and transporting your household goods and personal effects and those of the members of your household from your former home to your new home. For purposes of moving expenses, the term “personal effects” includes, but is not limited to, movable personal property that the taxpayer owns and frequently uses. If you use your own car to move your things, see Travel by car, earlier.

You can deduct any costs of connecting or disconnecting utilities required because you are moving your household goods, appliances, or personal effects.

You can deduct the cost of shipping your car and your household pets to your new home.

You can deduct the cost of moving your household goods and personal effects from a place other than your former home. Your deduction is limited to the amount it would have cost to move them from your former home.

Storage expenses.

You can include the cost of storing and insuring household goods and personal effects within any period of 30 consecutive days after the day your things are moved from your former home and before they are delivered to your new home.

Travel expenses.

You can deduct the cost of transportation and lodging for yourself and members of your household while traveling from your former home to your new home. This includes expenses for the day you arrive.

You can include any lodging expenses you had in the area of your former home within one day after you could no longer live in your former home because your furniture had been moved.

The members of your household do not have to travel together or at the same time. However, you can only deduct expenses for one trip per person.

Here is the IRS take on nondeductible expenses:

Nondeductible Expenses

You cannot deduct the following items as moving expenses.

• Any part of the purchase price of your new home.
• Car tags.
• Driver’s license.
• Expenses of buying or selling a home (including closing costs, mortgage fees, and points).
• Expenses of entering into or breaking a lease.
• Home improvements to help sell your home.
• Loss on the sale of your home.
• Losses from disposing of memberships in clubs.
• Mortgage penalties.
• Pre-move househunting expenses.
• Real estate taxes.
• Refitting of carpet and draperies.
• Return trips to your former residence.
• Security deposits (including any given up due to the move).
• Storage charges except those incurred in transit and for foreign moves.

No double deduction. You cannot take a moving expense deduction and a business expense deduction for the same expenses. You must decide if your expenses are deductible as moving expenses or as business expenses. For example, expenses you have for travel, meals, and lodging while temporarily working at a place away from your regular place of work may be deductible as business expenses if you are considered away from home on business. Generally, your work at a single location is considered temporary if it is realistically expected to last (and does in fact last) for one year or less.

Whew! I realize it’s a lot of information, but hopefully it gives you what need to know when it comes to be tax time.

Good luck with your move!

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Moving and Taxes – An Introduction