Friday, September 6, 2019

Emory University Essay Example for Free

Emory University Essay Emory University is one of the few institutions that provide an avenue for students to pursue twin passions. It offers a joint major in Economics and Mathematics, the two disciplines that I want to focus on. I also plan to take the pre-law requisites, to boost my understanding of the field of business. Given my career goals, I might also delve on financial law, a study that cannot be divorced from applied economics and math. The courses that the university offers would be of big help in the swift actualization of my plans. Another reason I am attracted to Emory is the Emory Honors Program. It enables qualified seniors to conduct intensive research in the field of their choice. Students are given the chance to study abroad for a semester. This program, with the international exposure it presents, will help me gain invaluable experience in the establishment of my own management consulting business in the future. I am not only attracted to the university’s diverse intellectual opportunities and emphasis on undergraduate education, but also to the positive learning vibe it cultivates. Its renowned professors seem very comfortable giving advice about their expertise, beyond the confines of the classroom. I can easily picture myself discussing the extent of the current global financial crisis with my economics professor. During breaks, I would browsing in the Matheson reading room or attending the East Asian Musical Cultures seminar. Emory is also synonymous with diversity. Its comfortable, friendly atmosphere allows individuality to flourish. I cannot wait to meet students from around the globe. Perhaps, by early evening, I will be standing on the Woodruff balcony, gazing at the breathtaking Atlanta skyline or chatting with an English Emory scholar over dinner. In addition, an aspect of the University that appeals to me is the wide variety of campus organizations that serve as platforms for the fulfillment of nonacademic interests. I believe that extra curriculars enhance a person’s soft skillsa competence needed to thrive in any environment, professional or social. I want to actively participate in some of Emory’s clubs and organizations during my spare time. I am also excited about continuing my involvement in groups such as the Academic Team, Habitat for Humanity, and Math Team. Lastly, I would also like to associate with groups of people with whom I share common interests, like writing. I have come across outstanding issues of The Emory Wheel, and aspire to become a contributing writer. My insightful research on a famous Chinese ancient military strategy book entitled â€Å"Art of War† can be published on the campus paper. I presume that its supposedly ancient teachings is far from outdated, and can be effectively applied in the modern world of business. With my unique cultural background, I will definitely inject fresh opinion and novel ideas to your prestigious University and I know I can add flavor to the existing diversity of Emory campus.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

The Common Problems Associated With Dams Environmental Sciences Essay

The Common Problems Associated With Dams Environmental Sciences Essay A Dam is a physical barrier constructed across a river or a waterway to control the flow of or raise the level of water. The purpose of such a construction may be flood control, irrigation needs and generation of hydroelectricity. A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or slows down the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundments. Most dams have a section called a spillway or weir over which, or through which, water flows, either intermittently or continuously, and many have hydroelectric power generation systems installed. The dams are advantageous in more than a single way. Advantages of a dam are listed below: They are helpful in preventing floods. They serve as a solution to energy crises by generating hydroelectricity. They prove to be helpful in irrigation They better the water transport. And last but not the least they attract tourists. Dams are too beneficial for mankind but at the same time they are harmful too in several ways. Disadvantages of a dam are listed below: Building a dam is an expensive affair. For building a dam a huge population of nearby area is moved. The living environment of aquatic and semi aquatic flora and fauna gets disturbed in lower case. Collapse of the dam causes great damage. Fig 1 Dam [www.timboucher.com] Now in this paper we will be viewing and observing the main causes of Dam Failure along with case study for every cause. Main causes of Dam Failure are: Spillway designing error. Sliding of mountain into the dam lake. Poor maintenance especially of outlet pipes. We will be discussing all of the above mentioned causes one by one. Besides all the above causes there is one more reason due to which dams are collapsed. In technical terms it is called Deliberate Dam Failure. This happens during the course of War. When force of one country destroys the dam of other country deliberately then this is known as Deliberate Dam Failure. As this cause is nat a common cause so we would not consider this in our study. SPILLWAY DESIGN ERROR Spillway (shown in Fig 2) is a characteristic structure of a dam which is used to provide controlled release of flows of water from the dam into the downstream. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy the dam. There are two ways of spillways: Controlled and Uncontrolled. Controlled Spillway: It has gates which regulate the water. This design gives us an opportunity to exploit the full height of the dam and flood waters can be released as required by opening one or more gates. Uncontrolled Spillway: It does not have gates, when the water rises above the lip of the spillway it begins to be released from the reservoir. The rate of discharge of water is controlled only by the depth of water within the reservoir. All of the storage volume in the reservoir above the spillway lip can be used only for the temporary storage of floodwater, and cannot be used as water supply storage because it is normally empty. Fig 2 Spillway [www.wikipedia.com] CASE STUDY: The South Fork Dam As a case study under this cause of Dam Failure we will study the demolition of South Fork Dam which was located on Lake Conemaugh, an artificial water body located near South Park, Pennsylvania, USA. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles (23 km) downstream, causing the Johnstown Flood. History of South Fork Dam The South Fork Dam was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1838 and 1852 as a reservoir for the canal basin in Johnstown. The dam is located 14 miles upstream from Johnstown. The Comenaugh River runs through the heart of Johnstown and it had been made narrower in order to build more structures on it banks. The river was susceptible to flooding due to ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s location on a flood plain. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania sold the dam to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1857. With the arrival of rail service in 1852, the use of the canal for delivery of goods took a downturn. The South Fork Dam was abandoned and allowed to go into a state of disrepair. In 1862, part of the culvert gave way but was never repaired. In 1879, a group of businessmen formed a company and called it the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club. They purchased the dam with the intention of building a summer resort on Lake Comenaugh for wealthy Pittsburg families. Plans included lowering the dam in order to build a road on top and raising the level of the lake. The club continued to make alterations to the dam and in the end, the lake was 450 feet higher than Johnstown.[suit101.com] From the above abstract we can easily make out that the ill maintenance of the spillway and rising of the level of river made the condition worse and finally the continuous rain made the Dam collapsed. After the Dam gave up nearly about 20 million tons of water spilled over the dam and Jhonstown was hit without any prior warning. The water headed towards the town with a speed of nearly 40 miles per hour. The flood played havoc and made over 2,200 people lose their lives and all over damage was estimated to cost $17 million. This was the first major disaster faced by the newly-formed American Red Cross. Aid came from 18 countries across the globe. The South Fork Dam Break is shown Below[Fig 3] Beside the Spillway failure there are other causes which are responsible for the Disaster and they are: Heavy and continuous Rainfall. Rising water caused erosion of new embankment which was made up of mud and straw. Fig 3 South Fork Dam Break [www.accuweather.com] Precautions which could have saved South Fork Dam: The main cause of the break was Spillway design error. There were insufficient spillways which made the enormous amount of water to spill. If there had been more spillways then the disaster would have been avoided. The damaged parts of the dam should have been repaired. The new parts should have been made up of concrete instead of stone, mud and straw. SLIDING OF MOUNTAIN INTO THE DAM LAKE A dam is made at the base of a river and in between a valley which means that the lake or water body which is dammed has mountains on both side of it. Now as a dam is made the natural geological balance is disturbed and these mountains get loosen up and develops cracks which causes landslides to occur. These landslides pose a great threat when they fall in the lake. If a landslide of great volume falls in the lake then it raises the water level to a great extent and that too suddenly. This sudden rise makes a huge amount of water to spill over the dam causing tsunami (seiche wave). This wave brings a massive flood and destruction to the valley below which wipes a great area. CASE STUDY: The Vajont Dam As a case study under this cause of Dam Failure we will study the demolition of Vajont Dam [shown in Fig 4] which was located on Vajont River under Monte Toc, 100 km north to the Venice, Italy. It was responsible for the deaths of approximately 2,000 people in a 1963 landslide. One of the highest dams in the world, it was 262 meters (860 ft) high, 27 meters (89 ft) thick at the base and 3.4 meters (11 ft) at the top. The dam was built by SADE (Society of Adriatic Energy Corporation), the electricity supply and distribution monopolist in North-Eastern Italy. History of Vajont Dam: The construction work of the dam started in 1950. In 1959 some slides were noticed and new studies were made and the experts told SADE that the side of Mount Toc is unstable and is likely to collapse if the filling is continued. The study and experts were ignored completely. In October 1959 the construction was complete and in February 1960 SADE was authorized to start filling the basin. As soon as the filling started and reached to certain level till summers of 1960 minor land slides started taking place. But even these slides were ignored and the few journalists who raised their voice were sued. Finally on 4 of November 1960 a landslide of about 800,000 cubic meters collapsed in the lake. This made SADE to halt filling but it was started again after lowering the level by 50 meters and start building an artificial gallery. The minor slides kept on taking place and officials of SADE kept on predicting the disaster but they were ignored. On 9 October 1963 at approximately 10:35pm, the combination of drawing-down the reservoir and heavy rains triggered a landslide of about 260 million cubic meters of forest, earth, and rock, which fell into the reservoir at up to 110  km per hour (68  mph). The resulting displacement of water caused 50 million cubic meters of water to over-top the dam in a 250-metre high wave.[6] Despite this, the dams structure was largely undamaged. Approximately 1900 to 2500 people were dead and 350 families were completely wiped off. The major causes of this disaster are: The heavy 50 million cubic meter landslide into the lake which made the tsunami wave rose. The other minor land slides in the lake and in the artificial gallery. Heavy rainfall which paved the path for the disaster. Major causes for the land slides are: Disturbance in the geological balance of Mount Toc. Continuous filling of the basin. Time to time rainfall. Fig 4 Vajont Dam[wikipedia.com] Precautions which could have saved South Fork Dam: If anyhow the land slide could be prevented then the disaster might have been avoided. The landslide can be prevented by following two methods: Plantation: More and more plants on the seaward side of the mountain. The roots of the plants help in binding the rocks and soil together and prevent erosion thus land sliding. Terrace plantation is a good option. By artificial mountain binding: In this process the mountain is bound with the help steel net which prevent slides and even if land slide, the net prevent it from falling. POOR MAINTENANCE ESPECIALLY OF OUTLET PIPES Outlets came in range of designs, sizes, materials and type of control. Most of the controlling mechanisms and conduits are usually submerged and are pretty tedious to access for maintenance as well as inspection. This is the reason of negligence and some serious problems start developing. The problem can range from the control works becoming inoperable to the conduit deteriorating to the point of embankment failure. Proper inspection of the outlet usually requires advanced planning to allow outflows to be shut off and inundated areas to be pumped out. CASE STUDY: Lawn Lake Dam Now as a case study under this section we will make a thorough study of Lawn Lake Dam [Fig 5]. This dam failure occurred due to the disrepair of the outlet pipe which was located at the remote and tedious location. The continuous negligence of remotely situated leaky pipes caused the disaster when on July 15, 1982 at 6 a.m. 830,000 m3 of water exploded out of the faulty pipes. This enormous amount of water caused a flash flood and priced $31 million. History of Lawn Lake Dam: Originally the Lawn Lake was a natural lake covering a surface area of over 66,000 m3. It was situated at a height of 3,400 m in the rocky mountain. In 1903 some farmers seeking irrigation facilities out of this lake, built a dam and the covering land of the lake increased to 190,000m3. It was started in 1902 and the dam was completed in 1903. The dam increased the storage capacity of this natural water body. This dam was built in the eastern part. The water from this dam was released through the steep channel into the Big Thompson River. As the dam was built in the rocky mountain, its design was such that it made the location of outlet pipe quit remote. Bearing the negligence of officials the dam survived 80 long years. On the morning of 15 July 1982 the dam collapsed releasing 228 million gallons of water all of a sudden. This huge amount of water poured through the steep and narrow mountainside. It is said that there was tremendous sound and the earth shook. The release rate of water was 510 m3/s. Though this great aquatic rampage killed only one person camping alongside but economically the cost of this disaster was estimated to be $31 million. The water got poured in the river and hit the cascade dam resulting in downfall of the same adding more amount of water to the flood. This flood destroyed the Aspenglen campground. Then after the flood water entered the town of Estes Park and caused great damage to the downtown shops after which the flood joined Thompson River. This flood deposited an alluvial fan of debris in Horseshoe Park. Fig 5 Alluvial Fan [wikipedia.com] Precautions that could have saved the Lake Lawn Dam: Only two precautions would have saved the disastrous end of Lake Lawn Dam and they are If the dam would have been design in such a way that the outlet pipes could have been easily accessed then the repair work wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have been delayed and the leakage could have been avoided. Timely repairing work of the dam would have saved this great damage.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Essay Comparing Glass Menagerie and Streetcar Named Desire

Comparing Glass Menagerie and Streetcar Named Desire   Ã‚  Ã‚   Tennessee Williams is one of the greatest American playwrights. He was constantly shocking audiences with themes such as homosexuality, drug addictions, and rape. He broke free from taboos on such subjects, paving the way for future playwrights. Williams wrote about his life. The Glass Menagerie is a very autobiographical play. A Streetcar Named Desire, although meant to a play that anyone can relate to, also contained characters and situations from his life. In both plays, the characters are drawn from his life. This essay  will discuss is the similarities between The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire, which have similar characters and themes throughout them.   A Streetcar Named Desire takes place in New Orleans. The characters are Blanche Dubois, Stanley Kowalski, Stella Kowalski (Blanche’s sister, Stanley’s wife), and Mitch, a friend of Stanley’s. The play focuses on Blanche and how she falls deeper and deeper into her delusional state, until, finally at the end, a doctor and a nurse take her away. The Glass Menagerie takes place in St. Louis. The play features the Wingfields. Amanda is the mother and her two children are Tom and Laura. A gentleman caller named Jim O’Connor comes in at the end of the play.   This play is basically about Tom’s memories of the last bit of time he was with his family, before leaving them as his father did. Since the play takes place in the memory, it is dark and some things are very exaggerated. Laura is a cripple who is lost in her own world, with no hope of ever finding someone to love her. Amanda is also living in her own world, one where she is still a southern beauty. She feels that if Laura doesn’t marry so... ... one in The Glass Menagerie.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout both of these plays run many common themes, often themes from Williams own life. He was a writer who broke taboos and wrote about depraved people, people going crazy and many other themes that weren’t considered appropriate at the time. His own life was very chaotic. Works Cited A Streetcar Named Desire. By Tennessee Williams. Dir. Scot Whitney. Harlequin Productions, Olympia. September 1998. 2.â€Å"Remember Tennessee Williams.† Tom Sullivan. 21 June 2000. http://www.lambda.net/~maximum/williams.html Roudane, Mathew C. Ed. The Cambridge Companion to Tennessee Williams. New York: Cambridge Press, 1997 Williams, Tennessee. â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†. Anthology of American Literature: From Realism to the Present. By Tennessee Williams. Ed. McMichael, George et. al. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 1445-   

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

George Washington Carver :: essays research papers

George Washington Carver   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George Washington Carver was born a slave in Diamond Grove, Missouri. As a small child Carver was rescued from a band of Confederate kidnappers. From early on Carver was determined to get himself an education. Carver began his schooling in Newton Country, and while attending school he also worked very hard as a farm hand. While working and studying Carver lived in a one-room schoolhouse, and as time went on he excelled as sought out for higher education. Because of his race Carver was denied on attending Highland University. In 1887 Carver got excepted to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carver made many outstanding contributions to the agricultural world and also on America it’s self. Carver changed the face of Agriculture in the south with his crop rotation methods. Carver discovered through research and trail and error ways to help soil stay fertile. Through this discovery the nutrients would stay in the ground, and crops could be planted on the same soil year after year. Carver discovered that planting peanut one year then the next planting cotton would keep the soil fertial for the following year. The peanuts contained nitrate-producing legumes, and the cotton took all the nutrients from the soil, so the soil was fresh each planting season. The farmer took his peanuts and used them as a source of food for their livestock. Carver did not over look the peanuts as just food for animals, and found over 325 ways to use the peanuts for other reasons than food. He used peanuts to make peanut butter, cooking oil, printer ink, and many more use ful applications for the peanut. Carver being the introvator that he was also found many ways for the pecan and sweet potato to help the soil. Carver developed many synthetic products that could be used by all people and not too hard to make. Carver developed adhesives, bleach, cheese, instant coffee, syntheic rubber, and Worcestershire souce just to name a few.

Monday, September 2, 2019

The 1819 Manchester Massacre and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Masque of Anarc

The 1819 Manchester Massacre and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Masque of Anarchy Sometimes a person is beyond all reach of society. Percy Bysshe Shelley was in Italy on August 16, 1819, during an event which shook his native England. The next month, word reached Italy, and upon receiving word of the protest gone awry, he immediately started work on a poem, and finished it before the end of the month (White 105). It became â€Å"The Masque of Anarchy.† Written in light of the 1819 Manchester Massacre, it demonstrates Shelley’s political stance, in that he detested the British government yet was terrified of the chaos and violence of a revolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Manchester Massacre, also called the Peterloo Massacre due to the name of the specific location--St. Peter’s Field--as well as its temporal proximity to the battle of Waterloo, took place on the field in the city, and featured such noted speakers of the day as Richard Carlile, John Cartwright, and Henry Hunt, all known for their contrarian views of the government (Bloy). The people there had gathered--fifty to sixty thousand outside of the city of only two hundred thousand, a fourth of the normal population--to protest, among other things, misrepresentation in Parliament (Manchester and other new industrial cities didn’t have any parliamentary representation, but much, much smaller townships did). However, such a large gathering, peaceful or not, would and did arouse the suspicions of the government, especially a bloated and corrupt government like England’s in the early nineteenth century. The English government, fearful of a violent uprising, took the first strike and sent more than sixteen hundred troops: cavalry, infantry, artillery, and even dispatched the local yeomanry and co... ... but also refreshes and soothes the mind from its radical feelings. Sources Cited: Bloy, Marjie. â€Å"The Peterloo Massacre, 16 August 1819.† A Web of English History. 18 Aug. 2001. 9 May 2002 . Cameron, Kenneth Neill. Shelley: The Golden Years. Cambridge: Harvard, 1974. â€Å"Map of Peterloo.† Peterloo. 29 Dec. 2000. 9 May 2002 . â€Å"Peterloo Massacre.† Peterloo. 29 Dec. 2000. 9 May 2002 . Noyes, Russell. â€Å"Percy Bysshe Shelley.† English Romantic Poetry and Prose. New York: Oxford, 1967. 954-965. Shelley, Percy Bysshe. â€Å"The Mask of Anarchy.† English Romantic Poetry and Prose. Ed. Russell Noyes. New York: Oxford, 1967. 1052-1057. White, Newman Ivey. Shelley. Vol. 2. New York: Octagon, 1972.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Income Tax

History Income tax levels in India were very high during 1950-1980, in 1970-71 there were 11 tax slabs with highest tax rate being 93. 5% including surcharges. In 1973-74 highest rate was 97. 5%. But to reduce tax evasion tax rates were reduced later on, by â€Å"1992-93† maximum tax rates were reduced to 40%. [2][3] [edit]Residential status, Scope of taxable income & Charge [edit]Charge to Income-taxWhose income exceeds the maximum amount, which is not chargeable to the income tax, is an assesse, and shall be chargeable to the income tax at the rate or rates prescribed under the finance act for the relevant assessment year, shall be determined on basis of his residential status. Income tax is a tax payable, at the rate enacted by the Union Budget (Finance Act) for every Assessment Year, on the Total Income earned in the Previous Year by every Person. The chargeability is based on nature of income, i. e. , whether it is revenue or capital.The rates of taxation of income are-: Income Tax Rates/Slabs Rate (%) (applicable for assessment year 2013-14) Net income range (For resident woman below 60 years on the last day of the previous year)Net income range (For resident senior citizen1)Net income range (For super senior citizen2)Net income range (For any other person excluding companies and co-operative societies)Income Tax rates3 Up to Rs. 200000Up to Rs. 250000Up to Rs. 500000Up to Rs. 200000Nil Rs. 200001-500000Rs. 250001-500000-Rs. 200001-50000010% Rs. 500001-1000000Rs. 500001-1000000Rs. 00001-1000000Rs. 500001-100000020% Above Rs. 1000000Above Rs. 1000000Above Rs. 1000000Above Rs. 100000030% ^1 Senior citizen is one who is 60 years or more at any time during the previous year but not more than 80 years on the last day of the previous year. ^2 Super senior citizen is one who is 80 years or more at any time during the previous year. ^3 Surcharge isn't applicable for any person excluding companies whose taxable income exceed Rs. 1 crore. Education cess at 2 % and Secondary and higher education cess at 1% of income-tax applicable for all person.These slab-rates aren't applicable for the incomes which are to be taxed at special rates under section 111A, 112, 115, 161, 164 and 167. For instance, long-term capital gains (except the one mentioned in section 10(38))for all assessees is taxable at 20%. [edit]Residential Status The residential status of the assessee is useful in determining the scope or chargeability of the income for the assessee, i. e, whether taxable or not. For an individual person, to be a resident, any one of the following basic conditions must be satisfied:- Presence of at least 182 days in India during the previous year.Presence of at least 60 days in India during the previous year and 365 days during 4 years immediately preceding the relevant previous year. However, in case the individual is an Indian citizen who leaves India during the previous year for the purpose of employment (or as a member of a crew of an Indian ship) or in case the individual is a person of Indian origin who comes on a visit to India during the previous year, then only the first of the above basic condition is applicable.To determine whether the resident individual is ordinarily resident the following both additional conditions are to be satisfied:- Resident in India in at least 2 out of 10 years immediately preceding the relevant previous year. Presence of at least 730 days in India during 7 years immediately preceding the relevant previous year. If the individual resident satisfies only one or none of the additional conditions, then he is not ordinarily resident. In case the person is not an individual or an HUF, then the residential status can only be either resident or non-resident) [edit]Residential status of a person other than an individual Type of personControl & management of affairs of the taxpayer is wholly in IndiaControl & management of affairs of the taxpayer is wholly outside IndiaControl & management of af fairs of the taxpayer is partly in India partly outside India HUF1ResidentNon-residentResident FirmResidentNon-residentResident Association of personsResidentNon-residentResident Indian company2ResidentResidentResidentForeign company3ResidentNon-residentNon-resident Any other person except an individualResidentNon-residentResident ^1 After determining whether an HUF is resident or non-resident, the additional conditions (as laid down for an individual) should be checked for the karta to determine whether the HUF is ordinary or not-ordinary resident. ^2 An Indian company is the one which satisfies the conditions as laid down under section 2(26) of the Act. ^3 Foreign company is the one which satisfies the conditions as laid down under section 2(23A) of the Act. [edit]Scope of total incomeIndian income1 is always taxable in India notwithstanding residential status of the taxpayer. Foreign income1 is not taxable in the hands of a non-resident in India. For resident (in case of firm, as sociation of persons, company and every other person) or resident & ordinarily resident (in case of an individual or an HUF), foreign income is always taxable. For resident but not ordinarily resident foreign income is taxable only if it is business income and business is controlled wholly or partly in India or it is a professional income and profession is set up in India. 1 Foreign income is the one which satisfies both the following conditions:- Income is not received (or not deemed to be received under section 7) in India, and Income doesn't accrue (or doesn't deemed to be accrued under section 9) in India. If such an income satisfies one or none the above conditions then it is an Indian income. [edit]Heads of Income The total income of a person is segregated into five heads:- Income from Salary Income from house property Income from business or profession Capital Gain and Income from other sources [edit]Income from SalaryAll income received as salary under Employer-Employee rela tionship is taxed under this head, on due or receipt basis, whichever arises earlier. Employers must withhold tax compulsorily (subject to Section 192), if income exceeds minimum exemption limit, as Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), and provide their employees with a Form 16 which shows the tax deductions and net paid income. The Act contains exemptions including (the list isn't exhaustive):- ParticularsRelevant section for computing exemption Leave travel concession10(5) Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity10(10)Commuted value of Pension (not taxable for specified Government employees)10(10A) Leave encashment10(10AA) Retrenchment Compensation10(10B) Compensation received at time of Voluntary Retirement10(10C) Tax on perquisite paid by employer10(10CC) Amount received from Superannuation Fund to legal heirs of employee10(13) House Rent Allowance10(13A) Some Special Allowances10(14) The Act contains list of Perquisites which are always taxable in all cases and a list of Perquisites which are ex empt in all cases (List I). All other Perquisites are to be calculated according to specified provision and rules for each.Only two deductions are allowed under Section 16, viz. Professional Tax and Entertainment Allowance (the latter only available for specified government employees). [edit]Income from House property Income under this head is taxable if the assessee is the owner of a property consisting of building or land appurtenant thereto and is not used by him for his business or professional purpose. An individual or an Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) is eligible to claim any one property as Self-occupied if it is used for own or family's residential purpose.In that case, the Net Annual Value (as explained below) will be nil. Such a benefit can only be claimed for one house property. However, the individual (or HUF) will still be entitled to to claim Interest on borrowed capital as deduction under section 24, subject to some conditions. In the case of a self occupied house deduc tion on account of interest on borrowed capital is subject to a maximum limit of Rs. 1,50,000 (if loan is taken on or after 1 April 1999 and construction is completed within 3 years) and Rs. 30,000 (if the loan is taken before 1 April 1999).For let-out property, all interest is deductible, with no upper limits. The balance is added to taxable income. The computation of income from let-out property is as under:- Gross Annual Value (GAV)1xxxx Less:Municipal Taxes paid(xxx) Net Annual Value (NAV)xxxx Less:Deductions under section 242(xxx) Income from House propertyxxxx ^1 The GAV is higher of Annual Letting Value (ALV) and Actual rent received/receivable during the year. The ALV is higher of fair rent and municipal value, but restricted to standard rent fixed by Rent Control Act. 2 Only two deductions are allowed under this heaad by virtue of section 24, viz. , 30% of Net annual value as Standard deduction Interest on capital borrowed for the purpose of acquisition, construction, repai rs, renewals or reconstruction of property (subject to certain provisions).Income from Business or Profession The income referred to in section 28, i. e. , the incomes chargeable as â€Å"Income from Business or Profession† shall be computed in accordance with the provisions contained in sections 30 to 43D. However, there are few more sections under this Chapter, viz. Sections 44 to 44DA (except sections 44AA, 44AB & 44C), which contain the computation completely within itself. Section 44C is a disallowance provision in the case non-residents. Section 44AA deals with maintenance of books and section 44AB deals with audit of accounts. In summary, the sections relating to computation of business income can be grouped as under: – Specific deductionsSections 30 to 37 cover expenses which are expressly allowed as deduction while computing business income. Specific disallowanceSections 40, 40A and 43B cover inadmissible expenses.Deemed IncomesSections 33AB, 33ABA, 33AC, 35A, 35ABB, 41. Special provisionsSections 42, 43C, 43D, 44, 44A, 44B, 44BB, 44BBA, 44BBB, 44DA, 44DB. Presumptive IncomeSections 44AD, 44AE. The computation of income under the head â€Å"Profits and Gains of Business or Profession† depends on the particulars and information available. [4] If regular books of accounts are not maintained, then the computation would be as under: – Income (including Deemed Incomes) chargeable as income under this head xxx Less: Expenses deductible (net of disallowances) under this ead xxx Profits and Gains of Business or Profession xxx However, if regular books of accounts have been maintained and Profit and Loss Account has been prepared, then the computation would be as under: –Net Profit as per Profit and Loss Account xxx Add : Inadmissible Expenses debited to Profit and Loss Account xxx Deemed Incomes not credited to Profit and Loss Account xxx xxx Less: Deductible Expenses not debited to Profit and Loss Account xxx Incomes charge able under other heads credited to Profit & Loss A/c xxx xxx Profits and Gains of Business or Profession xxx [edit]Income from Capital Gains Transfer of capital assets results in capital gains. A Capital asset is defined under section 2(14) of the I. T. Act, 1961 as property of any kind held by an assessee such as real estate, equity shares, bonds, jewellery, paintings, art etc. but does not include some items like any stock-in-trade for businesses and personal effects. Transfer has been defined under section 2(47) to include sale, exchange, relinquishment of asset extinguishment of rights in an asset, etc. Certain transactions are not regarded as ‘Transfer' under section 47. Computation of Capital Gains:- Full value of consideration1xxx Less:Cost of acquisition2(xx)Less:Cost of improvement2(xx) Less:Expenditure pertaining to transfer incurred by the transferor(xx) ^1 In case of transfer of land or building, if sale consideration is less than the stamp duty valuation, then suc h stamp duty value shall be taken as full value of consideration by virtue of Section 50C. The transferor is entitled to challenge the stamp duty valuation before the Assessing Officer. ^2 Cost of acquisition & cost of improvement shall be indexed in case the capital asset is long term. For tax purposes, there are two types of capital assets: Long term and short term. Transfer of long term assets gives rise to long term capital gains.The benefit of indexation is available only for long term capital assets. If the period of holding is more than 36 months, the capital asset is long term, otherwise it is short term. However, in the below mentioned cases, the capital asset held for more than 12 months will be treated as long term:- Any share in any company Government securities Listed debentures Units of UTI or mutual fund, and Zero-coupon bond Also, in certain cases, indexation benefit is not be available even though the capital asset is long term. Such cases include depreciable asset (Section 50), Slump Sale (Section 50B), Bonds/debentures (other than capital indexed bonds) and certain other express provisions in the Act.There are different scheme of taxation of long term capital gains. These are: As per Section 10(38) of Income Tax Act, 1961 long term capital gains on shares or securities or mutual funds on which Securities Transaction Tax (STT) has been deducted and paid, no tax is payable. STT has been applied on all stock market transactions since October 2004 but does not apply to off-market transactions and company buybacks; therefore, the higher capital gains taxes will apply to such transactions where STT is not paid. In case of other shares and securities, person has an option to either index costs to inflation and pay 20% of indexed gains, or pay 10% of non indexed gains.The cost inflation index rates are released by the I-T department each year. In case of all other long term capital gains, indexation benefit is available and tax rate is 20%. All capi tal gains that are not long term are short term capital gains, which are taxed as such: Under section 111A, for shares or mutual funds where STT is paid, tax rate is 10% from Assessment Year (AY) 2005-06 as per Finance Act 2004. With effect from AY 2009-10 the tax rate is 15%. In all other cases, it is part of gross total income and normal tax rate is applicable. For companies abroad, the tax liability is 20% of such gains suitably indexed (since STT is not paid).Besides exemptions under section 10(33), 10(37) & 10(38) certain specific exemptions are available under section 54, 54B, 54D, 54EC, 54F, 54G & 54GA. [edit]Income from Other Sources This is a residual head, under this head income which does not meet criteria to go to other heads is taxed. There are also some specific incomes which are to be always taxed under this head. Income by way of Dividends. Income from horse races/lotteries. Employees' contribution towards staff welfare scheme. Interest on securities (debentures, Gov ernment securities and bonds). Any amount received from keyman insurance policy as donation. Gifts (subject to certain conditions and exemptions). Interest on compensation/enhanced compensation. edit]Permissible deductions from Gross Total Income This section requires expansion. (November 2012) While exemptions is on income some deduction in calculation of taxable income is allowed for certain payments given under Chapter VI-A ie. , sections 80C to 80U. [edit]Section 80C Deductions Section 80C of the Income Tax Act [1] allows certain investments and expenditure to be deducted from total income up to the maximum of 1 lac. The total limit under this section is ? 100,000 ) which can be any combination of the below: Contribution to Provident Fund or Public Provident Fund. PPF provides 8. 8% [5] return compounded annually. Maximum limit to contribute in it is 100,000 for each year.It is a long term investment with complete withdrawal not possible till 15 years though partial withdrawal i s possible after 5 years. The interest earned on PPF investments is not taxable. Besides, there is employee providend fund which is deducted from the salary of the person. This is about 10% to 12% of the BASIC salary component. Recent changes are being discussed regarding reducing the instances of withdrawal from EPF especially when one changes the job. EPF has the option of full settlement on leaving the job, taking VRS, retirement after 58. It also has options of withdrawal for certain expenses related to home, marriage or medical. EPF contribution includes 12% of basic salary from employee and employer. It is distributed in ratio of 8. 33:3. 7 in Pension fund and Providend fund Payment of life insurance premium. It is allowed on premium paid on self, spouse and children even if they are not dependent on father or mother. Investment in pension Plans. National Pension Scheme is meant to save money for the post retirement which invests money in different combination of equity and de bt. depending upon age up to 50% can go in equity. Annuity payable after retirement is dependent upon age. NPS has six fund managers. Individual can make minimum contribution of Rs6000/- . It has 22 point of purchase (banks). Investment in Equity Linked Savings schemes (ELSS) of mutual funds. Among other investment opportunities, ELSS has the least lock-in period of 3 years.However, one should note that after the Direct Tax Code is in place, ELSS will no longer be an investment for 80C deduction. Investment in National Savings Certificates (interest of past NSCs is reinvested every year and can be added to the Section 80 limit) Tax saving Fixed Deposits provided by banks for a tenure of 5 years. Interest is also taxable. Payments towards principal repayment of housing loans. Also any registration fee or stamp duty paid. Payments towards tuition fees for children to any school or college or university or similar institution (Only for 2 children) Post office investments The investment can be from any source and not necessarily from income chargeable to tax. edit]Section 80CCF: Investment in Infrastructure Bonds From April, 1 2011, a maximum of ? 20,000 is deductible under section 80CCF provided that amount is invested in infrastructure bonds. This is in addition to the 100,000 deduction allowed under Section 80C. However this deduction has not been extended to Financial year 2012-13. [6] Omiitted with effect from F. Y. 2012-13. [edit]Section 80D: Medical Insurance Premiums Health insurance, popularly known as Mediclaim Policies, provides a deduction of up to 35,000. 00 (? 15,000. 00 for premium payments towards policies on self, spouse and children and ? 15,000. 00 for premium payment towards non-senior citizen dependent parents or ? 20,000. 0 for premium payment towards senior citizen dependent). This deduction is in addition to ? 1,00,000 savings under IT deductions clause 80C. For consideration under a senior citizen category, the incumbent's age should be 60 years during any part of the current fiscal, e. g. for the fiscal year 2010-11, the incumbent should already be 60 as on March 31, 2011), This deduction is also applicable to the cheques paid by proprietor firm. [edit]Interest on Housing Loans Section For self occupied properties, interest paid on a housing loan up to Rs 150,000 per year is exempt from tax. This deduction is in addition to the deductions under sections 80C, 80CCF and 80D.However, this is only applicable for a residence constructed within three financial years after the loan is taken and also the loan if taken after April 1, 1999. If the house is not occupied due to employment, the house will be considered self occupied. For let out properties, the entire interest paid is deductible under section 24 of the Income Tax act. However, the rent is to be shown as income from such properties. 30% of rent received and municipal taxes paid are available for deduction of tax. The losses from all properties shall be allowed to be adjusted against salary income at the source itself. Therefore, refund claims of T. D. S. deducted in excess, on this count, will no more be necessary. 7] [edit]Section 80DDB : Deduction in respect of Medical Treatment, etc Deduction is allowed to resident individual or HUF in respect of expenditure actually during the PY incurred for the medical treatment of specified disease or ailment as specified in the rules 11DD for himself or a dependent relative or a member of a HUF[8] [edit]Refund Status State Bank of India (SBI) is the refund banker to the Indian Income Tax Department(ITD). Your tax refund details are sent to SBI, by the Income tax department. Then SBI will process the refund, and send you the refund intimation. While filing your return you can choose any one of the two Refund modes ECS or Paper(cheque). The refund status can be checked online at the NSDL site. [edit]Due Date of submission of returnThe due date of submission of return shall be ascertained according to section 139(1) of the Act as under:- September 30 of the Assessment Year(AY)-If the assessee is a company (not having any inter-nation transaction), or -If the assessee is any person other than a company whose books of accounts are required to be audited under any law, or -If the assessee is a working partner in a firm whose books of accounts are required to be audited under any law. November 30 of the AYIf the assessee is a company and it is required to furnish report under section 92E pertaining to international transactions. July 31 of the AYIn any other case. [edit]Advance Tax Under this scheme, every assessee is required to pay tax in a particular financial year, preceding the assessment year, on an estimated basis. However, if such estimated income is less than Rs. 10000, then no advance tax is payable. The due dates of payment of advance tax are:- In case of corporate assesseeOtherwiseOn or before 15 June of the previous yearUpto 15% of advance tax payable- On or before 15 Se ptember of the previous yearUpto 45% of advance tax payableUpto 30% of advance tax payable On or before 15 December of the previous yearUpto 75% of advance tax payableUpto 60% of advance tax payable On or before 15 March of the previous yearUpto 100% of advance tax payableUpto 100% of advance tax payable Any default in payment of advance tax attracts penalty under section 234B and any deferment of advance tax attracts penalty under section 234C. [edit]Tax deducted at Source (TDS) The general rule is that the total income of an assessee for the previous year is taxable in the relevant assessment year. however income-tax is recovered from the assessee in the previous year itself by way of TDS.The relevant provisions therein are listed below. (To be used for reference only. The detailed provisions therein are not listed below. 1) SectionNature of paymentThreshold limit (upto which no tax is deductible)TDS to be deducted 192Salary to any personExemption limitAs specified for individual in Part III of I Schedule 193 2Interest on securities to any residentSubject to detailed provisions of given section10% 194A 2Interest (other than interest on securities) to any residentRs. 10000 (for Bank/cooperative bank) & Rs. 5000 otherwise10% 194BWinning from lotteries etc. to any personRs. 1000030% 194BBWinning from horse races to any personRs. 500030% 94C 2Payment to resident contractorsRs. 30000 (for single contract) & Rs. 75000 (for aggregate consideration in a financial year)2% (for companies/firms) & 1% otherwise 194DInsurance commission to residentRs. 2000010% 194EPayment to non-resident sportsmen or sports associationNot applicable10% 194EEPayment of deposit under National Savings Scheme to any personRs. 250020% 194GCommission on sale of lottery tickets to any personRs. 100010% 194H 2Commission/brokerage to a residentRs. 500010% 194-I 2Rents paid to any residentRs. 1800002% (for plant,machinery,equipment) & 10% (for land,building,furniture) 194J 2Fees for professional/t echnical services; RoyaltyRs. 000010% 194LBInterest paid by Infrastructure Development Fund under section 10(47) to non-resident or foreign company-5% 195Interest or other sums (not being salary) paid to non-residents or foreign company except under section 115O-As per double taxation avoidance treaty ^1 At what time tax has to be deducted at source and some other specifications are subject to the above sections. ^2 In most cases, these payments shall not to deducted by an individual or an HUF if books of accounts are not required to be audited in the immediately preceding financial year. In most cases, the tax deducted should be deposited within 7 days from the end of the month in which tax was deducted. [edit]Corporate Income taxFor companies, income is taxed at a flat rate of 30% for Indian companies, with a 5% surcharge applied on the tax paid by companies with gross turnover over ? 1 crore (10 million). Foreign companies pay 40%. [9] An education cess of 3% (on both the tax and the surcharge) are payable, yielding effective tax rates of 32. 5% for domestic companies and 41. 2% for foreign companies. [10] From 2005-06, electronic filing of company returns is mandatory. [11] [edit]Tax Returns There are five categories of Income Tax returns. Normal Return Belated Return Revised Return Defective Return Returns In Response To Notices [edit]Normal Return Returns filed within the return filing due date, that is 31 July or 30 September of concerned assessment year. [12] [edit]Belated ReturnIn case of failure to file the return on or before the due date, belated return can be filed before the expiry of one year from the end of the relevant assessment year. [edit]Revised Return In case of any omission or any wrong statement mentioned in the normal return can be revised at any time before the expiry of one year from the end of the relevant assessment year. [edit]Defective Return Assessing Officer considers that the return is defective, he may intimate the defect. On e has to rectify the defect within a period of fifteen days from the date of such intimation. If the assessee wants more time, he can file an application to the A O and a further 15 days can be granted at the instance of the A O. [edit]Returns In Response To NoticesAssessing officer in the process of making assessment, may serve a notice under various sections like 142(1), 148(1), 153A(a) or 153C. Returns are required to be furnished within the date specified on the respective notices. [edit]Annual Information Return and Statements [edit]Annual Information Return Those who is responsible for registering, or, maintaining books of account or other documents containing a record of any specified financial transaction,[13] shall furnish an annual information return in Form No. 61A. [edit]Statements By Producers Producers of a cinematographic film during the financial year shall, prepare and deliver to the Assessing Officer a statement in the Form No. 2A, within 30 days from the end of su ch financial year or within 30 days from the date of the completion of the production of the film, whichever is earlier. [edit]Statements By Non-Resident Having A Liaison Office In India With effect from 01,June 2011, Non-Resident having a liaison office in India shall prepare and deliver a statement in Form No. 49C to the Assessing Officer within sixty days from the end of such financial year. [edit]Tax Penalties The major number of penalties initiated every year as a ritual by I-T Authorities is under section 271(1)(c)[14] which is for either concealment of income or for furnishing inaccurate particulars of income. If the Assessing Officer or the Commissioner (Appeals) or the Commissioner in the course of any proceedings under this Act, is satisfied that any person- (b) has failed to comply with a notice under sub-section (1) of section 142 or sub-section (2) of section 143 or fails to comply with a direction issued under sub-section (2A) of section 142, or (c) has concealed the p articulars of his income or furnished inaccurate particulars of such income, he may direct that such person shall pay by way of penalty,- (ii) in the cases referred to in clause (b), in addition to any tax payable by him, a sum of ten thousand rupees for each such failure; (iii) in the cases referred to in clause (c), in addition to any tax payable by him, a sum which shall not be less than, but which shall not exceed three times, the amount of tax sought to be evaded by reason of the concealment of particulars of his income or the furnishing of inaccurate particulars of such income. Income Tax The tax code/law which mandates this type of taxation. The government imposed a tax on the income generated by institutions and individuals within the jurisdiction is income tax. The law dictates that every person and business shall pay income tax. It acts as a source of revenue for the government as the taxes s used to serve the interest of the public within the country. The use of progressive tax system is common in most nations access the globe based on the high level of effectiveness involved in the practice. It makes people that earn highly to be taxed more while people that earn a minimal amount of tax would have taxed less. It is a fare system that the government promotes on the basis of promoting fairness with the cultural setting of the country. The paper entails a detailed discussion about income tax system in a developed country such as Australia. Any guideline/interpretation for this tax code that has been issued by the government The section 55 of the Australian constitution clearly explains that the parliament has the duty of ensuring that it imposes tax laws. It led to the creation of multiple sectors that give a detailed explanation of how the taxation system of the country should run. Ideally, they provide a clear direction that the government is supposed to take whole addressing touchy issues such as the taxation system in the country (Kayis-Kumar, 2016, p.2). The act of the commonwealth gives the recuse direction that is required about income tax in the country. The income tax assessment act of 1936 clearly gives the precise direction about the steps that are supposed to be followed while taxing individuals and companies in h countries. Its major concern is the system of taxation rather than the other steps that are involved in the process. Therefore, the Australian laws provide a precise direction. The computation of this type of taxation After the implementation of the act, various amendments have been done depending on the economic and political set-up of the country. Uncommented amendments and proposal have occurred over the past few years based on the complexity and nature involved in the creation of precise laws that are meant to cater for the needs of the people rather than for a specific group. The modifications made were based on various economic factors that cannot be ignored. Factors such as inflation and economic recession are unexpected events that the government needs to ensures that the laws are created in such a manner that the issues are addressed in the most effective way without affecting the genera; economic set up of the country (Potter & Greber, 2017, p.1). It is a fundamental aspect that relies on the ability of the public to understand complex issues that surrounds the economy. Basic= 50000 + HRA=20000 + Travel allowance=1000 + Child's educational allowance=200 + Medical allowance=1250 + other allowance=8000The deductions allowed Travel allowance=1000 + Child's educational allowance=200 + Medical allowance=1250 The taxable annual gross income is (80,450-2,450) x 12 =9,36,000. If Mr. Yen makes a declaration that he went a loss on Property. Interest paid Rs.1,00,000. The Gross total income $8,36,000 (9,36,000-1,00,000).Mr. yen $1,00,000 as investment in Section 8 and $25,000 under Section 80, the total taxable $7,11,000 (8,36,000-1,25,000). $2,50,000 nill, next $5,00,000 will be 5% amounting to $25,0000. balance of $11,000, the tax rate=20% amounts to $2,200.Annual tax $53,766 ($ .52,200 in addition to the education and charged at 3% is $.1,566). The monthly tax will be $4,480.50/-.The group of taxpayers who should pay this tax It is important to understand that the calculation of income tax takes places from the income statement. The income statement explains the financial position of the company inclusive of the net and gross income of the process. It is an important element that needs to be placed under a broader consideration based on the nature and complexity of the matter. The income statement offers the general performance of the company within the industry (Richards, 2017, p. 1). one can view the revenue and profits after the taxation and costs. the expense of taxes is the last item before the calculation of the net income. One can utilize the aspect to know the effective tax rate in the case and compute the tax. The division of the expenses of income tax and earnings that were made before taxes gives the effective tax rate that is required. The tax report with its sections Individuals and business are eligible to pay the taxes based on nature and complexity involved in the calculation of the issue. The individuals do not cater for the payment of the taxes through their whole income. The activity takes place through deductions that include mortgage interest, dental and medical bills and education expense which are the basis of a citizen's life within developed countries such as Australia. The understanding of the matter demands a broader line of inclusion based on the fact that limited opportunities are involved in such situations. For business, it is quite different as the IRS has a varying system that ensures that the payment of the taxes takes place in a fair way (Berg ; Davidson, 2017, p.79). The entities such as corporation's sole proprietorship, partnerships report their income to the IRS for a fair tax deduction to effectively take place. Income tax reports have specific sections that need to be included while an individual is making the report about the financial progress of a company within the industry. It is an issue that is reliant on the general understanding of the Australian financial structure. The income section is a place on the report that lists all the income sources for the business it a popular technique of giving reports as it relates with wages, dividends and other specified factors that cannot be ignored while creating a successful taxing structure that is essential to understand and implement. Ideally, the sections give a clear set of how the report takes place. Therefore, the section is an important part of the taxation system that cannot be ignored based on the nature and complexity of the taxation system.The deduction section is also an important part that shows the tax liability in the most appropriate manner that is recommendable by most people. It is effective based on the fact that it gives the precise parts of the report that the deductions are often made I relation to the main matter of concern. It is important to consider the fact that there are some limitations towards the creation of such goals that need to be considered based on the nature and complexity of the matter in the concurrent societal setting of Australia. Most expenses are directly deductible based on the effect that they have on the businesses of a person. Lastly, the tax credit is also a section that amounts all the taxes owed by the individual bossiness entity. The deductions vary among the jurisdiction based on the existing complexity involved in computing some specified aspects. Other Information Income tax plays a key role in the overall wellbeing of the Australian economy. Through the tax, the country can be able to offer vital services to the members of the public. It is of relevance to ensure that all the institutions in the country ensure that they implement the tax based on its necessity and ability to adjust by the marketing skeptics and meet up the needs of the nation. Individual income tax, business income tax, local and state income tax and sale tax make up an essential part of the system that cannot be ignored while creating a reliable system that is able to deal with complex matters that surrounds the creation of a perfect tax system in the country (Diminson, 2017, 1). It is a necessity to understand that the inclusion of the taxes leads to the success of the Australian economy. ReferencesAustralia: An overview of recent tax developments in australia. (2016).  International Tax Review,Potter, B., & Greber, J. (2017).Slugging households ‘no budget fix'.  The Australian Financial Review   Berg, C., & Davidson, S. (2017).â€Å"Stop this greed†: The tax-avoidance political campaign in the OECD and Australia.  Econ Journal Watch,  14(1), 77-102. Dinnison, I. (2017).Australia revamps CFCs yet again.  International Tax Review,  8(3), 9-12.  Raj, O. (2016).Aussies plan to rewrite tax rules.  Business timesRichards, R. (2017).Fringe benefits fly below the radar.  Intheblack,  79(2), 60.Kayis-Kumar, A. (2016).What's BEPS got to do with it? exploring the effectiveness of thin capitalisation rules.  EJournal of Tax Research,  14(2), 359-386.

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Memorable Moment Essay

Growing up I’ve had many memorable and important experiences. A lot of these situations have led me to become a better person. I can say that I have had my share of bad experiences as well, but all have led up  to making me the person I am today. One experience that sticks out among them all is one a little over nine years ago. when I learned a valuable lesson. The most memorable childhood experience I have recalled is when I was nine years old. I grew up with my mom, dad, two sisters and a brother. Being the oldest, I always played as a babysitter for my parents .  One day my parents were getting ready to take my brother and baby sister to the doctor. They went through their precautionary measures before they left like ; locking all the doors, windows, leaving their numbers on the fridge, and so on. before walking out the door my dad told me to do my homework and watch my sister. As they left I decided to disregard everything said and not do my homework or even keep an eye on my sister. I started playing Playstation, I got the new Ratchet and Clank game a week earlier and didn’t want to waste any time in beating it. As the day progressed and I was getting further in the game, I started thinking about when my parents were going to get home. So I paused the game for a little to call them. Getting a hold of them was pretty hard considering my parents never answer their phones, but I eventually got through to my mom. During our conversation my mom asked if I did my homework, tensing up and scared to say no, I replied yes, then she asked about my sister. I had no clue where she could be but I again I replied with a hesitant,† y-y-yes mom she’s in her room sleeping†. Already at lie number two, I swiftly rushed to my sisters room. Slamming the door open in urgency, I quickly scanned the room for any sign of my sister. nowhere to be found, I yelled out â€Å"CELINE! † multiple times. Getting no response, I ran down stairs hastily in search for my sister, thinking about the worst possibilities. Coming to a conclusion she’s not in the house, I hurried to the backward. seeing no sign of her I decided to get my shoes on and go outside. ith still no clue to where she could be, I started knocking on the doors of my neighbors and asking in desperation. ironically my aunt lived a couple houses down, and when I asked her she got a little worried, and replied â€Å"no, why?! Is everything alright?! â€Å". I answered with a simple â€Å"yeah khalte, every thing is good. My mom said she was going to bring Celine over to play with Zeinab and I was wondering if she was still here. â€Å". Lie number three. My aunt being her usual self called my mom as soon as I left, to see what was really going on. Heading back home a while later I saw three missed calls from my mom and I didn’t know what to do, what to say that would get me out of this day trouble less. I called my mom back, wasting no time she started questioning me and asking about my sister. I told her everything was fine and it was just a misunderstanding, lie number four. she bought it, but said they are leaving the doctors. running around frantically I didn’t know where to look and what to say to make this all end. making another round through the house, I noticed my parents just pulling up. y dad walked in first calling my name. I threw in the towel, with nowhere to turn and no one to blame but myself, I went to my dad crying. Taking none of it, he asked â€Å"where is Celine? â€Å", not being to answer with a definite answer I told him, â€Å"I don’t know where she could be baba, I looked everywhere†. Yelling at me for being so irresponsible we both started looking for while my brother, s ister(Adina), and mom were just walking in. my dad went straight to the second floor, looking through room after room, closest after closest, with no luck. On our way down the stairs we saw my baby sister in my mom’s hands sleeping. Awed in belief, I asked my mom where she found Celine? She answered with a calm, â€Å"under the kitchen table†. My dad asked, why I seemed so worried, if I was supposed to have everything under control. Explaining to him, I lied to mom and that I’m really sorry. He then asked if I finished my homework, seeing what the lies did to me before, I answered with an honest, â€Å"No Baba†. He then told me, â€Å"yallah baba, finish it so I can take everyone out to get some ice cream†. This has become a life lesson and an important milestone in my childhood. Up until this point I would lie unconsciously to get my parents, teachers, friends off my back. Thanks to this experience I stopped all the unnecessary lieing. Realizing that first lie I told my mom was putting my sister in jeopardy and not my self. If something had happened to her I would never be able to live that down. that’s why I have tried to implement a strict â€Å"No lying† policy in my life. This is only one of the many memorable experience I have had from my childhood. All making me the man I am today.