Entrepreneurial

– Robin Enos is a contributor to FindLaw’s Free Enterprise blog. FindLaw is a Thomson Reuters publication. This article originally appeared here. –

The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (the “CARD Act”) went into effect on March 22, 2009, but Congress exempted business credit cards.

This new consumer protection law changed the game for credit card companies and consumers, as we blogged about in 2009.

So two years into application of the new law, business credit card users remain at risk for many of the dangers Congress targeted with the CARD Act, reports the Pew Charitable Trust.

Consumers no longer risk exposure to two-cycle billing, unilateral APR increases, and certain fees. But since business cards lack these protections, and many business cards are still backed by their holders’ personal credit, credit card companies have kept a “back door” open to the old practices.

The new rules on 1099 forms, which were attached to the health care bill and are set to go into effect in 2012, call for all businesses, no matter how small, to file 1099 forms for goods as well as for services. That sounds like a technicality, but it’s got small business up in arms.

Here’s why it matters, and what you need to know.

What exactly is the rule, anyway?

The new rule requires all business to file 1099 forms for goods as well as services, if those goods cost over $600 annually (the current threshold). It also gets rid of the distinction between corporations, which previously did not need to receive 1099s, and unincorporated entities, which did. The rule is slated to go into effect in 2012.

Who will it affect?

It will affect all businesses, including sole proprietors, consultants, self-employed people and freelancers, who are considered businesses for tax purposes, but may not think of themselves that way. It also will apply to charities and other tax-exempt organizations. The National Taxpayer Advocate, based on Internal Revenue Service data, figures that it will affect 26 million sole proprietorships, 4 million S corporations, 2 million C corporations, 3 million partnerships, 2 million farms, 1 million charities and other tax-exempt organizations, and likely more than 100,000 federal, state and local government entities. All told, that’s more than 38 million taxpayers and taxpaying entities.

– Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst of The NPD Group, Inc., is a nationally-known expert on consumer behavior and the retail industry. The views expressed are his own. —

These new credit card regulations should be viewed as a big step forward… and they are indeed a big step forward for consumers, especially as they are forced to confront the realities of their credit cards.

As these new credit card regulations go into effect, I hope that they will in fact help consumers manage their credit card debt more effectively. Yes, these changes are a step in the right direction, they inform and empower consumers to manage their credit better. But they still don’t replace the importance of ensuring consumers fully understand how credit cards work.