Washington Department of Revenue wins national award

Latest available data from the U.S. Small Business Administration says there were 546,885 small businesses in our state in 2010. That's 98.1 percent of all businesses in Washington! Hence, the reason you often hear people referring to small business as the backbone of our economy.

So when the Department of Revenue came up with a mobile app for both iPhone and Android to help all these businesses easily file and pay taxes accurately, the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA) took notice and gave our state its 2013 Award for Outstanding Compliance Program.

The award recognizes the department's mobile device application that helps taxpayers, especially small businesses, determine the right sales tax rates to charge customers.

FTA judges said our state was the first to identify a compelling taxpayer need and meet it with a mobile app.

Read the Department of Revenue's news release.

You might be richer than you think!

Have you ever moved out of an apartment and not gotten those irritating utility deposits back? Did your Nana start you a savings account on your 1st birthday that nobody told you about? Does your insurance company owe you for an accidental overpayment?

You probably don't have any idea if there's a little nest egg out there with your name on it, but the Washington State Department of Revenue just might. At any given time, the department has tens of millions of dollars in unclaimed property and they would love to help you recover any that might belong to you.

The first step is to check this website and enter your name. If something shows up, there are clear instructions on how to get your money or property back.

While most claims are between $50 and $100, there are some big surprises in store for a few lucky people, too. Check out the latest in this Seattle Times story.