European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes sunday january 31,19b8 business hews business has never been worse for Frank j. Hay an Eriswell. England based car Salesman who has marketed tax free aulos 10 american service people for inc Lasi -5  if i m not Selling cars says May nobody  s business fell off by nearly 35 percent last year a drop he attributes not so much to he Dollar s de Clining purchasing Power but father the fierce feelings americans Hove far their currency. It s More of a psychological Factor says May. Americans have a treat Pride in the Dollar. If inc Dollar is weak they think something is  to escape those feelings he says americans avoid buying foreign currency As much As possible. Those feelings will change May believes when the Dollar  s just a question of Linin. Until people get used to the Exchange  May s theory is Correct sales should Start picking up very soon. In the face of concerted Central Bank support for the Dollar at current Levels most currency traders arc revising their predictions for the Green Back s performance in the a car future. Bankers and traders who As recently As the Start of inc year were predicting a Greenback around inc 1,50 Mark level now say the Dollar will Likely remain above 1.60 Marks to the Dollar and around si.80 Lohi British Pound at least until summer. I pc a very tight Range for the Dollar at the moment the treasurer of an american Bank in fish Kurt said in Germany i believe it s bal Wen 1.65 and 1.70marks, and the Market is behaving As if the National Banks will come in to support that Range. When the Rale approaches inc Bottom you re going to sic the Market coming in to support inc Dollar Al Arounia 1.68 Marks the Market has been coming in to move the Dollar  think Well Sec that until inc next round of Irac figures arc released in two  Dollar held steady on International currency markets last week despite news that the american Economy clipped along at a healthy 4.2 percent growth Rale in the loss Quarter of 1987 and thai personal in come  s report on the . Gross National product the widest measure of a country s output of goods and services received mixed reactions among traders when it became Clear that much of the growth came from a surge in inventories of manufactured goods. Such Large inventories could Lead businesses to Cut Back production in inc coming months contributing to whal economists fear will be a Quarter of Ero or negative growth for the Economy later Mil year. By general Rule two consecutive quarters of negative growth signify a  there remains some question about Icse inventories one German banker noted Friday. We Haven t received a breakdown on How much of it is imported goods and big stocks of imports that have not sold would be a positive sign for the . Trade picture. We i Ould take some Comfort in  further to the Exchange markets wait and see stance in the past week were lingering doubts about any real Cai warm improvement in the Ameri can Irac deficit. Trade figures released Jan i showed a w billion improvement in the current account imbalance Bui As one currency trader put in one month s gain does t signify a trend. Added another Washington s figures showed improvement Tokyo s did Noi the japanese reported the same Large Trade surplus with the . For the same  s a question of what you want to believe. Perhaps inc largest Factor in the Dollar s stability last week however remains the careful play of the Banks and Exchange firms  that the members of the group of seven industrialized nations now Are willing to Back up their Call for a stable Dollar the Markd has reacted to keep inc Dollar Al current Levels and inc Central Banks from intervening traders said adding credence to the notion that traders Are will inn to toll ran Nai trading the Maricl largely ignored a Commerce department report released thursday that showed americans earning More a 0.7 percent in crease in the final Quarter of Lasi year and spending More. Consumption grew by 0.5 percent in inc same  a London trader. There is an encouraging mood about the Dollar. We re going to be in for a period of  toy sales rack up gains with yuletide standby by . Kohl Nickl Bijj Komick financial writer by All counts the 1987 Christmas toy season was to have been a glum Lime for toy Sellers. Consumer spending had been sluggish All year and the october Slock Market crash economists predicted would Likely keep Consumers at Home during the yuletide press. Adding timbre to those Low notes the toy Industry had failed for a second straight year to come up with a product hot enough to replace the popular cabbage Patch kids forcing Many retailers to begin discounting their Ware As Early As mid november but led by a stable of such Seal warts As the Barbie doll and i Joe . Toy retailers managed to find plenty of Holiday cheer before die final 25,000 kinds of toys year round. While toys a us Doo not discuss sales for specific regions officials at the Rochelle Park  firm said they were very pleased with Mies Al Shenew stores in Germany and its 13 outlets in England Joseph Bamako president of the firm s International division said the four store in Germany no Essen Koblenz kaisers Laurent and Wiesbaden Hove done very very Well since their  company plans to move into France nest a car and will invade Italy in inc Early 1990s, he snid. Baczko said his firm does t consider the Exchange service As Competition noting that Essen and Koblenz arc not near american troop bases. Rather he said the firm looks no the overseas military Market As More of Mana Cash to Cisler Ranil out the shopping year or Ink m m Uvyn cd a Mimer Mem i u Muir Vitot Frame Stargil toy seller posted a a Bonus adding that the company s huge toy stocks sales boost of More than 30 percent for the Christmas should continue to attract military customers. Theses Oost o Morta percen or e period Over the same time the year before on sales of ii. 36 billion. Other Large toy retailers racked up Gams of Between 12 percent and 28 percent Over 19s6, according to company  same rend held locally where toy sales at Mili Shoul 10 Ai Iraci Cusp Mars. J a exchanges do a Good Job on seasonal stuff such As around Christmas he said. But we keep the Sam assortment year round so you can always expect to find what you re looking for no matter what Lime of year it  to Mill year in is. Lara Exchange stores in Europe jumped 30 percent to sales figures for the three Navy Exchange regions in nearly 123 million according to Guy Ormiston who Europe were not immediately available. However Theu a a a r in  Fet Vicc i n Chain s Mediterranean Region rns cd a Sain increase of Neary Mon Heads the army and air Force Exchange service s inventory management Branch in Munich. The figures reded sales from mid september through dec. 24. Leading die Way in cafes Europe stores Ormiston said was Barbie a toy shelf Veteran of 28 years vol cd Queen of inc Loy hit Parade for 1987 by the mag Azine toy and Hobby  Barbie at the top of the sales list e cil Joe and assorted talking toys. Drop no mme. Chain Mediterranean n Poste a Sain increase of 28 percent Over last year with Sale of j 497,456 for the Holiday period beginning sept. 29 and ending dec. 31. Acc Cipols for the same period last year totalled j387.690, Exchange officials said. The service Sells to about 16,000 patrons at such bases As Napka Italy Suda Bay Crete and is Gonella Sicily while such products Vista scr tag and if dolts All made Strong showings the old standbys were the Best Ormison said. Exchange sales might have been even stronger officials noted if some outlets Hadnot been forced to Hall their layaway pro Grams during the Christmas sales period. We simply ran out of storage space at some locations and had to Stop accept Inglada ways an cafes Europe spokesman said. The Exchange service s surge in sales comes despite the opening in october of the firs toys it us stores in  credits the weak Dollar for keep ing most military shoppers on base during the Christmas press but noted that the Exchange will Likely reduce Stock depth and broaden its line items for a cite year in 1987. The Exchange service s Christmas to lands offered 1,200 different items in 50 categories toys a us stocks 1987 _ Christmas toy sales Navy Exchange sales o $495,459 toys r1 us sales ol$1.36 billion cafes sales of $23 million irs kelp is available for people who find new tax Laws confusing Washington a income lax forms have drifted into millions of american mailboxes and with inc Days Licking away toward april 15, Many people Are considering be Cong help in dealing with the new tax Laws. Internal Revenue service officials say people who have done thei r own taxes in the past should be Able to Cope with the new forms. But icy wrote the forms so the Job looks simple to them. For the Resl of us the Choice is to learn a new system or get help. The irs already has offered to assist peo ple sending out Post Cardi in August to everyone who filed a tax form last year. Those cards offered a free Booklet explaining the new lax Law and about 9 Mil lion people requested a copy. That s Only about 10 percent of be la payers. Though. The other 90 percent can Mill gel copies of publication 920 explanation of the tax Reform att of 1986 for individuals by writing to the address listed in the Back of their tax packets. For those who have needed help in the past or who Don l want to learn a new form the answer probably Uto seek help again this year. Help can Range from asking your Cousin for hand to High la paid Prufer Sion Allax and financial advisers. And Here is a wide Range in Between. Then Are no National educational � professional requirements for tax preparers hut Inere Are specific types who do meet iian Dards Lac in clude enrolled agents certified Public accountants and attorneys. Folks shopping for a tax preparer May be confused by the variety of choices. The National belter business bureaus have put together a Booklet explaining the various types of preparer and what they do. Tips on tax preparers is available by sending ii and a stamped self addressed Long envelope to coun cil of better business bureaus 1515 Wilson Boulevard Arlington a. 22209. When considering hiring someone to help with your taxes there Are several question that need to be an swered. Here Are things the belter business Bureau says to ask what tax preparation training and experience docs the preparer have How does the preparer keep up to Dale on changes in the tax Laws is the return audited for accuracy Only by the preparer or is in double checked by someone else too is it checked manually or by computer is it cheeked Only for main errors or for possible errors in interpretation of la rul7 what is the fee and How is it determined most service have a set schedule of Chart according to the number of forms that Are used. Professionals often charge by the hour. Bui costs can vary widely