Free help available
Taxpayers urged to file now
By Lori Steinhauer
. Of the Emerald
The final day for filing income taxes is not so
far away, and the sooner 1984 income tax returns
are filed, the earlier the tax refund checks from
the federal Internal Revenue Service and the
Oregon Department of Revenue will appear in the
mail.
But last year slightly more than one-third of
the people filing returns waited until the last
week to do so, and this year returns are coming in
even more slowly, says Dale Potts, public affairs
officer for the IRS in Portland.
Potts says that last-minute returns pile up in
overwhelming numbers. They also tend to have a
lot of errors because they are usually filled out in
a hurry, he says. The backlog translates into a
delay in processing, which can take up to 10
weeks or longer for those returns, Potts says.
The state revenue department and the IRS
have different requirements for individuals who
must file tax returns. Federal exemptions are
granted to individuals with a gross annual in
come of less than $3,300, or less than $400 for
those who are self-employed, or less than $1,000
in unearned income such as stock dividends.
In Oregon, individuals who earn less than
$2,600 gross annual income or married couples
who file joint returns and. together, earn less than
$4,200 are exempt from filing returns.
To qualify for federal exemption, individuals
must not have owed "any taxes in the previous
year, in addition to having no tax liabilities dur
ing the current year. But the state regulations on
ly pertain to the current year, and exemption
qualifications depend on income, age and
disability.
However, workers who are entitled to exemp
tion. but whose employers take taxes out of their
wages anyway, need to file returns in order to get
the deductions .refunded.
Potts warns , that changes. affecting taxes,
such as salary changes or acquired dependents,
need to -be filed on a new W-4 form with an in
dividual's employers during. t.he year. Fines and
jail sentences can be the penalties for individuals
who are charged with “willfully” filing false W-4
forms, Potts says.
Students have several ways to reduce their
taxable income, Potts says. After five calender
months in school, many full-time students whose
parents provide more than half of their support
can be claimed as dependents by both themselves
and their parents, thereby reducing their taxable
incomes by $1,000 at the federal level. Taxes
would be reduced at the state level by $85 for both
students and their parents.
Some students are eligible for federal-earned
income credit, which is up to a $500 refund for
individuals who provide a home for a dependent
child and who earn less than $10,000 gross an
nual income.
Federal and state returns and payments
postmarked after midnight on April 15 have late
fees accessed to them. However, extensions are
available for people who don’t owe taxes. Special
forms for extensions through Aug. 15 are
available at the city’s IRS office, and copies of the
request must be sent to the IRS and the ODR
before the April 15 deadline.
The ODR has taxpayer assistance lines. In
Eugene the number is 345-7577, and statewide,
the toll-free number is 1-800-452-2838.
The IRS provides volunteers to fill out forms
for people who make roughly less than $20,000 a
year, who are elderly, who are handicapped or
who don't speak English. Potts says many
students have low enough incomes to qualify for
this service.
Individuals can call the toll-free line,
1-800-424-1040, to get a listing of Volunteer In
come Tax Assistance centers in Eugene.
Federal tax forms are available at the IRS of
fice, 211 East 7th Ave., and state tax forms are
available at the ODR office, 398 High St. in
Eugene. In addition, forms are still available at
some area post offices.
An individual’s income and residential status
determines which forms he or she should file.
Students’ course evaluations to
appear in ASUO ’ s spring guide
By Jolayne Houtz
. Of the Emerald #
The ASUO Course Guide for spring term will
be available Tuesday morning, but this time it
will contain some different and perhaps more in
teresting information for students.
The Student 'University Affairs Board con
ducted a pilot project this term' in which 20
University courses were evaluated by- students
and the results tabulated, to be printed along with
students’ written comments in the Course Guide.
"It's an effort to introduce a new concept and
„ let people see that it’s not a wicked, awful tool,”
says Roscoe Caron, SUAB member, who has been
working for legislation that would allow students
access to all teacher and course evaluations.
SUAB members asked a number of professors
of large, introductory-type classes to allow them
to conduct evaluations in lieu of the usual depart
mental evaluations.
While a few faculty members responded
negatively, most professors agreed to the idea,
and eventually 20 professors of classes ranging
from business to literature signed release forms
and allowed SUAB members to conduct the
evaluations.
The evaluation forms were, drawn up ex
pressly fpr the project, with the help of Richard
Rankin, educational psychology professor;
. The results were tabulated by the University
Computer Center and" printed this week, says An
dy. Peterson, another SUAB member.
The project, which cost approximately $180.
was paid for with extra money in the SUAB
budget. Peterson says. ' • ' ;
The tabulated results were sent to the pro
fessors prior to publication to give them a chance
to respond, ah action which acts as a “safeguard”
for the project, Caron says.
“Students seemed genuinely appreciative
and took the project very seriously,” Caron says.
. Caron says SUAB members hope to go back
to the same classes at the end of spring term and
survey students to determine if they took the class
because of the printed ASUO Course Guide
results.
A motion to allow students access to teacher
and course evaluations in the library, the
academic advising office and the departments
where the course is offered is currently in the
University Assembly and will be decided by the
end of April or the first part of May, Caron says.
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