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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2016)
8 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016 Tax & Finance Tax help available at Siuslaw Public Library Get a head-start on tax season The dawn of a new calendar year often marks the end of the sometimes hectic holiday sea- son. This time of year marks a return to normalcy for many families, as the kids go back to school and parents return to work. The month of January also serves as a great time to start preparing for tax season. While the deadline to file returns may be several months away, get- ting a head-start allows men and women the chance to organize their tax documents so they aren’t racing against a deadline come April. The fol- lowing are a handful of ways to start preparing for your returns now. Find last year’s return. You will need information from last year’s return in order to file this year, so find last year’s return and print it out if you plan to hire a professional to work on your return. Gather dependents’ infor- mation. While you might know your own Social Security num- ber by heart, if you have dependents, you’re going to need their information as well. New parents or adults who started serving as their elderly parents’ primary caretakers over the last year will need their kids’ and their folks’ Social Security numbers. If you do not have these numbers upon filing, your return will likely be delayed and you might even be denied poten- tially substantial tax credits. Gather your year-end financial statements. If you spent the last year investing, Tax time is here and once again AARP will provide free tax preparation service for senior cit- izens and low-income taxpayers. This service will be available every Monday and Thursday (including holidays) from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting Feb. 1 until April 14 in the Bromley Room of the Siuslaw Public Library. In addition, this service will be available on Saturday, April 9. nal additio cost! P S N E S U S I Taxes don’t need to be a cause for worry. From preparing documents ahead of time to contacting all the right people, there are things you can do before April 15. then you will have to pay taxes on any interest earned. Interest earned on the majority of sav- ings accounts is also taxable, so gather all of your year-end financial statements from your assorted accounts in one place. Doing so will make filing your return, whether you do it your- self or work with a profession- al, go more quickly. Speak with your mortgage lender. Homeowners should receive forms documenting their mortgage interest pay- ments for the last year, as the money paid in interest on your home or homes is tax deductible. If these forms are I L E R O F All Glossy Pages your tax preparation specialist now. As April 15 draws closer, tax preparers’ schedules get busier and busier. The earlier you book your appointment, the more likely you are to get a favorable time for that meet- ing. In addition, if you have gathered all of the information you need by early February, then booking your appointment early means you can file earlier and receive any return you might be eligible for that much quicker. Tax season might not be right around the corner, but it’s never too early to start prepar- ing your return. —Metro FREE BOOKLET Advertising Deadline: February 8, 2016 Publication Date: February 27, 2016 2 0 1 5 Since 1986 30TH SS BUSINE RY ECT N O GUIDE IR D RE LOCATIO & ❘ not received in a timely man- ner, speak with your lender. You might even be able to download them from your lender’s secure website. Make a list of your charita- ble contributions. Charitable contributions, no matter how small, are tax deductible. While it’s easiest to maintain a list of all charitable donations you make as the year goes on, if you have not done that, then you can make one now. Look for receipts of all contributions, contacting any charities you donated to if you misplaced any receipts. Book an appointment with them into sharing private infor- mation. Scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request. The IRS reminds taxpayers that it will never: call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportu- nity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement. Fraudulent calls where the IRS is mentioned can be reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. For more information on scams being tracked by the IRS, visit www.irs.gov. Business Profi le ANNUAL PLUS An aggressive and sophisticat- ed phone scam targeting taxpay- ers has been making the rounds throughout the country, includ- ing the Florence area. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identifica- tion badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre- loaded debit card or wire trans- fer. If the victim refuses to coop- erate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or sus- pension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Or, victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick COURTESY PHOTO CE FLOREN B The library is at 1460 Ninth St. in Florence. Please bring your return from last year (including tax docu- ments), a photo ID and Social Security card(s) in addition to your 2015 tax information. Parking is available in the lot across the street from Cross Road Assembly of God Church. Note that there may be days when it is necessary to limit the number of taxpayers processed. Beware of IRS phone scam 2016 Florence Area 31st EDITION r lo Full Co $45 S PECIAL 2016 E DITION ________ Awards Siuslaw ❘ dar ty Calen Communi s + Siuslaw New ❘ ent Governm l. Keep it loca TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 2016 FLORENCE AREA BUSINESS PROFILE, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM, AND FAX, MAIL OR BRING IT IN PERSON TO THE SIUSLAW NEWS OFFICE. TO HAVE A PHOTO TAKEN, CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT. THE SIUSLAW NEWS: 148 MAPLE STREET (P.O. BOX 10) FLORENCE, OR 97439 PHONE: 541-997-3441 • FAX 541-997-7979 BUSINESS NAME (as you wish it to appear in the directory): PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE __________________________________________________________ Reduce the Tax Bite on Your Investments Address / Location:_____________________________________________________________________ Phone:_____________________FAX_____________________email_____________________________ Business Owner Name:__________________________________________________________________ Compliments of Website:__________________________________________________________ THE SALVATION ARMY, Western Territory Ad Size: 1/8 Pg. $195 $35 1/4 Pg. $295 1/2 Page $395 Full Page $650 Full Color Category you wish to be listed in:_________________________________________ (additional categories $5.00 each) Please write a brief description of your goods and/or services for your ad. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Facebook Photo Twitter New Shoppelocal Taken? • Charitable Remainder Unitrusts • Notes for Tax Advisers Name(s) _____________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ________________________________________________ E-mail ______________________________________________________ Other_________________ Proof: • Tax Facts You Should Know • Avoid Short-Term Gains • Trade Stocks for a Git Annuity YES NO Names of persons in photo(s): _____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ The Business Profi le is an annual publication of the Siuslaw News. 10,000+ copies are printed and distributed throughout the year by the Chamber of Commerce, local realty offi ces, the Florence Events Center, and from more than 60 other locations throughout the community. The Directory provides valuable information about local resources to both newcomers and the residents at large. Be sure your business is included in the 2016 issue - RETURN THIS FORM TODAY! Phone (_____)____________________________________Age_________ Send your request to: Bill Olson h e Salvation Army 8495 SE Monterey Ave Happy Valley, OR. 97086 Or, call 1-800-481-3280 or email: bill.olson@usw.salvationarmy.org