10A | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
People can enroll now for COVID-19 special health coverage
SALEM—Feb. 15 was
the first day of a
COVID-19 special enroll-
ment period, which lasts
until May 15, 2021. This
special enrollment period
will allow people through-
out the United States, in-
cluding Oregonians, who
are looking for health cov-
erage to shop at Health-
Care.gov.
The COVID-19 pan-
demic has brought signif-
icant change to hundreds
of thousands of Orego-
nians, who either lost
their job or experienced a
loss in income. As a result,
these Oregonians may be
newly eligible for financial
help to purchase health
insurance. Unlike a typical
special enrollment period,
this enrollment period is
available to everyone, not
just those who have expe-
rienced a life event.
Until May 15, any per-
son who is eligible to shop
through the Marketplace
may enroll in new cover-
age or change their cur-
rent plan.
Insurance agents and
community partner orga-
nizations throughout the
state are available to help
people apply for financial
assistance and choose pri-
vate plans. People can also
browse plans and find out
how much savings they
are eligible for at Oregon-
HealthCare.gov/Window-
Shop.
Oregonians who do
not get health insurance
through their job or a
program such as the Ore-
gon Health Plan or Medi-
care may qualify for help
paying for 2021 cover-
age through the Oregon
Health Insurance Market-
place. Even if people are
temporarily uninsured or
are currently enrolled in
COBRA coverage, they
can sign up for help to get
health insurance for 2021.
“The pandemic has
made life uncertain for
many Oregonians. We
want to help you find a
way to control your fi-
nances,” said Chiqui Flow-
ers, administrator of the
Oregon Health Insurance
Marketplace.
“Quality
health coverage protects
your financial future in
the event that you get sick,
injured, or something else
unforeseen happens.”
“It is true. The pandem-
ic has proven that life is
unpredictable. That can
be scary when it comes to
the health and financial
security of your family,”
said Amy Coven, commu-
nications strategist for the
Oregon Health Insurance
Marketplace. “Health cov-
erage brings predictability
to health needs that may
arise, as well as a wealth
of benefits to keep you
healthy.”
Individuals
making
$51,040 or less per year,
and families of four mak-
ing $104,800 or less, may
get help paying for cov-
erage. In 2020, more than
seven in 10 Oregonians
who chose plans through
HealthCare.gov got finan-
cial help for monthly pre-
miums and out-of-pocket
costs. These savings low-
ered the average premium
to just $145 per month.
2021 tax season now open for federal, state
Stimulus Payments
Economic Impact Pay-
ments received during
2020 and early 2021 may
impact the amount of
federal tax subtraction
that can be claimed on
the 2020 Oregon person-
al income tax return. The
federal tax subtraction
is based on the amount
of federal tax you had to
pay in the 2020 tax year.
Individuals should reduce
the amount of federal tax
paid in 2020 by the pay-
ments received to deter-
mine the amount of fed-
eral tax subtraction they
are allowed. The federal
tax subtraction is limit-
ed to $6,950 (or $3,475 if
married filing separately).
Unemployment Benefi ts
Unemployment bene-
fits are taxable to Oregon.
Funds received through
the Pandemic Unemploy-
ment Assistance program
are also taxable to Ore-
gon. Unlike W-2 wages,
unemployment
bene-
fits do not automatically
have amounts withheld
to pay taxes at the end
of the year. Individuals
who did not elect to have
withholding on their un-
employment may see an
increased tax bill.
For individuals still re-
ceiving
unemployment
benefits in 2021, the de-
partment urges recipients
to submit Form 1040WH
to the Oregon Employ-
ment Department to au-
thorize withholding.
Oregon Withholding
The Department of
Revenue has its own Form
OR-W-4.
Individuals
should review their with-
holding to determine if
changes are necessary for
tax year 2021. A calculator
is available to help ensure
withholding amounts are
correct.
Business Use of Home
Oregon is automatical-
ly tied to changes made
to taxable income under
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
(TCJA). Employees who
receive a paycheck or a
W-2 exclusively from an
employer are not eligible
for the business use of
home deduction, even if
they are currently work-
ing from home. Along
with other changes, the
TCJA suspended the use
of employee business ex-
penses for employees
through 2025. Visit the
IRS for more information
on business use of home.
Disaster Relief
The Department of Rev-
enue recognizes not all in-
dividuals will be prepared
to pay their taxes in full
this year. The department
is offering penalty waiv-
er relief for individuals
impacted by COVID-19,
wildfires, or straight-line
winds. To learn more, vis-
it Revenue’s tax relief op-
tions webpage.
Free-File
All Oregon taxpayers
preparing their own re-
turns can file electroni-
cally at no cost using Or-
egon’s free fillable forms.
There are many free or
low-cost preparation op-
tions available for both
federal and Oregon tax
returns. Some software
companies offer free soft-
ware use and e-filing for
eligible taxpayers. Visit
the Department of Reve-
nue website to take advan-
tage of the software and
free offers and get more
information about free tax
preparation services.
Revenue Online
The Department of
Revenue continues to ex-
pand features available
through Revenue Online.
Individuals can view let-
ters sent to them by the
department, initiate ap-
peals, make payments,
and submit questions.
Visit Revenue Online to
learn more.
To get tax forms, check
the status of your refund,
or make payments, visit
www.oregon.gov/dor or
email questions.dor@ore-
gon.gov.
protocols.
The Oregon Health In-
surance Marketplace, a
part of state government,
helps people get health in-
surance when they do not
have job-based coverage,
and do not qualify for the
Oregon Health Plan or an-
other program. The Mar-
ketplace is the state-level
partner to HealthCare.
gov, and a division of the
Department of Consum-
er and Business Services
(DCBS).
For more information,
go to OregonHealthCare.
gov.
As always, we are thankful to you all for your continued support.
We couldn’t do it without you.
We look forward to seeing you at the Tearoom.
195 Nopal St.
541-902-0502
Open Wed-Sat
11:00-5:00 pm
Valvoline • 541-902-8900 • 2086 Hwy. 126 • Florence
Kitchen Klutter Staff would like to thank
our community for nominating us as one
of the BEST Gift Shops in 2020.
We are proud to serve you and
make your shopping experience fun.
..sooooo much more than a kitchen store.
Thank you for shopping local.
1258 Bay Street, Florence - 541-997-6060
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VOTED
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Do you part and volunteer today to help support
these organizations in our community.
Share your love! Give back by volunteering
at Florence Habitat for Humanity.
Call Ivy @ 541-902-9227
Assisting those in need in our Community.
Free Hot Meals Mon-Wed-Fri
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
HELPING HANDS COALITION
New Location:Community Baptist Church
4590 Hwy. 101, Florence (Across from Fred Meyer)
Call 541-997-5057 to Volunteer
relies heavily
on volunteers.
Th ere are many opportunities to
volunteer and a variety of skills
and talents are always in need.
Volunteer interest forms may be
found online, at the shelter and
at our Th rift Shop on Bay Street.
www.oregoncoasthumanesociety.org/volunteer/
Saving men one
PSA test at a time.
541-997-6626
maribob@oregonfast.net
Someone to talk to...
who understands!
To include your organization
in this directory, please call us
@ 541-997-3441
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The Oregon Depart-
ment of Revenue began
processing state income
tax returns on Feb. 12,
the same day the IRS be-
gan processing federal
returns. Although some
taxpayers have already
submitted their returns,
processing doesn’t start
until the tax season offi-
cially begins.
Returns will be pro-
cessed in the order they
are received. However, as
in years past, the depart-
ment won’t be issuing
personal income tax re-
funds until after February
16. The fastest way for a
taxpayer to get a refund
is by e-filing. Taxpayers
who e-file returns and re-
quest refunds via direct
deposit receive their re-
fund sooner, on average,
than those who file paper
returns and request re-
fund checks.
A refund hold is part
of the department’s tax
fraud prevention efforts
and allows for confir-
mation that the amounts
claimed on tax returns
match what employers
report on Forms W-2
and 1099. Once we begin
processing returns, filers
can check Where’s My Re-
fund? to see the status of
their refund.
As
a
result
of
COVID-19 stimulus pay-
ments,
unemployment
benefits, and federal tax
law changes, there may be
impacts to what taxpay-
ers file on their Oregon
income tax returns. Here
are some important topics
and information for Ore-
gon personal income tax
filers.
To apply, go to Oreg-
onHealthCare.gov until
May 15 and answer a few
Oregon-specific questions
to get to the right applica-
tion. You can also search
the “get help” directory on
OregonHealthCare.gov to
find an insurance agent or
community partner orga-
nization to help complete
the application and enroll.
Insurance agents and
community partners pro-
vide local, one-on-one
assistance at no charge
to the client. This help
is available virtually and
over the phone, as well as
in person following safety
F LO E N C
R
VOTE NOW!
IT’S TIME TO VOTE FOR YOUR
FAVORITE FLORENCE BUSINESSES
NOW to
MARCH 7 TH
Go online today
https://rebrand.ly/BestOfFlorence2020
to vote!