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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2002)
Hage 4 The INDEPENDENT, April 4, 2002 Business Notes State offers answers for common questions about tax returns As the deadline for filing Oregon income taxes draws nearer, the Oregon Department of Revenue has some pointers that can help taxpayers with the completion and filing of their re turns. Taxpayers can find the answers to many of their tax questions in the tax booklets or on the department Web site at www.dor.state.or.us The department’s automat ed system is also available 24 hours a day. Here are a few tax tips based on some of the most common questions taxpayers ask: • Taxpayers who did not re ceive their W-2s or who need County requests public input on Periodic Review of state Goal 5 State law requires all coun ties and cities to comply with the Oregon Statewide Planning Goals, which implement the State’s land use program. There are 19 Goals, ranging from Housing to Natural Re sources. To ensure that the Goals are complied with, the legislature instituted a formal procedure called “periodic re view" that must be revisited, usually every 10 years. Colum bia County is currently review ing Planning Goal 5. Goal 5 requires an inventory of the location, quality and quantity of streams and riparian corridors, wetlands and wildlife habitat. Columbia County com pleted th e . inventory in July, 2001. The County must now de cide which method of protec tion to apply. The “site-specific” approach, which would require a thorough and costly analysis, would likely lead to extensive protection measures. The “safe harbor” approach represents the state’s minimum protection measures, which are currently applied by Columbia County in ways such as development set backs from streams and wet lands. A public meeting to discuss natural resource protection measures will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 8, in the Columbia County Courthouse, Third Floor, Room 351, in St. Helens. The final step in the periodic review process is to update the existing land use code and Comprehensive Plan to reflect the selected resource protec tion measures. The Compre hensive Plan is the guiding document for local land use planning, and the County de sires input regarding local is sues and concerns. In addition, the Federal Gov ernment recently listed various species of salmon as threat- replacement copies must con tact their employers for this in formation. The department does not receive copies of W- 2s. •Taxpayers who make quar terly estimated tax payments should use a coupon to ensure that their payments are credit ed correctly to their accounts. • Payments for 2001 taxes due or payments for 2002 esti mated taxes must be paid by check or money order. The de partment cannot take credit card payments for these years. The department can take credit card payments for prior years or help set up payment plans if a person is unable to pay. • Taxpayers who need to file ened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Most of those species have identified habitat in the Columbia River and/or its tributaries. Therefore, in addition to the state require ments, the County must devel op a salmon protection pro gram under Federal law. Anyone interested in partici Two gubernatorial candidate pating in the periodic review process and/or Salmon Protec forums will be held at Portland tion Plan process, or who wish Community College (PCC) es to submit comments, may Rock Creek Campus to help contact Matt Laird at 503-397- voters prepare for the May pri 1501, send written comments mary election. The free events to the Dep’t. of Land Develop are hosted by PCC students ment Services, 230 Strand St., and are open to the public. St. Helens, OR 97051, or at There will be no charge for on- campus parking. tend the public meeting. an extension because they are unable to complete their re turns by April 15, must pay the amount of taxes that they antic ipate owing. “One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘Where is my refund?”’ said Joan Linn, manager of the Tax Services Unit. “Taxpayers do not need to talk to a Tax Services represen tative to get this information,” Linn explained. ‘This informa tion is available 24 hours a day on our automated system. The automated system needs three pieces of information to pro cess the request: Social Secu rity number, the type of tax re turn filed (40, 40S, 40N or 40P) and the amount of the expected refund. If the department has begun processing the return, the message will give an esti mated processing time.” From April 1 through April 15, the extended hours for Tax Services representatives are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Taxpayers can contact a representative or use the automated system at 1- 800-356-4222 (within Oregon only) or 503-378-4988. Spanish speakers may bell 503-945-8618. For TTY (hear ing or speech impaired only), the toll free number within Ore gon is 1-800-886-7204. The TTY number is answered by machine: a representative will return the call. Gubernatorial candidates invited to PCC forums D U pril 13,20<E SHARPLINE I p r e c is io n to o l s h a r p e n in g FREE COFFEE & DONUTS 9 AM - 3 PM 67675 N ehalem H wy . N., V ernonia (3 miles S o . of M ist ) 503-429-7202 / Cell 503-704-2677 WOODWORKING TOOLS Planer • Jointer • Chipper Knives • Router Bits • Chisels • Lath Tools SAW BLADES Carbide • Circular Blades 3”-16” Dia. • Dado Blades • Hole Saws 1"-6” Dia. CUTLERY KNIVES Chef • Pocket • Fillet • Carving • Skinning • Paring • Hunting • Cleavers SCISSORS Home • Fabric • Pinking Shears • Barber • Beauty • Industrial Shears • Paper Cutter Blades • Tin Snips DRILLING TOOLS Drill Bits • Hole Saws • Masonry • Multi- Spur • Carbide • Spade • Double Bevel CHAIN SAWS Chipper Chain • Chisel • Rip • Chain Repair LAWN & GARDEN Mower Blades • Hoes • Shovels • Shears • Edgers • Clippers • Axes • Cutting Tools • Etc. PROFESSIONAL BUFFING & POLISHING Rust, Tarnish, & Stain Removal • Polishing for Gold-Silver-Brass-Copper-Stainless-Aluminum-Chrome TOOLS PICKED UP & DELIVERED AT VERNONIA HARDWARE B usiness H ours : S unday thru T hursday 9 AM • 5 PM The Republican Candidate Forum will be held Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. in Building 3 - Forum area. The Democrat Candidate Forum will be held Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. in Building 3 - Forum area. To increase access, sign- language and Spanish interpre tations will be available. Every candidate who is in the primary race has been invit ed to attend the forum. For more information, call 503-614-7442 or send email to Pccforum @ Yahoo.com Management & Training Corporation an d the Oregon Employment Department would like to thank the following businesses fo r making our 6th Annual Columbia County Job & Career Fair a huge success: T Armstrong World Industries, Inc. • US Gypsum Wacker Siltronic • Stream International Windermere/St. Helens Real Estate, Inc. AFLAC • BCTI • Curves for Women Wauna Federal Credit Union COLCO Transportation • Columbia County Veterans Columbia Technology Center Washington State Dept. of Corrections Dean Specialty Food • Franz Bakery Safeway Stores, Inc. • Wal-Mart • Fred Meyer Interim Healthcare • Legacy Health System Meadow Park Healthcare Rose Valley Assisted Living • Avamere Portland Community College • U.S. Army U.S. Navy • Western Business College Western Pacific Truck School • U.S. Air Force U.S. Marines • U.S. Air Force Reserve Oregon Air National Guard Express Personnel • Winsum Staffing Service Special thanks to The Alton Group for the use o f larger space in Columbia Commons!
