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Decoding Your Taxes, Health Care Law

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Taxpayers get help with IRS Free File

 

(Family Features) You don’t need to be an expert on taxes or the new health care law to get it right. The Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with industry-leading companies, is offering free tax software that will do the hard work for you. It’s called Free File, and it’s available only at IRS.gov/freefile. Learn more at freefile.irs.gov.

 

If you earned $60,000 or less — and 70 percent of us do — you are eligible for Free File’s brand-name software. If you made more than $60,000, you still have a free option in Free File Fillable Forms. This is the electronic version of IRS paper forms. It’s pretty basic, so this program is best for people comfortable doing their own taxes.

 

Free File’s software programs will help you find the tax benefits you are due, help pick the right tax forms, and do the math for you. This year, Free File also helps you complete information on your return that is related to the Affordable Care Act. When it comes to the health care law, almost everyone will need to do something new when filing a tax return this year. For each month in 2014, you and everyone on your return will need to do one of the following:

 

  • Report healthcare coverage
  • Claim an exemption from coverage
  • Make a shared responsibility payment with your tax return

 

Most people will simply have to check a box to indicate they maintained health care coverage for the entire year.

 

Free File software will ask all the right questions; you supply the answers. More than 43 million people have used Free File since it started in 2003. They have saved $1.3 billion in tax preparation fees — simply by doing it themselves. Getting started is easy:

 

Gather your tax-related documents

Collect the tax materials needed to do your taxes. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A copy of last year’s tax return
  • Valid Social Security numbers for yourself, spouse and children
  • All income statements, i.e. W-2 forms, from all employers
  • Interest and dividend statements, i.e. 1099 forms
  • Form 1099-G showing any state refunds
  • Unemployment compensation amount
  • Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, if you purchased coverage from a Health Insurance Marketplace
  • Records of your own and your family members’ health care insurance coverage, including employer provided, government, Marketplace or private coverage

 

Choose a brand-name software product

Once you’ve gathered your materials, go to IRS.gov/freefile to review the 14 company offerings. Each company sets its own criteria, usually based on age, income or state residency. You can either use a “help me” tool that will match software with your situation or you can review each of the company offerings. Most companies also offer state returns, some for free.

 

Again, if your income was higher and you are comfortable preparing your own taxes, Free File Fillable Forms may be right for you.

 

Find tax credits

Then, let Free File do the hard work for you. Free File software can guide you through finding tax breaks, and help you receive a more accurate refund. Some people may not even be aware that they qualify for a tax credit.

 

For example, the IRS estimates that one out of every five taxpayers eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable credit for taxpayers with moderate income, fail to claim it.

 

If you or anyone on your return purchased health care coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may qualify for the premium tax credit. If you chose to have advance payments of the premium tax credit sent to your insurance provider in 2014, you must file a tax return. You must reconcile, or compare, the advance credit payments with the actual premium tax credit you are allowed to claim on your return. Learn more at IRS.gov/aca.

 

Get your refund faster

Once you’ve completed your return, you can also print a copy and e-file your federal taxes, absolutely free. With electronic filing, you will receive a confirmation within minutes that the IRS has accepted your return. Or, if it’s not accepted, you can easily find out why. E-file helps make your tax return even more accurate, which means a quicker refund. To get your refund even faster, combine e-file with direct deposit.

 

The Free File software — designed to provide a fast, safe and free filing option — is available online 24/7, giving you the freedom to choose when and how you do your taxes.

 

Health Care Law

Everyone needs to understand how the health care law affects tax returns. You will need to complete one of the following steps, and using Free File, brand-name software makes it easier for you.

 

Reporting health care coverage

If you and everyone on your tax return had health care coverage for all of 2014, simply check the “full year coverage” box when completing your return in the Free File software. For most people, that’s it!

 

Claiming a Coverage Exemption

If you did not have health care coverage for all or part of 2014, you may qualify for a coverage exemption. Free File will help you complete Form 8965 and file it with your tax return.

 

Making a shared responsibility payment

If you or your dependents had neither health care coverage nor an exemption, you may need to make a payment with your tax return. Free File will help you calculate your payment and report it on your tax return.

 

About the Premium Tax Credit

If you or anyone on your return purchased insurance coverage from the Marketplace, you may be eligible for the premium tax credit. If you chose to have advance payments of the premium tax credit sent to your insurer in 2014, you must reconcile or compare the advance credit payments with the actual premium tax credit you are allowed to claim on your return.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

Jazz Festival Renamed to Honor Jazz Founder

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Hutchinson, Kan. –  A reunion of HCC Jazz Alumni will highlight the annual Hutchinson Community College Winter Jazz Festival.

For the 40th Anniversary of the Jazz Festival, the event has been renamed the Bryce Luty Jazz Festival, and will honor the achievements and legacy of former HCC Jazz Director Bryce Luty, who taught at HCC from 1975-1998.

“After 39 years under the title HCC Winter Jazz Clinic, we are giving this jazz festival that features area high school and middle school jazz bands the title that seemed inevitable, “The Bryce Luty Jazz Festival,” said Nick Schroeder, Director of Jazz Studies at HCC.  “We honor the founder of jazz activities at HCC, Bryce Luty.  Bryce has had a tremendous impact at HCC and throughout the area, mentoring, recruiting and performing with local high school programs to establish jazz as a force in Kansas.”

The Instrumental Jazz Music program at Hutchinson Community College will host their annual High School Jazz Festival on January 29-30.  The Festival will be held at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the HCC Campus, starting at 8 a.m.

The event will bring together students from middle and high school jazz band programs on the campus for two days of workshops, practice and clinics.  More than 500 students, representing area schools are expected to attend the event from around the state of Kansas.

This year, in honor of Luty, former HCC musicians are returning to campus to perform as part of The Bryce Luty All-Star Alumni Big Band.  In addition, Glennda Hill, a noted vocalist and jazz performer will return to her hometown to honor Luty and perform with the jazz groups.

“This is a concert event not to be missed,” Schroeder continued.  “The All-Star Band will play some of Bryce’s favorite big band charts and will feature numerous world-class musicians that are all a product of HCC and Bryce’s masterful guidance as a jazz educator.  With Glennda coming into perform with them, this is a concert that jazz aficionados must attend.”

Hill will be the featured performer at the Bryce Luty Jazz Festival Featured Concert on Thursday, January 29.  The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the HCC campus.  In addition to Hill and the All-Star band, the HCC Jazz Lab Band and Concert Jazz Band will also perform.  Tickets are just $8.00 and can be reserved by calling 620-665-3503.

Reservations for area bands to attend the clinic are still being accepted.  For information on how to enroll a school band in the clinic, contact Nick Schroeder at [email protected] or by phone at 620-665-3442 or 665-3503.

For more information on the Fine Arts Program at Hutchinson Community College, visit the college website at www.hutchcc.edu/finearts – See more at: http://www.hutchcc.edu/news/101809#sthash.IUli9N1l.dpuf

Barton Athletics announces 2015 Sports Hall of Fame inductees

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Barton Community College announces the induction of Gene Butler, Jeff Christy, and Pete Manely to its Sports Hall of Fame.  The Class of 2015 inductees will be recognized and honored at a 3:00 p.m. induction ceremony to be held on Saturday, January 24, in the Kirkman Activity Center located on the Barton Campus.  Induction ceremony is free and open to the public.  Public attendance also encouraged in honoring the inductees in between the women’s and men’s basketball games versus Pratt Community College later that evening.

Butler and Christy are former players for the Cougars, Butler a member of the 1990-92 men’s basketball teams while Christy was on the 2002-04 baseball teams.  A student athletic trainer during the 1992-94 seasons, Manely will carry the distinction into the Hall as the first student-athletic trainer to receive the prestigious honor.  More information regarding the inductees will be released in the upcoming week.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Barton Community College

3:00 p.m. – Induction Ceremony located on lower level of the Kirkman Activity Center on the Barton campus.  Admission is free and public is encouraged to attend. *Live web streaming will also be available.

5:30 p.m. – Barton women’s basketball versus Pratt Community College

*7:20 p.m. – *Approximate time. Inductees will be presented with Hall of Fame plaques in a brief ceremony between the women and men’s basketball contests.

7:30 p.m. – Barton men’s basketball versus Pratt Community College

List of previous Hall of Fame Inductees

Just Who is the Humane Society of the United States ?

By
Steve Gilliland
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As a hunter, fisherman and trapper, I know that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a

very powerful, wealthy, politically active animal rights organization that opposes any use of animals,

period, and especially hunting, trapping and even fishing.  For some time I’ve been dismayed as to how

the wonderful people at our local animal shelters could be part of a group like that. The short answer

here is that THEY ARE NOT! Local animal shelters are often known as Humane Societies and are

wonderful groups of dedicated animal lovers who run shelters like the ones where we have gotten two

of our dogs, and often give their time for little or no pay. The confusion comes from the fact that local

Humane Societies and the HSUS are two totally different organizations using the same name. The

following information comes from a recent issue of the trapping magazine Trappers Post.

In 1887 the American Humane Association (AHA) was formed as “the nation’s voice for the protection of

children and animals” and was instrumental in every major advance in helping protect children, pets and

farm animals from neglect and abuse, including federal regulations for humane livestock slaughter. The

AHA is an animal welfare organization, meaning they advocate humane treatment of animals. The HSUS

on the other hand is an animal rights organization which believes killing animals in any way, shape or

form is murder.

In the early 1950’s some AHA people realized that vast amounts of money could be raised by appealing

to peoples’ emotion and asking them to help animals. That group eventually named itself the Humane

Society of the United States and split from the AHA to concentrate mostly on fund raising and in 1980

formally adopted an animal rights position. They have since perfected the art of fund raising and today

they raise well over $100 million annually. However only a mere fraction of that goes to help animals,

and they do not run one single animal shelter. Most of the money lines the pockets of HSUS staff or is

spent on more fund raising and on efforts to ban hunting, fishing and trapping.

A watchdog group called Humane Watch (www.humanewatch.org) has provided the following figures

from HSUS’s 2013 tax return.

 2013 fundraising expenses: 42 million, 35% of their budget

 CEO Wayne Pacelle’s 2013 compensation: over $400,000

 In 2013 HSUS reported 5 million in lobbying expenses alone.

 In 2013 HSUS paid out 44.3 million in salaries and compensation

 Also in 2013 HSUS paid over 15 million to settle a federal racketeering lawsuit naming them and

two of their employees

 In 2013 HSUS spent less than 1% of their annual 120 million budget to aid animal shelters

Hunters, fishermen and trappers, please be aware that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

and local Humane Societies are two completely different organizations. Many people make

contributions to HSUS thinking they are helping their local animal shelters, when in fact they are just

being ripped off by giving more money to an enormous fund raising machine that cares little about

animals and whose agenda is raising millions of dollars to spend on efforts to ban hunting, fishing and

trapping. Please continue to support your local animal shelters and Humane Societies, but please do not

contribute to the Humane Society of the United States and lets all help educate the public on the

difference between the two. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected]

Vote for Butler in Stanley Safer Schools Grant Program

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Editor
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credit: Butler CC

Butler has been nominated for the STANLEY Security TOGETHER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS Grant Program and we need your votes! EVERY DAY!

Butler Community College has been nominated for the STANLEY Security TOGETHER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS Grant Program. Safety is a top priority for our Butler community — for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. We are in a voting competition from Jan. 19 – Feb. 13. If Butler wins – we receive a $150,000 security Grant. These funds would be used toward the acquisition of additional safety and security equipment such as surveillance cameras, improved access controls, AED’s, and campus lighting. The top two schools with the most votes in each size category receive grants toward improving campus safety and security. But, we need EVERYBODY’S help to make this happen. Second place is $50,000. Vote often and help Butler win!

Please forward this email to friends, colleagues, family, and community members to spread the word so we can have a safer, more secure campus. We need your help!

Please vote for our school every day from January 19th through February 13th via text messaging, Twitter, and online.

How to Vote:

1.    Vote on the WEB: Visit www.stanleysaferschools.com/vote/ID/butlercc

2.    Vote with TEXT message: Text butlercc to 334455
By texting you are agreeing to receive a confirmation reply by text message. Consent is not required and is not a condition for purchase.

3.    Vote with a TWEET: (copy and paste) Vote for butlercc #stanleysecurity #butlercc
You MUST include the 2 hashtags: #stanleysecurity and #butlercc

Remember – VOTE DAILY!
We can vote every day from January 19 – February 13, 2015.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. THIS IS NOT A GAME OF CHANCE. For voting methods and official rules, visit www.Stanleysaferschools.com.  Vote between 10:00 a.m. CST on 1/19/15 and 11:59 p.m. CST on 2/13/15. Limit one (1) vote per person/method of voting/per day.  Sponsored by STANLEY Convergent Security Solutions, Inc., 55 Shuman Blvd, Ste 900. Naperville, IL 60563

Butler has been nominated for the STANLEY Security TOGETHER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS Grant Program and we need your votes! EVERY DAY!

Butler Community College has been nominated for the STANLEY Security TOGETHER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS Grant Program. Safety is a top priority for our Butler community — for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. We are in a voting competition from Jan. 19 – Feb. 13. If Butler wins – we receive a $150,000 security Grant. These funds would be used toward the acquisition of additional safety and security equipment such as surveillance cameras, improved access controls, AED’s, and campus lighting. The top two schools with the most votes in each size category receive grants toward improving campus safety and security. But, we need EVERYBODY’S help to make this happen. Second place is $50,000. Vote often and help Butler win!

Please forward this email to friends, colleagues, family, and community members to spread the word so we can have a safer, more secure campus. We need your help!

Please vote for our school every day from January 19th through February 13th via text messaging, Twitter, and online.

How to Vote:

1.    Vote on the WEB: Visit www.stanleysaferschools.com/vote/ID/butlercc

2.    Vote with TEXT message: Text butlercc to 334455
By texting you are agreeing to receive a confirmation reply by text message. Consent is not required and is not a condition for purchase.

3.    Vote with a TWEET: (copy and paste) Vote for butlercc #stanleysecurity #butlercc
You MUST include the 2 hashtags: #stanleysecurity and #butlercc

Remember – VOTE DAILY!
We can vote every day from January 19 – February 13, 2015.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. THIS IS NOT A GAME OF CHANCE. For voting methods and official rules, visit www.Stanleysaferschools.com.  Vote between 10:00 a.m. CST on 1/19/15 and 11:59 p.m. CST on 2/13/15. Limit one (1) vote per person/method of voting/per day.  Sponsored by STANLEY Convergent Security Solutions, Inc., 55 Shuman Blvd, Ste 900. Naperville, IL 60563

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