LOS ANGELES – La fecha límite para presentar su declaración de impuestos puede llegar más rápido de lo que piensa, y juntar todos los documentos necesarios puede ser especialmente estresante. El programa “Tax-Aide” Ayuda con los Impuestos, de la Fundación AARP, es una alternativa para que todos, no sólo adultos mayores, venzan el desánimo propio de la temporada de impuestos con ayuda gratuita para hacer sus declaraciones.
La fecha límite es el 18 de abril. Esa hora puede significar cargas de estrés, especialmente porque el Código Fiscal de los Estados Unidos se ha vuelto más y más complicado. Pero Nancy McPherson, directora estatal de la AARP California, dice que el programa “Tax-Aide” de Asistencia Fiscal de la Fundación AARP se propone aligerar algunas de las dificultades que implica descifrarlo.
“El enfoque de la Fundación es ofrecer gratis la preparación de impuestos para ayudarle a quien sea, especialmente a gente de 50 años y más que no pueda pagar este servicio.”
Algunos expertos en impuestos dicen que el contribuyente promedio no necesita un abogado fiscal, pero un servicio como el Tax-Aide, Asistencia Fiscal, puede ofrecer seguridad y una guía con preguntas básicas sobre impuestos y con el llenado de la forma para su devolución.
McPherson señala que los voluntarios capacitados en Asistencia Fiscal también están familiarizados con deducciones de las que usted pudiera ni saber. Justo el año pasado, comenta, el programa “Tax-Aide” ayudó a los californianos a obtener más de 96 millones de dólares en reembolsos de impuestos, y casi 18 millones en Créditos Fiscales por Ingresos de Trabajo (“Earned Income Tax Credits”).
“Muchos contribuyentes no están enterados de un Crédito Fiscal por Ingresos de Trabajo, o piensan que no califican, y de hecho es una de formas las más importantes de apoyo al salario para trabajadores de bajos ingresos. Así que el “Tax Aide” puede ayudarle a la gente a saber si califican, para recibir los créditos que merecen.”
El año pasado casi tres mil voluntarios de California ayudaron a casi 200 mil personas en sus declaraciones de impuestos federales y estatales.
McPherson dice que su mamá usa el programa “Tax-Aide”, que está disponible en todo el país.
“Mi propia madre lo usa en Carolina del Sur; tiene 92 años. Le gusta preparar ella misma su declaración, pero también que se la revisen para ver que la haya hecho bien, y alguien lo repasa con ella para verificar que no omita algo.”
Agrega que la gente no necesita ser miembro de la AARP ni mayor de 50 años para usar el servicio, pero es importante que tenga usted una cita y preguntar qué documentación deberá llevar.
Encuentre las locaciones de “Tax-Aide” en http://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/ o llamando al 888-AARPNOW (888-227-7669), en español o en inglés.
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April is Financial Literacy Month, when the focus is on learning smart money habits but also how to protect yourself from fraud.
One problem on the rise in the Southeast is the "impostor" scam, when scammers represent themselves as fake government agents or bogus businesses. They are really on the prowl for your cash and personal info, costing victims in North Carolina almost $190 million last year alone.
Natalya Rice, Southeast Regional attorney for the Federal Trade Commission, listed some key red flags to look out for.
"Utilizing a payment app, sometimes even cryptocurrency, things like that," Rice noted. "Anyone who contacts you from what seems like it could be a legitimate company or business, if they're asking you to send them money or some type of payment through one of these type of payment methods, that is a red flag that you're dealing with a scammer."
Other warning signs include requests to transfer your funds or even demands for a verification code to access an account. If you have concerns, Rice advised it is best to stop communication and contact the actual company directly. Still other scams big in the Southeast include online shopping, investments and job offers.
Nationwide, a record $10 billion was lost to scams in 2023.
More than 25,000 North Carolina residents reported possible identity theft last year. Rice recommends acting promptly when you realize or suspect you have been scammed. The first step is to contact your financial institution and report the incident to its fraud department. She added it is crucial to notify federal and state agencies for further investigation.
"You can go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and fill out a report there and let us know what happened," Rice noted. "In the state of North Carolina, there's also another place you'll want to report it to, and that's the North Carolina Attorney General's Office."
If you suspect your identity has been compromised, Rice stressed the FTC can assist you in developing a recovery plan. She added getting your money back is never guaranteed but the sooner a scam is reported, the sooner it can be investigated and other people can be warned.
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Advocates are cheering the General Assembly for legislation protecting Marylanders' data privacy and are calling on Gov. Wes Moore to sign the bill.
The Maryland Online Privacy Protection Act of 2024 would limit data collection by tech companies as well as their ability to bury unfavorable terms in complex license agreements.
R.J. Cross, director of the Don't Sell My Data Campaign for the Public Interest Research Group, said the new law is a win for consumers.
"No one reads those long privacy policies. They're often vague and full of legalese and so, hiding what a company wants to do with your data there is pretty duplicitous and not being consumer friendly," Cross contended. "The Maryland law takes a very different approach and said it's not enough; you can't just hide things in your fine print. You need to have good data practices that protect people upfront."
She pointed out the Maryland law would be one of the strongest in the nation. If Gov. Moore signs the bill, it would go into effect in October 2025.
The bill gives consumers the right to have some personal data deleted and places limits on the kind of widespread monitoring used to generate targeted advertising. Cross noted such data collection is common.
"A lot of our favorite websites and apps are gathering things like what you've searched for online, every website you visited, your location, maybe even your entire phone contact list," Cross outlined. "It has turned around and sold that information to companies that you've probably never even heard of."
With data breaches consistently making news, Cross added the bill will improve Marylanders' personal security.
"A lot of what this will do is limit how much data is being collected about you and sold, which will help your personal security in a big way," Cross explained. "The more data that companies collect about you, and the more they sell it to other companies, the more likely it's going to be exposed in a breach or a hack."
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Florida residents can now file their simple income-tax forms for free and save time through the Internal Revenue Service's Direct File pilot program. It's estimated the simplified filing process could eventually save Florida taxpayers more than $530 million in filing fees every year.
With the April 15 income-tax filing deadline right around the corner, Adam Ruben, vice president for campaigns and political strategy at the Economic Security Project, said you can easily use the program by visiting the website Directfile.IRS.gov.
"It's an interview-based questionnaire," Ruben said. "So it's something that people can use on their phones on their computers available in English and Spanish that asks people questions and pretty much plain language, and you fill in the answers. And it fills in the tax form for you."
Florida is one of a dozen states where IRS Direct File is a pilot project. If it were to expand nationwide and be available to more taxpayers, Ruben estimated that within five years, it could save Americans $8 billion in tax-preparation fees and another $3 billion worth of time annually.
However, opponents have argued that the government is wasting resources and will snag business from professional tax preparers and programs that have lobbied against Direct File.
Chris Moreno, director of financial capability for Catalyst Miami, a nonprofit that works with communities through a variety of free services, said a stress-free filing process that can be done from the comfort of your home or the convenience of your phone is worth taking advantage of.
"If you are an average worker who gets a W-2 - you're employed for a company, you don't own any companies or businesses - you'd probably be the ideal candidate for someone to be able to use Direct File this year," Moreno said.
While a free-file program has been available, many taxpayers were unaware they had access to it. An investigation by ProPublica revealed tactics by Intuit, maker of TurboTax, to cloud the free-file program.
And state auditors, comptrollers and treasurers in 18 states - including Florida - sent a letter in March to the federal government urging the termination of Direct File. They claimed it might lead to confusion about state tax filings, potentially resulting in penalties and loss of state refunds.
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