Why non-discriminatory conduct can still be illegal retaliation FOR about 19 years, Maria Montoya worked as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. In November 2011, while on vacation, she suffered a back injury. On Nov. 28, 2011, she sent her employer her doctor’s note, stating that she needed to be on leave…
• YOU may claim exemptions for yourself, your spouse and your dependents. • Dependents must have a Social Security number (TIN is not good enough). • Exemption amount is $4,000 for 2015 for each exemption. • Exemptions reduce your taxable income and your income tax. • It could also produce credits such as child care…
ARE you being harassed by your creditors day and night due to unpaid bills? If you are, you know that this is a pretty unpleasant experience. You may feel scared, angry or embarrassed about your situation. The prospect of debt relief through bankruptcy may sound appealing to you but you are not quite sure if…
DURING and after the recession, many borrowers who were financially distressed lost their homes and had their loans cancelled. It was a relief to have their debts reduced or forgiven, but the same debt relief also triggered tax consequences that they were not aware of. Some homeowners were in disbelief when they learn that they…
Business owner seeks to discharge $100K credit cards used to buy business; Clinton beats Trump to become first woman president of America CLIENT is 65 and recently widowed. Her husband was suddenly taken ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer even though he doesn’t smoke. Strange. Husband was in the pinnacle of good health, so…
THE government is more lenient to people with low-incomes and assets in the sense that they can get Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) anytime of the year. That leniency to get Medi-Cal anytime is even more obvious to children and pregnant women whose household income is not more than 266 percent of the Federal Poverty Level…
ON January 1, 2016, the minimum wage in California became $10.00 per hour. Most employees in California are entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage. On April 4, 2016, California’s governor approved a new law that will increase California’s minimum wage every year until it becomes $15 per hour by 2022. This new…
IF you run your own business, consider employing your children this summer vacation. Employing your children gives you a triple benefit: 1. It teaches your children the virtue of work and the value of money. 2. It could save you taxes by shifting income down from your rate of about 33% to 39% for federal…
A LOT of people in need of debt relief are often hesitant to file bankruptcy for fear that it will ‘ruin’ their credit and that they will never be able to purchase a car or home again, or that they will never be able to rent an apartment if they ever have to move. First…
CLIENTS are young seniors at 60. Husband has a stable middle management job that pays $5K a month. Wife is not employed. They don’t own a house. They rent for $1200 a month and pay for a 2016 Lexus SUV 3.0. They enjoy travelling by SUV. This is the little luxury that they indulge in….
YOU may be subject to harsh penalties – penalties that are more severe than you expect, penalties that can even exceed balances in your accounts if you are a US citizen (or dual citizen) residing outside the US who do not report your foreign accounts. Therefore, it is critical that you learn the new rules…
MY last article discussed the reasons why everyone should have a power of attorney for assets as well as a power of attorney for healthcare. But what if a loved one has an incapacitating accident without executing a power of attorney? What if Mom is suffering from the beginning stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease…
CLIENTS are young seniors at 60. Husband has a stable middle management job that pays $5K a month. Wife is not employed. They don’t own a house. They rent for $1200 a month and pay for a 2016 Lexus SUV 3.0. They enjoy travelling by SUV. This is the little luxury that they indulge in….
Q: I HAVE been working at this company for 4 years and in my industry for 15 years. I just found out that a newly-hired male co-worker who is doing work similar to mine is being paid the same amount of wages as I am. This new hire has been working in the industry for…
HERE are 10 tips for students with summer jobs: 1. Fill out Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate). This form is used by employers to determine the amount of tax that will be withheld from your paycheck. If you have multiple summer jobs, make sure all your employers withhold adequate amount of taxes to cover…
Question: I owe a lot in back taxes. I’m constantly getting threatening letters from the IRS. This has become a big problem that I have no idea how to solve. Can you help me? Answer: For what it’s worth, take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone. There are millions of Americans in…
Q: I RECENTLY heard from a friend who sued her employer for unpaid wages. However, the court threw out her case and she had to go to “arbitration.” She said she lost because the arbitrator was biased and she could not appeal. My company is now asking me to sign an “arbitration agreement.” What should…
AS an Elder Law attorney specializing in estate planning and Medi-Cal for Long-Term Care, I receive phone calls from adult children all over the country who have an aging parent here in California. Quite often, our conversation goes something like this: “My father (or mother) is in a nursing home in California, has a home…
SHOULD you attend your IRS audit? Yes, I mean, you—your own audit. Well, you don’t have to. This is always a strategic question that should be discussed at the early planning stage of an audit. Of course, you do not want to go. As your power of attorney, I do not want you to go…
ARE you currently struggling with high mortgage payments? Did you get your loan modified in the past but now have a new hardship based on changed circumstances? If so, this is an important article that you MUST read. If you’re one of the many people who got approved for loan modification many years ago under…
STARTING 2015, filer of Form 8938 who satisfies the reporting obligation by completing Part IV Excepted Specified Foreign Financial Assets, must complete the newly added checkbox on item D on Form 5471 (discussed in this column), Form 3520,3520-A, 8621, or 8865 (not discussed in this column). What is a controlled foreign corporation (CFC)? • more…
– Seniors seek relief from $80K and $28K credit cards CLIENT is 52, still young by any standard. He has got it all together. He has no credit card debt or bank debt. He doesn’t own a house but owns a mobile home that he lives in with a fair market value of $45K. He’s…
Q: MY job title is “manager.” I work at least 10 hours per day, 6 to 7 days per week. While I supervise a few employees, I mostly do the same tasks they do. I cannot hire or fire anyone. My employer insists that since I am salaried and paid double the hourly minimum wage,…
Background WHEN is your return free from IRS audit? From your point of view, statute of limitations prevents the IRS from collecting a deficiency in tax or beginning a civil or criminal case. Statute of limitations provides a date of finality after which the IRS or the taxpayer can take no further actions. We can…
ARE your debt problems keeping you up at night and causing a lot of stress in your life? Have you thought of filing bankruptcy but can’t decide whether it’s the smart thing to do? When no other means of debt relief are available, filing for bankruptcy may be the only way to get out of…
INJURIES always seem to happen when we least expect them. Picture yourself at an outdoor gathering, having fun, when suddenly a crying child runs up to you, knocked-out tooth in hand. Would you know what to do? Dental first aid saves teeth Knocking out or fracturing a tooth is especially distressing—just thinking about it can…
THE exclusion from gross income of discharged qualified principal residence indebtedness is extended for two years through December 31, 2016. It applies to discharge occurring before January 1, 2017 or subject to an arrangement entered into and evidenced in writing before January 1, 2017 code section 108(a)(1)(E) amended by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes…
Q: I WORK as a “team member” in the service industry in Los Angeles. Before we clock-in for our shift, we are required to attend a “huddle,” or a meeting where we discuss events during prior shifts, our assignments, etc. These “huddles” last 15 to 20 minutes every day. Should we be paid for these…
YES, you can be. Terrible, but it happens. In a landmark case, the Supreme Court held that a conviction for willfully filing a false tax return is a deportable offense under our immigration laws. It reached the same conclusion with respect to a conviction for aiding and abetting in the preparation of a false return….
PERHAPS you’ve considered filing bankruptcy but in the back of your mind, you have one or two questions that you’ve always been afraid to ask. In counseling thousands of people over the years in my practice as a bankruptcy attorney, I have found that most people have the same fears and concerns about bankruptcy. From…
