THIS fiscal cliff legislation includes lots of tax changes; accordingly, I summarized the provisions for simple reading. Last week’s Part A dealt with individuals while this week’s Part B deals with business. Business depreciation and cost recovery provisions 50% Bonus Depreciation extended The Act extends the 50% first-year bonus depreciation for an additional year to…
Homeowners Bill of Rights IN JULY, California enacted the major pieces of legislation, which were introduced by Attorney General Kamala Harris. These provision, which will take effect January 1, 2013, will incorporate many of the provisions of the National Mortgage Settlement into California law and specifically will: 1) eliminate “dual tracking” of foreclosures during loan…
MANY people have the mistaken belief that back due income taxes cannot be discharged in bankruptcy because a debt owed to the Federal and State government cannot be wiped out. That belief is wrong. Since 1966, bankruptcy law allows the discharge of debt to the IRS. However, there are rules that must be followed to…
LIKE most people, you’ve worked hard and have done your best to pay all your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, all of us get into a situation where debt can be overwhelming. Money problems can easily overlap into other areas of our lives. Many people feel hopeless and powerless…
MING Qu and Ying Wu were from China and enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) to study electronic engineering. They were fatally shot while sitting in a parked BMW on Raymond Avenue, less than a mile from campus. Police say the students were killed during a robbery. The students’ parents filed a wrongful…
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 2012 Tax breaks for education expenses American Opportunity Higher Education Tax Credit extended The American Opportunity Credit, which can be worth up to $2,500 and can be claimed for up to four years of undergraduate education, was extended by the Act through 2017. College tuition deduction extended -This write-off,…
What are my options? AS I have mentioned on my previous columns before that if you are in a position where your property value is much lower than your current mortgage balance (underwater value) you will need to ride out this very scary real waves for the next 3-5 years before you see any real…
IF YOU look at a boat, a camper, a trailer and a tractor separately and as individual items they may not be considered as badges of a luxurious lifestyle. But if the debtor who has filed for Chapter 7 relief intends to keep all of them, even if all of them are used as collateral…
Comparison is a death knell to sibling harmony. – Elizabeth Fishel (Part 2) I WILL conclude my article related to sibling rivalry. Behavioural research have shown that emotion-based sibling rivalry is the struggle to gain attention and love from parents that was missing during childhood. The adult child’s actions and behaviors are directed toward gaining…
DO you dream of simplifying your life, reducing your stress and regaining control of your financial future? Everyone dreams of living a debt-free life and yet we know that today, so many people are drowning in debt that they don’t even sleep well at night. If you are one of these people, perhaps you are…
WYNONA Harris was hired to drive Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus. About 40 days into her training period, she had an accident, which the City said was “preventable.” About three months later, Harris had a second preventable accident. Per the City’s guidelines, those who drive unsafely will not pass probation. Weeks later, Harris reported late…
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 2012 THIS fiscal cliff legislation includes lots of tax changes that could turn into a novel; accordingly, I summarized the provisions for simple reading. Even this condensed version is still long. In brief, the new law: – Cancels most other income tax increases that would have resulted in added…
THERE’S no question the economy has not been kind for many California families who bought and borrowed more than they can chew in the mid 2000s’. Bad things happen to good people and many folks fell victim to bankruptcy, foreclosures, and lost a home either through short sale. Buying a home after this type of…
THERE is always a conflict between actual expenses and expenses allowed in the means test. Actual expenses are usually more than those allowed by the means test. As between actual and means test expenses, the latter prevails when computing disposable income. Disposable income is net income minus allowable deductible expenses using IRS standards of the…
YOU already know that your home is in foreclosure. You’ve received that dreaded Notice of Default. You know that after 90 days, your home can be scheduled for a Trustee Sale. You don’t have a lot of time left. Your home with all its memories, hopes and dreams will be gone. What are you going…
Q: WORKING in a processing company, I am required to put on a special uniform and undergo sanitary inspections before I can start work. I have to come to work about 15 to 20 minutes early to do this to be able to clock in on time. When my shift is done, I clock out…
LIKE most people, you’ve probably had your fair share of financial indiscretions: a few pricey shoes, a car bigger than what you really need, a few frivolous pieces of furniture, and an unused fitness club membership. An occasional splurge doesn’t hurt, but you might have gotten carried away at some point, spending more than you…
THE advantage of a prenuptial agreement is clear when one of the spouses files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy soon after the marriage. But even in a community property state, money that belongs to each spouse is his or her exclusive property. Therefore, money belonging to the non filing spouse should not be affected by the…
If it’s knocked out, the first thing to do is find your tooth and, holding it by the crown, gently rinse off the root of the tooth with clean water. From oral irritations to dental disasters, your dentist is your best source of information on how to best soothe your dental distress. MOUTH SORES. Canker…
ARE your debt problems putting your family’s welfare at risk? No one ever wants to be in this situation but I see it every day in my work as a bankruptcy attorney. When you are overwhelmed with debt problems, the situation becomes even more challenging when you have a family that you are supporting. Your…
Why immigrant employees should fight for their rights IN December, just a few days before International Migrants Day, a federal jury ruled that a Los Angeles-based recruitment agency, Universal Placement International (“UPI”), and its owner, Lourdes Navarro, must pay $4.5 million to 350 Filipino teachers who were forced into exploitative employment contracts with UPI. The jurors found…
YOU have just received an invitation to the offices of the Internal Revenue Service. They want to examine your return. Don’t panic. All these years, you have stashed funds for a rainy day. This is a rainy day. Compose yourself. Then go to battle. Don’t be over confident though. I am just boosting your morale….
GETTING a home mortgage now is a challenge; the gray area qualifying method of lenders and broker back in the mid 2000s’ to help qualify homebuyers has diminished. Therefore the lending have gotten to a point of easily approving or disapproving a borrower based on debt to income ratios, credit, fund reserves, employment history etc. …
HAVE you ever faced a situation in your life where you needed help so badly but you were just too afraid or embarrassed to ask for it? Perhaps you felt confused and overwhelmed with the problem that you spent sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do. As a bankruptcy attorney, over the years…
Q:As an hourly employee, my work schedule is 9am to 5:30pm. We swipe our ID through a time clock when we start and end our work. My supervisor often asks me to come in early or leave late to finish work. However, the total work hours in my pay stub is still 40 per week….
YOU should have received Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from your employer by now. If you did not, here are 10 tips to help you file: 1. Employers have until January 31 to furnish your W-2. 2. If you have not yet received your Form W-2, ask your employer when the W-2 was mailed….
I WILL be holding a buyers seminar January 26, 2013 in San Marino CA, please call to reserve seats. I did a research for my buyers seminar and found out a lot of amazing stories of investors making huge amounts of profit flipping properties the past three to four years. My 2012 calendar give away…
WE previously discussed the question of whether an employee’s signature to an independent contractor agreement binds the employee to the terms of that agreement. We noted that the law determines the worker’s status, not the parties’ agreement. Even if there was such an agreement, workers who are treated as employees will not be bound by…
Part B: Driving and motor vehicles Cell phones and texting while driving: ASSEMBLY Bill 1536 clarifies existing law by allowing drivers to dictate, send, or listen to text-based communications while driving as long as they use voice-operated, hands-free operation. This clarification makes the texting-while-driving ban consistent with current law that prohibits use of cell phones…
THE Home Affordable Refinance Program expansion helps today’s historically low rates become available to customers who have an existing mortgage loan owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. There is a little twist to the new guidelines that might get you in the door of refinancing to historic low rates in the 3’s if you…
