Q&A: What to expect during an IRS audit
HOW did I get selected for an audit? • Random selection and computer screening – how your return compares to norms. • Related party examinations - transactions with partners, investors, or audits…
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Bankruptcy: Making the law work to your benefit
When your financial circumstances are forcing you to declare bankruptcy, bankruptcy can be one way of dealing with debts that you can no longer manage on your own. Of course,…
Balitang America presents ‘Lost and Found’: An original documentary on Filipino orphaned children who found their new homes in America
When we see a lot of homeless children roaming the streets of Manila, or kids who have lost their parents tossed from one house or orphanage to another, we can’t…
On listening in silence to God’s voice
I heard this beautiful story last week from a group of Lebanese Maronite Catholics during my visit to St. Maron’s Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a mother’s womb were two…
April 2018 priority dates
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…
Love and pain: Domestic violence and US immigration laws
IT’S Valentine’s Day and Malena woke up to a bouquet of bright red roses and a box of chocolates by her bedside. There was a handwritten note from her husband,…
Aphrodisiac dangers
What are aphrodisiacs? Aphrodisiacs are pro-sexual drugs or substances that will heighten libido (sexual desire), orgasm (ecstasy and pleasure) and performance in males and females, not partner-specific. As society gets…
Client seeks Chapter 7 relief again for $48K in credit card debt
WHO said that, first is chance, twice is coincidence and third is habit? I have two new clients who are actually previous clients. The first is 55 and she filed…
FATCA reminder for US persons
THE Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) requires foreign financial Institutions and other non-financial foreign entities to report on the foreign assets held by their U.S. account holders or be…
In pursuit of lasting peace (Part 1)
(Part 1 of 3) (Remarks of Hon. Jose De Venecia, Former Speaker, Philippine House of Representatives; Founding Chairman, International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP); Co-Chairman, International Association of Parliamentarians…
Republicans on House Intelligence Committee end Russia probe, break away from US intelligence community to conclude Putin did not help Trump win
‘No Collusion’ WHAT’S THE RUSH? Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee this week ended the year-long Russia probe without informing the Democrats in the committee, announcing that Russian President…
Charging different prices to consumers based on age may be discrimination
TINDER is a smartphone-based dating app. Subscribers use the app to find people whom they would like to date. Tinder presents users with photos of potential dates. In March 2015,…
Can I obtain a divorce if my spouse refuses to sign?
THERE seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this…
Are you thinking of debt settlement to avoid bankruptcy?
YOU’VE probably seen a lot of these ads: “Settle your debts for pennies on the dollar!”, “Reduce your debts legally without filing bankruptcy!” “Stop bill collectors now and pay them…
The future of California’s businesses require a sustainable, energy efficient approach
With nearly 5 million Asian Americans residing in California—approximately one-third of the U.S.’s estimated 15 million Asian Americans—we have an immense responsibility to take care of the state where we…
US President Trump to meet with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un: A start of peace in the region?
AFTER months of kindergarten playground bickering and name-calling long distance between these two unpredictable and narcissistic leaders as to who has a bigger nuclear arsenal that works, U.S. President Donald…
Only by God’s grace
I ADMIT that there have been times in my life when my faith and prayer have run dry. What do I mean? It means that even in my life as…
Jerome Orillaza Robielos: Indefatigably chasing his elusive star
“Every man bears surreptitious pains which the world knows not…and oftentimes his silence is mistaken for taciturnity when it was merely reticence…for there are wounds that never show swelling but…
Ice targeting those with Dui convictions
As part of its “enforcement priorities,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the recent arrest of over two dozen people with DUI convictions in connection with “Operation Secure Streets.” According…
Protecting your pets upon passing
APPROXIMATELY 78 million dogs and 85.8 million cats are owned in the United States (ASPCA Pet Statistics). About 52% of California households own a pet (American Veterinary Medical Association 2011…
AC 21: Changing the employer of your employment -based green card application
DEAR Attorney Tan, I have an approved I-140 immigrant petition which was filed by Company A on my behalf. Company A would like to employ me as a bookkeeper. …
Bad truth or good ‘bola?’
A Filipino and his U.S. citizen wife came to my office recently for a consultation. They drove several hours to see me in person. He came to my office crying,…
What’s new in immigration
ICE Raids in the Bay Area. Calls for Congress to act on DREAMers rights. The Supreme Court declines to take on DACA. These are just a few headlines of late,…
Vatican to endorse porn?
For some people, to even think that the church could be persuaded to endorse porn or abortion is ridiculously absurd! The title is a satirical statement to highlight the stupidity…
What to do with conditional green card status in troubled marriages
MARRIAGE for many persons is the culmination of one’s life. Getting married signifies the beginning of a new phase in life, both socially and economically. For those persons who lack…
Trump does nothing about Russian meddling in US elections: What hold does Putin have on Trump?
WHAT hold does Russian President Vladimir Putin have on U.S. President Donald Trump that up to this day, despite U.S. intelligence reports and indictments against Russians, the hard-hitting, name-calling, and…
Youths, civilians and corporations make decisive move to end gun violence as Trump and GOP lawmakers dance around and do nothing — again
BRAVO President Donald Trump! That was quite a very moving televised meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers, as you spoke such powerful words that shocked the members of the Republican…
Why I’m running for Congress
I am Raji Rab and my name is on the June 5, 2018 ballot for the U.S. House of Representatives. I am a seasoned aviator, an educator and an entrepreneur,…
Filipina domestic employee wins $827,506 in wage trial
A FILIPINA domestic employee won her wage claims against her former employers after a court trial held in Los Angeles Superior Court. Linda Alzate (not her real name), an immigrant…
All about the fair debt collection practices act
THE Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that was enacted in 1978 by the United States Congress to protect consumers from abusive debt collectors. Note, however,…