“ An honest debtor is one who truthfully discloses his financial affairs, income and expenses, assets and liabilities in his bankruptcy petition.” HAVING literally represented several thousand clients in successful bankruptcy cases in the last 35 years in California, I have distilled the common misconceptions about bankruptcy into the following: 1. Will debtor go to…
IT’S H-1B season again. On 4/3/2017, the USCIS will start accepting H-1B applications for the 2018 fiscal year. As you may be aware, the H-1B non-immigrant visa is used by various U.S. businesses to hire or employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as accountants, scientists,…
Should they be paid additional wages? JAIMIE Quinby, Linda Gomes, and Eric Fontes worked as “General Managers” (GMs) for ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA) in its California locations. The GMs sued ULTA for unpaid overtime wages and missed meal and rest breaks. Now, one may ask: Aren’t managers exempt from overtime and the…
QUESTION: I have already received my visa at the Consulate. Now I have heard about this extreme vetting and do not know what it means. Will I no longer be able to come to the U.S.? Answer: The U.S. Secretary of State has issued a memorandum to the Consulates in order to somewhat define how…
PART of the new Trump administration’s agenda is a tougher and more aggressive stance on immigration enforcement. This may be in the form of more detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. Many of the undocumented immigrants have established families in the United States including minor children. One has to plan in advance what would happen…
HERE are 10 tips to pull you through an audit: 1. Bring the right attitude with you. It could spell the difference between winning and losing. 2. Be on time. Some auditors get irritated with taxpayers who come in late for an appointment. 3. Bring in only what is asked for. You might be inclined…
WARNING: Excessive credit card debt can lead to financial disaster and can affect your financial well-being. The reason they call it “credit card debt trap” is because once you’re in, it may be difficult or impossible to get out. It is actually the number one reason people end up filing bankruptcy when they have no…
MY late boss, Tony de Joya, chairman of Adverting & Marketing Associates, had a classic description of a condom: “It gives you a feeling of security while you are being screwed.” I was reminded of this upon reading about the results of President Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit to China, as reported by the Philippine Star:…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump promised to make America great again but 71 days into his young presidency, his approval rating has been on a free fall across the board this week. In the latest Gallup Poll’s three-day rolling average poll, Trump’s approval slid to a historic 35 percent as of Tuesday, March 28, down from 36…
The much-awaited year-long planned annual celebration of PIDCI’s (Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc.) Grand Marshal Night successfully came to light last Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the posh Marriott Hotel Newark Liberty International Airport sans neither hitch nor glitch. The full-to-the-rafters fashionable event deliberately honored one of the most revered couples in the Filipino-American community:…
AN open letter to the president: Dear Pres. Trump: BEFORE you were elected president, you were one of the world’s premier builders. Your buildings fill the New York City skyline, and skylines of so many other cities within the US and around the world. Before starting a building project, you naturally obtained cost estimates from…
Earlier this March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that “nine deaths and hundreds of cases of a rare cancer have been linked with breast implants.” The malignancy here is not breast cancer but an immune system cancer known as anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). The cancer nurtures itself in the breast, notably in…
by Heather Domingo / AJPress To honor Women’s History Month, a Pinay gathering was celebrated at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop in San Pedro, California on Saturday, March 25. With about 50 guests in attendance, eight different authors participated in the event, sharing their journeys as Filipino-American women and authors, and the value of their books….
Customer Service Dashboard: The goal is provide tools and resources in resolving tax matters. The “Customer Service Dashboard” was launched in March 1, 2017 with estimated time frames for your wait time. For more information go to: https://www.ftb.ca.gov Deductions for Taxes Paid or California Other State Tax Credit (OSTC) Legal Ruling 2017-01: California resident is…
AS the news gets inundated with headlines about the failed Trumpcare and the ongoing muddled investigation on the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that will end Obama-era regulation that protects ordinary folks from unscrupulous employers from abusing and neglecting them. Under the Fair Pay…
Millions of people turned the lights off for at least an hour in some of the world’s most famous cities on Saturday, March 25, as they joined the global initiative to raise awareness and take action against climate change. Now in its 10th year, the Earth Hour called for the world to collectively act together…
Spring has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, improbable. It is too heady, too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors, as you slip out of a doorway or slide out of a car. There it is — a scent that dominates the air, your bed…
HAVE you ever wondered why people suffer? Have you ever complained to God about an illness, death, or a crisis? Have you ever questioned some unfairness in your life and the lives of other people? Well, I’m sure that each of us has grappled with these issues in one way or another. But have you…
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius Not many of us can say we have found what Confucius would have described as “a perfect job.” Most people hold their jobs because they need to make ends meet; but can they honestly say that they…
“Chapter 7 will just wipe out all of his potential liability for the damage caused.” Freak accident liability I THINK I want to discuss the client with the freak accident first. First client is 45. This is really a very unusual case. In fact, I have never encountered a case like this before in the…
Q: I WAS diagnosed with herniated disc and severe anxiety. I want to request leave but want to keep my privacy at work. Do I need to tell my employer about my medical or psychological condition? A: No. The employee is not required to disclose the nature of the employee’s medical condition or disability (i.e.,…
A BUSINESS visa attorney can let you know all types of visas that you might be able to apply for under U.S. immigration law. Depending on your situation, the type of visa will differ. For example, a business visa attorney might tell you about the H-1B, which is people who have college degrees. The business…
THERE are two approaches to prepare for an audit: organized and shoebox. Organized means arranging your records. Shoebox means simply being you—your naturally disorganized you. Let’s discuss each method so you can determine which one is best for your next audit. Why You Should be Organized: 1. This approach of presenting data in a structured…
IF you are in debt and don’t have enough to pay your debts each month after taking care of living expenses, you may be tempted to borrow money from credit cards to pay your other debts. At first blush, it may seem like a “brilliant” idea. Don’t do it. If you do, you are playing…
DONALD J. TRUMP has been president for a little over 60 days and yet his approval and trust rating continues to plummet amid the controversies, scandals and failures he has caused upon himself. Amid the growing list of issues against Trump: inability to close the deal among Republicans to pass Trumpcare that would have repealed…
Recent executive orders signed by President Trump, have sparked widespread discussion within the immigrant community. U.S. immigration laws and policy are centerstage. Much of what is being discussed within the immigrant community, although well intentioned, can often be misguided and misleading. In this current situation, having an immigration expert educate you so you can make…
The Pan American Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL) pompously commemorated Women’s History Month by honoring 12 Women Achievers and 3 Influential Women with the recognition of 2 of the organization’s most loyal and hardworking members last Saturday, March 18, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, a distinct gesture of tracing back the first International Women’s Day…
IN a stout rebuttal of assertions made in a Philippine Daily Inquirer column by Filipino-American lawyer, Rodel Rodis, concerning the US citizenship of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his subsequent renunciation of it, the following news item came out: “Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday blasted an opinion piece questioning his citizenship, calling it ‘fake…
A PROVISIONAL waiver can benefit certain people who are not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. These people include: • Crewmen without the benefit of section 245(i), which was a law that expired on April 30, 2001, allowing crewmen and others to still adjust status in the US if they were petitioned before that…
I wrote an article back in 1998 about Viagra, a headliner around the world then when it was first introduced that year. Two decades next year, Viagra and its competitors, Cialis and Levitra, still arouse interest globally. Sildenafil (Viagra), the wonder pill for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, was approved by the…
