ANALOGOUS to taxpayers showing their earning statements with W2 or 1099, this year taxpayers are asked to show 1095s as their health insurance statements. Without proof of health insurance, they may have to pay a penalty. A 1095 form basically declares who is covered by a health insurance meeting the “minimum essential coverage” defined by…
IT started with a dreaded letter from the IRS. Your tax return has been selected for examination. Lately, the agent has been asking about cash transactions, safety deposit box, foreign bank accounts and even showed up with a second agent. At your doorsteps! Something is wrong. Does the agent suspect fraud? Are you being referred…
BEING in debt and doing nothing about it can have more serious consequences than you think. First of all, it can impact your financial future. Uncontrolled debt can deprive you the opportunity to put money aside for emergencies, save money for a home or college for your children, or perhaps for retirement. Every day I…
The surveys FOR the most prudent of reasons, I have never accepted as gospel truth the claims of the paid propaganda surveys on the alleged standing of our national candidates. You don’t have to, either. I have a profound respect for scientific polling, but not for polls by fraudsters who make a killing every election…
THERE are less than nine days left before you either go to a Philippine Consulate/Embassy, or mail your absentee voter’s ballot to cast your vote on the next president, vice president, senators, and other elected officials of the Philippines. Have you made up your mind on the candidates to vote for? If you are still…
Once upon a time, there was a press club in the heart of a city where everyone lived in harmony. Photographers and writers were affable and comrades among themselves. They had a clubhouse in the midst of a hill — oh, so magnificent, almost celestial but not fancy or exclusive. It was famous for its…
Filipino-American singer-composer-songwriter and record producer Eric Garzon, simply Eric G to music aficionados, is enthusiastically walking on cloud nine with the forthcoming release of his latest (actually, his third) self-produced album, ‘Black & White’ smugly loaded with six original tracks, two Tagalog and four English ditties, that took him two months to finish. “Why just…
Last week, Dr. Colin Sprigg, Director of Information and Technology in the ABC Unified School District and I strategized ways to respond to the new social media app called Ogle. We learned that ABC Unified School District along with schools from throughout California, faced a new problem caused by Ogle which targets high school and…
The one and only Philippine Superstar Nora Aunor will celebrate her 63rd birthday on Sunday, May 21. Also known as Ate Guy and/or La Aunor, Nora was born in Iriga, Camarines Sur, where she was grand champion of the Darigold Jamboree Singing Contest. She later joined “Tawag ng Tanghalan” to represent her province and was…
Dear Atty Gurfinkel: I HAVE been a green card holder for many years. Several years ago, I was convicted of a crime. I served the sentence and even had the conviction expunged (or “erased” from my record.) I would like to take a brief vacation to the Philippines to visit my family and friends. Do…
How do we know when we have heart failure? This condition could be in its early stage that the individual may not even have enough symptoms to know he/she has it. And if there are symptoms, even moderate to severe, the diagnosis usually eludes a lay person. In the United States alone, there are about…
It seems so, or the Social Weather Station’s collation of data has fallen under the control of Manuel Roxas and Leni Robredo’s operatives, so that in the past two surveys their voter-preference ratings have inexplicably surged, while those of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. have fallen. This could be done because of…
Although Asian Americans are widely perceived as the model minority, a new report containing disaggregated data of older adults in the ethnic group paints a completely different picture. In Los Angeles County, Asian Americans and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (NHPI) aged 50 and older are the second fastest growing racial group, posting a 56 percent…
YOU must have noticed questions on Schedule E, Part I for rentals: • Were you required to file Form 1099-MISC? • If so, did you or will you file? Very simple yet it is one of the most commonly argued questions among tax professionals who prepare returns for individual owners of rental property. Here’s the…
I FINALLY filed my application to be naturalized as an American. It only took me over 20 years… My first trip to America was with my mom and two siblings in 1981. I was 15 years old and had just graduated from high school. The trip was supposed to be a month-long vacation to see…
FOLLOWING the last presidential debate hosted by ABS-CBN, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” asked its viewers: “If the elections were held today, would you vote for to be the next president of the Philippines?” The result of the April 25 online poll revealed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte still topping the field of…
IN honor of Earth Day last Friday, April 22, international political, business and civil society leaders from 175 countries gathered at the United National Headquarters in New York for the historic signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, a global initiative to ensure a sustainable future for billions of people around the world through climate action….
I was told I had cancer on a blue day in November. In novels, it was far too gorgeous a day for tragedy. My cabbage roses were still in full bloom, bees rumbled by the window panes, lazy with pollen, a cordial chirping of the squirrels over the magnolia tree. In a single moment, the…
FOLLOWING the US Supreme Court’s hearing on President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration, US Rep. Dina Titus on Friday, April 22, held a press conference that highlighted the nation’s need for comprehensive immigration reform. Titus specifically touched on how the policies would benefit undocumented immigrants and the state of Nevada. “It’s been years since…
IN Los Angeles County, there are more than 800,000 children 5 years old and younger, an age range that is crucial to their development and future success. That’s why the County is pushing for early childhood education. “Children are like little sponges,” said Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura, executive director of LA Babies Best Network. “No…
Decision expected by June 2016 ON April 18, 2016, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Texas and other states, as well as the Obama administration, concerning President Obama’s November 2014 Executive Action for DAPA and expanded DACA, which would enable qualified\eligible parents of US citizens and green card holders to obtain work authorization…
IN my last article, I explained why it is absolute necessary to qualify for Medi-Cal and get the government to pay for nursing home care for an ailing parent or loved one. After all, how many families do you know who can afford paying $8,000-$15,000 a month for Long Term Care. However, using Medi-Cal for…
ACCORDING to the National Equal Pay Task Force, for every $1 that men earn, women earn only $0.79. This is true for nearly all industries and for most women in any pay grade. Even when female employees are making a lot of money, they are still not making as much as their male counterparts. Consider…
1. WHAT is paternity? Paternity means fatherhood. Establishing paternity is the legal process of determining the legal father of a child who was born to unwed parents. When parents are married, in most cases, paternity is established without a legal action by virtue of their marriage. If parents are unmarried, paternity establishment requires a judicial…
IF you fail to file on time or pay on time, penalties kick in. Here are 10 reasonable causes to abate (forgive) penalties for late filing or late paying: 1. Tax returns were mailed on time. A return used to be considered filed on time if it is postmarked on or before the due date. …
ARE you seriously in debt and thinking of filing bankruptcy as a last resort? Individuals who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether they should file bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. Sometimes, these people feel that somehow, they’ve lost, failed, or that they will never have a chance to…
WE have been urging Filipinos in America and elsewhere around the world to cast their votes and make their voices heard in deciding who will be the next president, vice president and other elected officials in the Philippines. But recent news about hacking, fraud, cheating, and voting machine problems surely douse water on the fire…
New York, NY [April 23, 2016] – The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced tonight at the Festival wrap party the winners of the two Audience Awards, powered by Infor. Two awards – one for narrative and one for documentary – were given to the audience choices for the best films. Here Alone directed by Rod…
LOS ANGELES Mayor Garcetti unveiled an $8.76 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-2017 that would dedicate $138 million toward homelessness. The funds in the budget come amid a 12 percent rise in homelessness since 2013. In the Los Angeles region, there are 25,000 homeless individuals. “This commitment represents a housing first strategy that we know…
Farewells are always both sad and bright like sunshine after the rain. The town hall meeting with our US Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. last Monday, April 18, was just like that. At what might be his last visit in Los Angeles before he finishes his tour of duty on June 30, the meeting was more like…
