12 ways to avoid an IRS audit
1. DO not boast about how you got away with undeclared income or manufactured deductions. Ever heard of whistleblowers? They earn rewards of 15% to 30% of your assessments. If…
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Why bankruptcy may not be as bad as you think
SLEEPLESS nights. Stressed out. Worried about the future. Always broke. This is what most people are going through when they are considering bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. …
Post-script to the first Philippine presidential debate
WHAT was billed as a debate among the candidates in the May presidential elections turned out to be a race against the clock for each speaker and an occasional exchange…
Kababayans react to Pacquiao’s remarks comparing same-sex couples to animals
I WONDER if Manny Pacquiao anticipated such strong backlash regarding his controversial interview, wherein he compared gays and lesbians to animals. If you have not heard or read what he…
The agonizing malady of a writer’s block!
How strange is this demented feeling when I realize that I have spent agonizing days before a pen and a notebook, with nothing better to do but jot down notes…
A Lenten examination of conscience
JESUS, can we drink the cup that you drink or be baptized with the baptism with which you are baptized? Can we really do this? Can we accept failures? Can…
Uber driver charged for murder, assault
AN Uber driver was charged Monday, Feb. 22, for six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and eight charges of using a firearm while…
Obama bans US imports of slave-produced goods
UNDER new provisions of a law signed by President Barack Obama this week, federal officials will enforce an 86-year-old ban on importing goods that were produced by children or slaves….
Asian Americans across nation call for leniency for convicted former NYPD cop
A LITTLE over a week after a Chinese American former NYPD officer was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct in a November 2014 death of an unarmed black…
Study: Undocumented Californians paid $3.2B in state and local taxes
AN updated study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) found that undocumented immigrants who reside in California collectively paid almost $3.2 billion in state and local taxes…
Rose P. Javier looks back sans regret as she turns 70
AFTER having immeasurably lived life, deservingly attained what she desired, and contentedly enjoyed the vast reward of what she has painstakingly toiled for, it is only but fitting and appropriate…
Why the do we celebrate EDSA I, anyway?
There have been 20 countries in the post-war era that had peaceful “revolutions” similar to our ESDA uprising in 1986 – more accurately, nonviolent, extra-constitutional regime changes, especially transitions from…
The failure of agrarian reform under Cory Aquino
MEMBERS of the yellow tribe will mark today the 30th anniversary of what they call people power revolt. Hopefully, their numbers will be small enough to confine themselves to a…
The ‘dietary aid’ scam
WE wrote about the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing a public alert on June 1, 2009 for consumers to “stop using Hydroxycut Products, dietary supplements used for…
Who is really leading in the presidential race?
THE recent BusinessWorld (BW)-Social Weather Station (SWS) presidential preference survey, conducted from February 5 to 7, tells us that Vice President Jejomar Binay is ahead of the pack with a…
Duggan’s Serra Mortuary President Dan Duggan heads the list of March birthday celebrants
DAN Duggan, the President of Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, heads the list of March birthday celebrants. He will be celebrating his birthday on Easter Sunday, March 27. Duggan’s Serra Mortuary…
You cannot make up your own marriage laws
MARRIAGES are usually governed by the laws of the place of celebration. In the Philippines, the Family Code deals with the validity, invalidity, and termination of local marriages. Despite these…
Criminal history and US Immigration Laws: Deferred Action (DACA)
WITH all the news surrounding Immigration, noncitizens cannot lose sight of current programs still in place for those who are eligible. For example, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)…
Federal tax update for what’s new for 2015 tax returns
1. HEALTH COVERAGE. Information Reporting. The provider of your health coverage is required to send Form 1095-A, 1095-B, or 1095-C with list of individuals included in your family health coverage…
What immigration benefits are available to same-sex marriages post DOMA?
ON June 26, 2013, the US Supreme Court struck down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional in the landmark case US. V. Windsor. The BIA…
Fil-Am who started petition for Nike to drop Pacquiao gets death threats. Should Pacquiao Intervene?
FIL-AM Aries Dela Cruz spearheaded an online petition for Nike to drop the Philippines’ Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao as its endorser after the boxing congressman compared people in homosexual relationships…
Ideological
30 YEARS ago—on Feb. 25, 1986—the People Power Revolution on EDSA trampled the 20-year-old dictatorship of former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. For the generation who witnessed this peaceful uprising, the echoes…
Beyond age lies a gentler joy
Getting old is a natural thing and no one should not be afraid of the natural— trees, animals age, and everything that is alive. I am not afraid to look…
White House report: US economy on the rise
IN the last two years, the US economy saw its fastest decline in unemployment since the 1980s and concluded its best years of job growth since the 1990s, according to…
Pacquiao negotiating with other brands after being dropped by Nike
DAYS after Nike dropped its endorsement contract with Manny Pacquiao due to his controversial remarks on same-sex couples, the Filipino boxer has reportedly begun negotiating new deals with other sports…
Clinton triumphant in Nevada, as Trump takes South Carolina
SATURDAY, Feb. 20 proved an important day for big-name candidates, including Donald Trump, who won his second consecutive presidential primary in South Carolina, advancing in the race for the Republican…
Business owner files chapter 7 as losses mount
Young client seeks chapter 7 relief for $$70K credit card debt Business owner files chapter 7 as losses mount CLIENTS are spouses who own and run a business together. They…
Marcos’ campaign headway explained
Are you wondering why the vice presidential campaign of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is making significant headway despite his being the son of a former authoritarian President? This phenomenon, according…
U Visa for victims of criminal activity
THE U Visa is a non-immigrant visa intended for certain people who have been victims of one or more of specific crimes or similar activities punishable under federal, state, or…
When should employees challenge their ‘salaried’ and no-overtime status?
ZELMA Brawner worked for Bank of America (BOA) for about 28 years, occupying the positions of “Dedicated Service Director” later renamed “Treasury Services Consultant,” and “Treasury Services Senior Advisor” for…