Top 10 audit issues in California audit program for 2014
THE chief of the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) shares highlights of California’s audit program. The State examines about 300,000 income tax returns per year. Audits are conducted by desk, field,…
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Give me a break . . . or $56.5 Million!
(Ten-year meal & rest breaks case is a win for employees) IN 2004, five employees of the restaurant, Chili’s, filed a claim against their employer claiming that they were illegally…
Authorized activities under a B-2 visitor visa
ALIENS who are visiting the US temporarily for pleasure may be issued B-2 visas. Under 22 CFR 41.31(b)(2), the term “pleasure” refers to legitimate activities of a recreational character, such as tourism,…
If your debts are out of control, read this
I WAS counseling someone the other day in my office. He looked shocked and confused as we sorted through all the credit card statements on my desk and added up…
Mandamus actions to compel USCIS’ action
THE processing times for some applications pending at the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) are longer than ever before. The USCIS holds a monopoly over all immigrants applying for…
Of Doctors and the Literati
BEVERLY HILLS – Everyone will agree that if you exercise and eat right and don’t smoke or drink or annoy a cop, you’ll never die. I have been told that…
Goodbye, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ (July 21, 1951-August 11, 2014)
From the Windy City of the American Midwest hailed one of the world’s greatest actor-comedians, Robin McLaurin Williams, cinematically christened simply Robin Williams. Born in one of the most populous…
Two Filipino male nurses in San Diego face trial over sexual misconduct
THREE years after discovering video footage of two Filipino male nurses performing sexual acts with each other near a 98-year-old patient, a San Diego Court ordered the two men to…
Community property transactions between spouses: Heightened duties and the presumption of undue influence
CALIFORNIA law on the nature of spouses’ rights and obligations with respect to management and control of community property has evolved over the last thirty years from less stringent “good…
How a little sunshine helps our teeth
WHO doesn’t love a little sunshine? Not only does it feel fantastic, but it also has numerous health benefits. Sunshine improves our mood, our immune functions, and catalyzes vitamin D production in…
Priority dates continue to surge forward!
The September 2014 Visa Bulletin continues to provide great news for Filipinos petitioned as single children of US citizens (F-1), as the priority date moved forward from June 1, 2004…
Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera now officially engaged
IT’S the stuff fairy tales are made of. Although many have expected that power couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera are likely to get married, both have avoided any…
Depression
The suicide death of comedian Robin Williams a few days ago was attributed to depression. This highlights the importance of understanding this mental illness and how to deal with it….
Relentless
DO not take Sen. Jinggoy Estrada out of the running just yet. As law would have it, he is innocent until proven guilty. Not only is he qualified to run…
Rest in peace Robin Williams: Understanding depression
PEOPLE from different parts of the world mourn the passing of the genius that was Robin Williams, who was found dead, reportedly because of suicide, in his own home in…
The time for weeping has ended
MY late boss, Tony de Joya, chairman of Advertising & Marketing Associates, was also, at one time, executive vice-president of Precision Electronics and led the negotiations for a joint venture…
If your debts are out of control, read this
I WAS counseling someone the other day in my office. He looked shocked and confused as we sorted through all the credit card statements on my desk and added up…
The late-bloomer: Chef Raphael
Some people’s school grades are critically low; others have the “F” kind of low. Their room walls showcase posters of their favorite player or cartoon instead of accomplishments. These, however,…
DTI assists PH SMEs gain foothold in US market
Products to be sold Aug 19-22 at PH Center lobby in SF THE Department of Trade and Industry, led by Region 4A Regional Director Marilou Toledo, Region 4A Senior Trade…
A little boy starting kindergarten
IT was love at first sight. As soon as I set my eyes on him, no one else mattered inside the room. I stood there on one sweet Thursday, cradling…
4 teens plead not guilty to killing USC student
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four teenagers pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder charges in the fatal beating of a Chinese graduate student at the University of Southern California. According to…
Encountering God
I REMEMBER the years that I spent in the minor seminary, particularly those times when I would walk around the grounds of the seminary on a stormy morning, singing psalms…
Pernicious ‘fever’
A YEAR and nine months before the upcoming presidential elections, politicians are already creating their own buzzes, as if to catch the attention of the public – there are those…
Want a second term for PNoy?
After being under the Marcos Dictatorship for 20 years, many kababayans have developed some sort of paranoia that whoever was the incumbent president would be doing what Marcos did —…
Leaders in immigration law
ON August 2, 2014, Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC celebrates its 11th anniversary. Eleven years ago, it started with a vision from Richard Wilner & Kelly O’Reilly to start a boutique…
How to make the most of your immigration consultation
THE 30-45 minutes that a person spends interviewing their potential immigration attorney may turn out to be the most important conversation of their lives. Duringa the consultation, the immigrant must…
Short sales in California – Q & A
A SHORT sale occurs when you sell your property for a price that is short of the balance owed to avoid a foreclosure – with the consent of your lender….
Injuries from dangerous premises require quick and serious action
A 56-YEAR old woman who tripped and fell several feet down a parking garage recovered $6.5 million in damages from the parking company and garage owner. According to reports, the…
When does filing bankruptcy make sense?
NO ONE ever likes to talk about bankruptcy. However, it’s simply a fact of life. Things happen. Whether it’s losing your job, going through a divorce, having huge medical bills…
The Consular Staff and their niceties of protocol
DIPLOMATIC service, like life, is about the important, the amusing, the humane. At one level, it is routine and technique. But at its highest level, it is an art. Often…