How to spot an IRS fraud audit
IT STARTED with a letter from the IRS. Your tax return has been selected for examination. You suspect that something is wrong. Is it possible that the agent suspects fraud?…
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Greener pastures
Four weathermen from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) have decided to move on to greener pastures. Currently, PAGASA has 13 expert weather forecasters left. Three of…
Time is running out for our Filipino WWII vets
MEMORIAL Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer for many of us in America. It is the time of the year when families start their summer travels, backyard barbecue…
Closed bankruptcy case may be reopened to litigate dischargeability issue
ONCE a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed, the clerk of court sends out a notice of case commencement to all creditors listed in the mailing list of the petition. The…
Joining the bandwagon is not a sin
Sometimes, going against the grain makes us look rational, cool, superior even. However, when we veer away from the mainstream, is it because we sincerely cannot appreciate the “usual”? Or…
The serious side of comedy
Though the few good TV shows back home are applauded, it is dismaying that these small islands of quality are almost lost in the sea of mediocrity and outright vulgarity,…
Fil-Am appointed as LA Board of Transportation commissioner
LOS ANGELES – Only weeks since the recent appointments of Joel Jacinto and George Villanueva to separate commissions in the local government of Los Angeles, another Filipino-American was named by…
Freddie Aguilar’s 'anak' in the age of reality TV
Traditional and social media was recently inundated by news stories regarding Meagan Aguilar’s rant (the “anak” of music icon Freddie Aguilar) against her own father. Meagan has been spewing scathing…
When doing good hurts
THE advice of St. Peter to new converts to Christianity in the Second Reading this Sunday, 1 Peter 3:15-18, resonate with many us: “For it is better to suffer for doing…
Naturalization – Do It for Your Family
It’s hard to imagine that we as individuals can do anything about the broken immigration system that is tearing many of our families apart. But we can. There is one…
LA County Arts Commission releases report on salaries in county’s nonprofit arts organizations
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission released the first report in a series exploring wages and benefits in arts nonprofits in the region. This report – Salaries in Nonprofit…
City of LA celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
In partnership with LA Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, community groups offer free Pan-Asian citizenship workshop at LA Central Library LOS ANGELES – May marks the 22nd annual month-long observance…
Josephine ‘Joji’ Vilar Rafael, a quintessential paragon of beauty and motherhood
Current social dictum motivates women to burst out of their shells and land a career of their own giving rise to the ever-growing number of mothers who augustly cope with…
SCE crew works with Fontana officials to safely return a fallen young bird to its nest.
Even birds of prey sometimes need help. In this instance, it was a young red-tailed hawk on Monday that was probably trying to fly for the first time but had fallen…
Prosecutorial discretion: When there is ‘no hope’ in removal/deportation proceedings
When a person is placed in removal/deportation, they typically go in front of the immigration judge (IJ) to demonstrate why they should not be deported or removed, such as they…
New loves, new start and letting go
Talking about a new start, I wrote about the recent wedding of actor Jericho “Echo” Gonzales to model Kim Jones. The two lovebirds tied the knot at a beach wedding…
Hair coloring and cancer
But our genes, no matter how good their sources are, will not protect us if we abuse ourselves and allow environmental factors to hurt our body and cause disease. It is…
Gov. Brown urged to release $2B for homeowners in distress
Capitol rally led by Black and Latino pastors and the NAAC On March 14, fifty homeowners in distress accompanied by the leading pastors for the Black and Latino churches held…
Quagmire brought about by the pork barrel scam ‘list’
THE “list” of more government officials (who are allegedly part of the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam) has created even more questions, confusion and doubt in the minds of the…
Is IRS offset of refund violation of bankruptcy stay?
CLIENT files a chapter 7 bankruptcy to discharge $100,000 of income taxes. He files his bankruptcy on March 30, 2014. On schedule B of his bankruptcy petition, he claims his…
Learning how to fly
RIDING the airplane for the first time is perhaps the greatest luxury to enjoy. It is the time when one is not yet well-acquainted with the moment; therefore, giving a…
Looking for treasures in growing old
“Few people know how to be old.” – Francois De La Rochedfoucald THEY say that youth is wasted on the young. This is untrue. Youth is wasted on the old, if…
SIPA to honor various leaders at annual benefit dinner
LOS ANGELES – On Thursday, May 22, six individuals from the City of Los Angeles will be honored by community group Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) for their work…
Greenlining Urges CA Public Utilities Commission: Don’t OK Comcast/Time Warner Deal
SAN FRANCISCO – In a protest being filed today with the California Public Utilities Commission, The Greenlining Institute urges the CPUC not to approve the proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable by…
Bawal mangopya: Pinoy biz in LA raided for piracy
WHAT is it about most people (and many Filipinos), who feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in acquiring things for free, which usually need to be paid for? Is…
Of miracles and scandals
FROM May 21 to 23, Metro Manila will be host to heads of state and business and civil society leaders from over 30 countries at the World Economic Forum (WEF)…
How IRS scores your income tax returns for audit Part 3
(Part 3 – Audit Scores) This is the last of three articles on how the IRS receives, validates, stores, and scores tax returns for audit. – How efiled and paper-filed…
When piece-rate pay deprives employees of wages due under the law
Q: I WORK for a company that pays us on a piece-rate basis for every task that we finish. A task may take several hours to complete. If we do…
10 common myths about the Labor Certification process
EMPLOYMENT-based immigration to the United States generally entails a three-step process: 1) Labor Certification (under the “PERM” program); 2) Immigrant Visa Petition approval; 3) Green Card issuance (or Consular Processing,…