LET’S discuss reasons why you should consider filing, even you are not required to: 1. You expect a refund. You have credits that can generate a refund – from taxes withheld from your paycheck, estimated tax payments, or a prior-year overpayments applied to this year. 2. You may qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)…
Q. I AM thinking of filing a wage claim against my former employer for unpaid overtime hours and breaks I was not provided. Some of my fellow employees, who suffered as I did, wanted to file with me but they are afraid. They think if they complain, they’ll be fired. I understand their fears and…
THE new rules to streamline the mortgage application process might come into effect after this summer. By the end of August, regulators will release a “softer” version of rules overseeing how banks finance mortgages. The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill tasked regulators with writing rules that would force Wall Street to keep some skin in the…
IT WAS eight o’clock on a quiet night in the municipality of Izalco in Sonsonate, El Salvador. The parish priest, Padre Napo and his vicar, Padre Jorge, invited me to come to a meeting with members of their parish pastoral council. I didn’t know what to expect with this encounter. All I knew was that…
LOS ANGELES – Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) spokesman Art Garcia for years stood side-by-side with former congressman Bob Filner, fighting for equity for Filipino World War II veterans. Filner had a once sterling reputation as a champion of civil rights and proponent for Filipino veterans seeking veteran benefits. Now, seeing the 70-year-old Filner…
Just like any holiday or traditional event, the fiesta brings forth a festive atmosphere and a nostalgic longing for every bit of sentimental things back home. Fiesta in America diminishes, if not totally eradicates, that lingering homesickness with the enormous influx of talents, exhibitors of native and home-made food products, and related items all gathered…
Just like any holiday or traditional event, the fiesta brings forth a festive atmosphere and a nostalgic longing for every bit of sentimental things back home. Fiesta in America diminishes, if not totally eradicates, that lingering homesickness with the enormous influx of talents, exhibitors of native and home-made food products, and related items all gathered…
When the green card holder naturalizes, the F-2A petition automatically converts from F-2A (spouse/minor child of green card holder) to “immediate relative” (spouse/parent/child of US citizen). Petitions by US citizens of immediate relatives (spouse, minor child, parents) allow only one beneficiary per petition. Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: While I was still an immigrant, I filed…
HEAVY favorite Megan Lynn Young from Olongapo City bested 24 other candidates in the 2013 Miss World Philippines pageant last August 18 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City. She took home the coveted title, P1 million worth of management contract from the pageant organizer, plus gifts and services from the contest’s sponsors….
BEGINNING last weekend, new revelations on the pork barrel scam continues to pour, probably just as heavily as Typhoon Maring’s wrath , which has flooded Metro Manila. Most Filipinos expressed anger and disgust through social media. They feel betrayed, knowing that their hard-earned money has been blatantly misused by the people they put in power….
PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino ran and won on his anti-corruption platform. While not all kababayans were happy about the way his administration pushed for plunder charges against his predecessor and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and for the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, a majority of Filipinos are still happy that the son of democracy…
Three weeks ago, the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC) was among the first, if not the very first minority organization in the nation, to protest the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways before the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Last week, the Department of Justice employed many of our arguments…
LIKE most people, you’ve probably heard a lot of negative things about bankruptcy and that how filing could be the worst mistake you’ll ever make in your life. And like most people, you’ve been misled! There is so much misinformation out there about bankruptcy that a lot of good, honest, hard-working people are missing out…
ONLY a little more than one year into the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) more than 550,00 DACA requests accepted for processing, of which over 430,000 have been approved, and 7,450 requests denied, as of July 2013. In all, the program has been considered a success, creating a legal, albeit temporary,…
Early this month, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) announces the turnover of its domestic flights to affiliate airline, PAL Express; and welcomes the arrival of the new flagship aircraft of its single-aisle fleet – Airbus A321-200. PAL Express (formerly AirPhil Express) takes over majority of the domestic flights while PAL continues flight services to Cebu,…
“Judge not that ye be not judged.” It makes me wonder and question. What to judge can be the result of humility and compassion, but even then we must remain clear as to what it is that we withholded judgment from. If we do not condemn, is it because we know we are not fit…
He wears an uneasy crown, as the darling of the fighting world. The odyssey of foibles and fallability starts from the time they were lightweights, who labored in the anonymity of boxing vineyards — from the greatest names in the pugilistic arena, to backyards of fighters, who once were light as a cucumber in their…
EVER since a warrant was released by the Department of Justice for the arrest of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Reynaldo Lim, social media has been inundated with feedback by netizens. Most were angry and appalled that Napoles was able to escape the clutches of justice so quickly. The Dept. of Justice, along with…
The California Supreme Court justices’ unanimous ruling last Wednesday tossed out a legal challenge by supporters of Proposition 8, a ballot measure passed by voters in 2008, which banned same-sex marriage. This means gay marriages in California are here to stay. Advocates against gay marriages, however, are not giving up just yet. According to the…
THE situation we envision in this discussion is where you have an offer in compromise which has been accepted by the IRS then you file for bankruptcy relief. Do you owe the original amount prior to the OIC or do you owe the compromised amount accepted by the IRS? For example, you owe the IRS…
IF your mortgage loan is forgiven, you end up with income from cancellation of debt. Here are 10 tips to exclude the forgiven debt from your income. • Cancellation of debt (COD) or debt forgiveness results in taxable income; however, you may be able to exclude the income (meaning you don’t have to pay tax…
LENDERS as I thought are more aggressively helping homeowners modify their mortgages. I have seen more loan balance forbearance lately. Another term for that is a loan modification with a Balloon payoff for the remaining balance. Lenders will structure this modification package with the homeowner paying a portion with full interest payment and another smaller…
Q: I WORK as a nurse in a hospital on a 12-hour shift, three days a week. Because of the realities of patient care, we often find ourselves working an extra 30 minutes to an hour per shift finishing up paperwork. We are not paid for the extra time. There are times when I am…
QUESTION: I am a US citizen or lawful permanent resident in a same-sex marriage to a foreign national. Can I now sponsor my spouse for a family-based immigrant visa? Answer: Yes, you can file the petition. You may file a Form I-130 (and any applicable accompanying application). Your eligibility to petition for your spouse, and…
More than division, the Gospel today speaks of passion: ‘I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!’ HE is a 52 years old parish priest like…
In its commitment to recognize outstanding Filipino-American community leaders who distinctly exemplify success, Philippine Fiesta, now Fiesta in America, once again honors individuals with exemplary achievements in their chosen profession with a well-conceptualized ceremony during the annual People’s Ball, one of the most glitzy and glamorous gala events this side of North America. Under the…
In its commitment to recognize outstanding Filipino-American community leaders who distinctly exemplify success, Philippine Fiesta, now Fiesta in America, once again honors individuals with exemplary achievements in their chosen profession with a well-conceptualized ceremony during the annual People’s Ball, one of the most glitzy and glamorous gala events this side of North America. Under the…
JUST as wagging tongues were dying down in talking about the Raymart Santiago-Claudine Barretto battle, another showbiz marriage was making the news. This time, it’s actress Sunshine Cruz against action star Cesar Montano. Last August 13, Sunshine, along with her lawyer Atty. Bonifacio Alentajan, filed a complaint-affidavit against her estranged husband Cesar for violating Republic…
WHERE WOULD WE BE without our toothbrushes?! Today personal dental hygiene is easy with convenient tools like toothbrushes and floss. But have you ever wondered what people did before modern toothbrushes? Twigs and branches The earliest toothbrushes were actually “chewing sticks.” That may sound rudimentary, but they were surprisingly effective. In ancient Babylon people chewed on…
The September 2013 priority dates have phenomenal news for spouses and minor children of green cardholders (Category F – 2A). That means that spouses and minor children of green cardholders would be eligible to file for adjustment of status and work authorization, if they are in the US, and are otherwise eligible! That is the case…
