1. YOU may deduct donations to qualified organizations. Qualified organizations include corporations or foundations organized in the US for religious, charitable, educational, scientific, literary, or prevention of cruelty to children and animals. 2. You cannot deduct contributions made to specific individuals – priests, nuns, victims, and political organizations or candidates. 3. File Form 1040 and…
WHAT I will discuss on the second portion of this article will be about HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative) which will typically offer a qualified seller $ 3,000 at closing of a short sale for relocation cost. But more interestingly is what other lenders are doing on their own to speed up short sale process…
MARCH 8 is International Women’s Day. Historically, this day has been observed since the early 1900’s — “a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies,” saysInternationalWomensDay.com. “In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s…
AS THE world awaits the Cardinals in the Vatican to start the conclave and elect the next Pope, Catholics debate on the qualities they wish to be embodied by the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Before the Cardinals were ordered not to speak out about the impending election of Benedict XVI’s (who resigned…
LAST week, we established the fact that back due income taxes can be discharged in bankruptcy, despite the popular belief that this was not possible. We said that there are six rules that must be complied with to discharge taxes. All of these rules must be followed. If you comply only with five rules, the…
LOS ANGELES – Thousands of parking lot attendants, cashiers and other employees received a whooping $4.7 million settlement after their class action lawsuit was settled. About 10,000 employees, some of whom were Filipino, filed a class action lawsuit against their employer AMPC System Parking Company (AMPCO) and its parent corporation, ABM Industries, one of the…
LOS ANGELES – A Hawaiian Senator and Congresswoman on Tuesday introduced legislation in both chambers that would reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families. Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa introduced the Filipino Veterans of World War II Family Reunification Act, measures that would expedite immigration proceedings for children of Filipino…
PASADENA – Ethnic media practitioners in Southern California were recognized on Thursday night for excellence in journalism, and insightful coverage on ethnic community issues. Presented by New America Media (NAM), Los Angeles Multicultural Leadership Network and KPPC, the awards-giving body also gave special citation for inter-ethnic coverage by media outlets. The event was held at…
After a brief respite and heaps of social commitments that I had to cover, the continuation of my celebrity encounters resumes. Brace yourself for some more of my interesting nostalgic anecdotes. The “Fishnet & Minis” era gave Helen Gamboa an unprecedented popularity surge with the advent of musical films a fitting bifurcated avenue that showcased…
Question: I heard that H-1B’s are about to be able to be filed. What can I do? Answer: First, April 1, 2013, the doors open again and new H-1B’s can be filed. It does take time to prepare a quality H-1B, so time is of the essence and you should either get started right away…
In these days of health-consciousness, almost everyone is concerned about chest pains and possible heart attack, especially individuals who are 40 and older. While we hear of occasionally cases of heart attack among those in their 30s or even 20s, most likely candidates are actually those who eat red meat regularly, do not exercise, who…
Everyone knows that one of the fastest and easiest ways to get a green card is thru a bona fide, good faith (love) marriage to a US citizen. However, one of the worst things that a person can do is enter into a fixed marriage for purposes of obtaining immigration benefits. This is because if…
The sense of sight, most of the time, reigns supreme in the order of the senses. It affirms the existence of the outside world. It confirms presence and assures that people and things are out there. Seeing makes it convenient for us to believe. But when it comes to heritage, we go beyond the eyes….
I can believe that good is manifested from every experience that comes into our lives. Cancer is not a death sentence and I’ve been battling it for seven years, six months and twenty-nine days in the only way I know — living one day at a time. It was supposed to be a quick scene,…
AS OF March 4, 2013 certain immigrant visa applicants who are the spouses, children and parents of US citizens (“immediate relatives”), who have been unlawfully present in the United States, can start applying for provisional unlawful presence waivers through a new, Stateside “Provisional Waiver” process. The new provisional waiver process is for certain individuals who…
TODAY, the world has 1,426 billionaires (people with personal wealth of $1 billion as of January) accounting to a total net worth of $5.4 trillion. 11 of them are Filipinos. “Resurgent asset prices are the driving force behind the rising wealth of the super-rich around the globe. While last year almost as many fortunes fell…
AFTER the Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on February 28, the Roman Catholic Church may have a new leader before the beginning of Holy Week (on March 24, Palm Sunday). St. Peter, the first leader of the Catholic Church, was believed by Catholics to be selected by Jesus when He told him: “Come with me and…
LOS ANGELES – A US federal jury on Monday convicted three Filipinos of smuggling high-powered military and assault weapons including rocket launchers, machine guns, and other deadly explosives from the Philippines into the United States. A federal jury in the US District Court found the three Philippine nationals: Sergio Syjuco, 26; Cesar Ubaldo, 27; and…
FILING Chapter 13 bankruptcy is often a last resort for people in foreclosure when no other options exist. A lot of homeowners usually put off making this decision for a long time until they find themselves backed into a corner with no way out. Most of the time they’ll attempt to do a loan modification…
QUESTION: I have heard that there is going to be immigration reform. Can you shed some light on the subject and what we might expect? Answer: Conservatives have tended to oppose immigration reform and amnesty for undocumented workers. Prominent Republicans, however, have recently come out in support of massive immigration overhauls. We could speculate as…
IF YOU search for the name of Dr. Francisca Tolete Velcek on the Internet, one of the most impressive things you will find is an icon of Castle Connolly. In the medical world, to be on the Top Doctor List of Castle Connolly is like winning in the Oscars. A proud Ilocana and pediatric surgeon,…
There are times when a person is arrested and charged with a crime. In some cases they may have actually committed the crime, or it could be that they are completely innocent, wrongfully accused, or were arrested because of some misunderstanding or miscommunication. They want to fight the charges to prove their innocence. The person…
Something odd was happening. Faced with popular protest and revolt in the army, President Marcos left Malacañang Palace in a US Airforce Huey helicopter on the evening of February 25, 1986. Camp Crame was the center of army revolt. I wish I could remember it all better, without weakening the adequacy or vitality of the…
THE current influx of media attention on immigration issues is very exciting. One cannot help but be hopeful and optimistic that some type of immigration reform is on the horizon. For example, President Obama unveiled his proposed legislation last week, which would lead to the substantial overhauling of the immigration system. The proposed legislation has…
Q: MY boss at work would slap or touch my buttocks, make comments about my breasts, or other parts of my body, and tell me to wear shorter skirts. He uses vulgar language and has called me “stupid bitch” a number of times. I’d like to file a sexual harassment claim but, unfortunately, I have…
CERRITOS – Two Filipino-Americans are vying for the City Council of Cerritos in the March 5 local election. Current City Planning Commissioner Frank Aurelio Yokoyama and retired Social Worker Alejandro Estella are running for the first time, to fill two open slots. Other candidates include re-electionist Carol Chen, ABC School Board Member James Kang,…
LOS ANGELES – With at least two Filipino-Americans running for LA City Council seats, kababayans are highly encouraged to come out and vote in the coming LA City Primary Nominating Elections on Tuesday, March 5. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), together with the LA City Clerk Election Division, the Korean Resource Center,…
THIS fiscal cliff legislation includes lots of tax changes; accordingly, I summarized the provisions for simple reading. Last week’s Part A dealt with individuals while this week’s Part B deals with business. Business depreciation and cost recovery provisions 50% Bonus Depreciation extended The Act extends the 50% first-year bonus depreciation for an additional year to…
Homeowners Bill of Rights IN JULY, California enacted the major pieces of legislation, which were introduced by Attorney General Kamala Harris. These provision, which will take effect January 1, 2013, will incorporate many of the provisions of the National Mortgage Settlement into California law and specifically will: 1) eliminate “dual tracking” of foreclosures during loan…
ON TUESDAY, March 5, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are urged to exercise their right to vote for the 2013 Primary Municipal Elections in the City of Los Angeles. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) is advocating for these communities’ active participation in the municipal elections, through the Your Vote Matters!…
