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Show Salina SunGunnison Valiev News Wednesday. March 17. 1999 Page 3 David By Sung Aminals Therapy doesnt always work by Diane O. Hendrickson, MS RapeSexual Assault Program Coordinator Tax Changes for 1998 Can For the past several years, treatment programs for male batterers have opened across the country . Counselors and therapists are still learning new information on effective counseling techniques; however, there are some general facts that may be helpful: Over 50 percent of men who come into treatment do so because the courts have told them to seek counseling. Most of the men in this group would not be in treatment had they not been forced by the criminal justice system. About 40 percent of men go into treatment because their partner has left and gone to a battered women s shelter and told them to either get help or she would not return to the relationship. A few men (less than 10 percent) will seek treatment on their own without the courts or their wifepartner telling them to do so. Benefit Taxpayers When filling out tax forms this year, ,!t. take note of some of the changes that could make the difference between 1 getting a refund and paying more taxes. Depending on their income, people ,may be able to claim up to a $400 ... credit for each qualifying child under 9ge 17. New this year, the child tax credit could reduce the tax to zero, or even become a refundable credit for taxpayers with three or more qualify-in- g children. ,, ,, People can benefit from a number of , r educational incentives. The Hope credit lets people below certain income levels claim a credit for the first two years d education. Its v of to $1,500 per year for qualified tuition and expenses. The lifetime ,(, learning credit applies to qualified tu- -. ition and expenses for undergraduate, graduate and professional degree courses paid after June 30, 1998, for courses starting after that date. The credit is 20 percent of expenses, up to $ ,000 per return. Certain limits apply to both credits. In addition to these credits, people , , can set up Education IRAs featuring J nondeductible contributions of up to a year for a named beneficiary $500 j under age 8. And people can tap into , their other IRAs to pay for qualified higher education expenses. Also, a limited amount of interest paid on higher education loans is deductible. Some s restrictions apply to each benefit. , Iim-jte- 1 1 benefits of lower rates now apply to sales of property held more than one year instead of 8 months. Schedule D will take taxpayers step by step through the rates and rules. The earned income tax credit (EITC) could be worth a few dollars, or up to $3,756 for people with more than one qualifying child, up to $2,271 for one qualifying child. For those with no children, the EITC could be worth up to $341 . The amount people can earn and still be eligible for the credit in 998 is $30,095 for those with more than one child, $26,473 with one qualifying child, and $10,030 with no children. People whoarenteligibleforthe EITC, but who claim it anyway, could be prohibited from taking it for up to 10 years. Rules for getting installment agreements, offers in compromise and uuio-cespouse relief are now less stringent. And people who havent been able to resolve their problems through e normal IRS channels have a new line to a taxpayer advocate: 1 toll-fre- Social Security numbers will not be printed anywhere on the tax instruction booklets or labels, so people need to make sure they put their correct SSNs on their tax returns and other forms. And those who owe taxes can write their checks to the United States Treasury, but dont staple the check to the return. Get details on these topics and more features nondeductible contributions, in the tax instruction booklets or in free e with distributions if they be- - IRS Publication 553, Highlights of. gin after the.fi fth year the taxpayer has 1998 Tax Changes. Call v a Roth IRA, the taxpayer is at least age to order. Or check out the IRS 5914 or disabled, or the distribution is Web site at www.irs.ustreas.gov. home buyer dis- -' a qualified first-tim- e tax-fre- tribution. New capital gains tax rules may re-- 1 duce the tax owed on investments. The FOR ALL YOUR BOOKKEEPING NEEDS . . . Taxes, Electronic Filing Bookkeeping, Payroll 5 Administrator, Richfield Rehabilitation and Care Center The workplace is changing every day and with more and more women in the workforce and in positions of leadership and management, there have been changes in office etiquette. I thought I would share with you some of the changes I have noted since I started working at the Care Center some 23 years ago. Shaking Hands Old: When shaking hands, a man always waits for a woman to extend her hand first. New: The person of higher rank should extend his or her hand first, regardless of gender. Standing during an introduction Old: Women should not stand when being introduced to others. New: Men and women should both stand when being introduced to or greeting others. Whom to address first Old: The womans name is always said before the mans. New: The name of the highest ranking person is said first. Regard- less of gender. Letter salutations Old: Dear Sir was acceptable, although Dear Sir Ms. was preferable. New: Dear Sir is out of the question, and Dear SirMs. is too impersonal. Better to find a gender-neutrgreeting, suchas Dear Customer (It is also noteworthy here to mention that Ms. is a relatively new reference to women since years ago it was Miss or Mrs.). Whether we like or not, times do change. So, if you arent observing the above rules of current business etiquette, you might want to make a few al adjustments. Breaks After Disasters can prove valuable Tax Boost Employees Take Home Pay Even in good times, many employees have a hard time making ends meet. Employers can help many of their employees get more take home pay. How? With a tax benefit for employees called the advance earned income tax credit (advance EITC). Advance EITC allows employers to add a portion of their employees earned income tax credits directly to their paychecks. To get the advance EITC, employees must expect to earn less than $26,928 in 999, expect to have at least one qualifying child, complete Form W-- 5 and give it back to their employers. See Publication 15, Employers Tax Guide Losing personal or business prop(Circular E). For more information on advance EITC, or to download the form or erty due to a fire, flood, hurricane, theft or other similar event is devastating. publication, visit the IRS Web site at www.irs.ustreas.gov. Or call But many people can recover some free the and form. to get publication disaster losses through federal income tax breaks. People who suffer a casualty, loss or theft may be able to deduct the loss when they itemize deductions on their tax returns. If the loss happens in an area declared a disaster area by the president, people can choose todeduct the loss when they file their tax returns for the year of the loss, or amend their returns for the year before the loss, whichever provides the better tax re1 Tami Hansen, CPA 528-741- by Elaine Blackburn nt AnothernewIRAistheRothIRA.lt r- Current Business Etiquette 1 GOLDEN MARK THE MARK OF EXCELLENCE Best prices ever! Lower than wholesale or Price CIr.'js! You could save a Pot of Geld! Our TOP of the LINE Tire is now on SALE Although great progress in helping male batterers is being made, it is important for women to know that having the partner in treatment doesnt mean that the violence will stop. Therapy can give the batterer tools and techniques to stop the violence and manage his anger differently; however, it is very important for him to want to stop the violence. Many women are disappointed when their partner does go to counsel ing, but still continues to batter them. For the majority of men who continue to be violent, it is not because they are sick or crazy; its simply because there is a part of them that really doesnt want to change. When looking for a counselor, it is important to look for one with a particular philosophy and approach. Over the years, it has been found that traditional counseling is not effective in stopping violent behavior. In fact, the victim may be in even more danger if the couple is having traditional marriage or couples counseling. The first goal ofqounseling needs to be stopping the violence. This is best done through the use of anger-man- agement techniques. Group andor individual: counseling for the man who is battering has been found to be the most effective means to stopping violence. Couples counseling should be undertaken only when the batterer is already in a program that focuses on stopping violent behavior and learning skills. skills can take at least six months to a year to master. One cannot unlearn years of condi- nt Anger-manageme- nt $1950 P18570R14 P19570R14 for a 70,000 mile tire. P20570R14 P21570R14 P20570R15 You could save over $100 on a set of 4 tires P2157QR15 P2257QR15 Hurry! Supplies are limited! EPHRAIM So. HWY 89 283-452- 9 SALINA 212 S. 8th W. 529-740- 7 59regpric 62 67 Only available RICHFIELD 448 E. 1st So. 896-646- 1 TIRE CENTERS 71 69 73 77 In regprlc rtgpric reg price reg price reg price reg price sizes listed DELTA 498 W. Main 864-211- 0 2$ Locations to serve you) Price Indudes; Mounting a Valve stems. Computer Batendnq Available -- 6302. Where to from here! by Trooper Terry C. Smith Utah Highway Patrol, Public Information and Education Officer I started out the new year with a lot taxpayers millions ofdollars in medi- of optimism and hope that this would cal costs. Most people forget that their be the year that the Legislature would see that saving the lives of Utahns was important Was I ever wrong! We put together a very simple, but sult. If additional time is granted to disas- effective law, that would require that ter victims for t e Fling of returns and the people of Utah always we seat paying taxes, interest will not be belts or they could be stopped and cited. This simple and needed law charged for that period. For details, get free Publications 547, would have saved numerous lives and the State of Utah and you and I as Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts (Business and Nonbusiness), and 1600 ( 600SP in Spanish), Disaster Losses. Call Take a watercraft safety class before summer begins 70,000 Mile Warranty Ishetryingtogetyoutocomehome, or does he understand that you are afraid of hi m and need some time away to become stronger and feel better about yourself? Does he blame you and call you names, or can he communicate his anger indirect ways? Does he just get himself more and more angry, or does he tell you he needs to cool off, calm down, and he will call you back when he does so? Does he get quiet and moody, or does he express his feelings clearly to you? Does he blame you for his violent behavior, or does he take responsibil- ' ity for his actions? Is he only interested when you are coming home, or does he talk about what he is learning in counseling? There are but a few indications that a person is changing. It is important to take your time in deciding when to go back. (Information courtesy of The Counseling Team, San Bernadino, CA). If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or abuse, we can help. Call New Horizons Crisis . 4 Center at 435 or I 800-343896-929- 1 Buy 4 tires for an amazing tioning in a few weeks. If the batterer drops out of counseling toasoon, the spouse may be at greater risk for being battered. Women (as well as society in general) need to view violence as the responsibility of the batterer. She doesnt make him violent. She may sometimes make him angry, just as he makes her angry; however, what he does with that anger is his own choice. When women come to shelters, their partners are frequently willing to do anything to get them back. This may include going to counseling. Women should be cautioned about returning home too soon. When women return after their partner has been in counseling for only a few sessions, some men interpret their returning as, Everything is okay now; I dont need any more counseling. At this point, many men drop out of counseling and the violence continues. Women should stay away as long as possible to give the man the chance to be in counselingor himself, not just because he wants to get his partner back. Although it may be hard being away from home and he seems like he really means when he says. Ill never do it again, wait give it some time. Many women ask, How can I tell if he is changing?" Here are a few ways: Utah State Parks and Recreation are better prepared to safely enjoy Utahs many water recreation areas. Boating Education Specialists Richard Droesbeke is urging youths to regState law allows youths 12 to 17 ister now for a personal watercraft years old to operate a PWC if they (PWC) education class in preparation meet certain conditions. First, operafor a fun, enjoyable, and safe 1999 tors must successfully complete a PWC education course offered by Utah State boating season. Many students and parents come in Parks and Recreation. Second, operaone week before their summer vaca- tors age 12 to 15 must be under direct tion hoping to get students certified, supervision of someone 18 years of said Droesbeke. They can avoid the age or older. Operators less than 8 rush and possible disappointment by years of age, not meeting the above taking the class now. requirements, may not operate a PWC The PWC education program re- unless accompanied by a person who quires a parent of each student to at- is at least 1 8 years old. tend the For more information, contact the PWC Education class. The course includes instruction and Utah State Parks and Recreation PWC review of Utahs boating laws and education enrollment hotline at 801 T 8 from within or rules, a PWC safety video, identification of buoys and hazards, and a writ- Salt Lake or I from ten test, Llpon completion, operators outside the Salt Lake City calling area.- 1 1.5-ho- 538-BOA- 538-262- insurance only pays so much, then you and I get to pay the rest of the hospital blls and the long-terrecovery bills for crash victims. It is amazing what is important to the Legislature. They thought it was pretty important that people be allowed to go tocommercial elkranclv'.,, walk into a field, and shoot an elk. Now theres a real sport! That law didnt have much m of a problem sailing through the Legislature and now awaits the Governors signature. Amazing where we put our priorities. The new seat belt law didnt get voted on in the House before the close of the session, so it just died. But then with all the changes and amendments that were made to the bill, it wasnt anywhere close to the same bill we originally presented. I will always be a staunch supporter of seat belts and child restraints. Its time we became users of both. I am tired of picking up broken bodies because people cant or wont do something as simple as put on a seat belt or take one minute to save a childs life by making sure they are in a properly installed child-safet- y seat. I guess I am just going to really get tired before we make some changes in the way we do things. I gucsj we could just continue to encourage you to wear a seat belt and buckle upchildren and enforce the law that we still have on the books. So, where to from here? Look in mirror. I w ill be watchyour rear-vieing for you and your children. Someone has to care and I do. w |