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Show V Salina SunGunnison Valiev News Wednesday, March 24 Jt 999 Pafls3 Current Business Etiquette by Elaine Blackburn Administrator, Richfield Rehabilitation and Care Center Those qualified can get their. taxes prepared for free Taxpayers should bring with them documents and mation, including tax booklet and a age60orolder,isavailableffom AARP copy of last years return. e e is administered AARP now through April 15 at in co-Tthe Foundation AARP locations the various state, through throughout free service, which was used by operation with the Internal Revenue more than 9,000 taxpayers in 1998, is Service. AARP is the nations leading volun- - organization for people 50 and older, provided by AARP Tax-Aid- e teers, who are trained in cooperation The affiliated AARP Foundation is a charitable organization with the Internal Revenue Service. e thatadministersprogramssuchasTax-forourareaareattheGunnisonSeniThe locations for AARP Aide, the AARP Senior Community Gunnison West Service Employment Program and the Center (38 Center, for appointment, phone 528-- 3 92) and AARP Home Equity Information Cen-th- e Salina Senior Center (330 West ter. Main, Sal ina for appointment, phone Free tax preparation assistance for all Utah taxpayers with mid- - to low- with special attention to those all infor-ihcom- e, tax-relat- Tax-Aid- Tax-Aid- non-partis- Tax-Aid- or 1 529-3901- ). Educational Incentives Give Breaks People continuing their education orplanningforachild to attend college should learn about the educational incentives available to them. These incentives could change the bottom line on their tax returns. The Hope credit lets people below certain income levels claim acredit for the first two years of education expenses. The credit is limited to $1,500 per year for qualified tuition and expenses. Tuition expenses eligible for the credit must be reduced funds, such as grants or by any tax-frscholarships. Graduate and professional level fees are not allowed. The credit applies to payments made after 1997, for academic periods starting after that year. People can claim the Hope credit for each eligible student in their family. The student must be enrolled in at least e half of the workload for the course of study. The credit is not allowed to students convicted of a felony drug offense. A person can claim the Hope credit for only two tax years for each eligible student. The lifetime learning credit applies to qualified tuition and expenses for undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree courses paid after June 30, 1998, for courses starting after that date. People under certain income levels can claim this credit for an unlimited number of years. The credit is 20 percent of expenses, up to a maximum credit of $ ,000 per return. The credit amount doesnt increase with additional eligible students in the family, and it cannot be claimed for students expenses during years when the Hope credit is claimed for those students. Both the Hope and lifetime learning credits are reduced rateably as a taxpayersadjusted gross income rises from $40,000 to $50,000 (double those , amounts for a married couple filing I jointly). In addition to these credits, people under certain other income levels can deduct a limited amount of the interest paid on qualified higher education full-tim- 1 loans, but only for the first 60 months of loan payments. The maximum deduction is $1,000, and students must have been enrolled for at least half the e normal course load required. This deduction phases out as adjusted gross income rises from $40,000 to $55,000 ($60,000 to $75,000 Tor married couples filing jointly). Taxpayers do not have to itemize on Schedule A to claim the student loan interest deduction. People who are dependents and married couples filing separate returns cannot claim the student loan interest deduction or the Hope and lifetime learning credits. Individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) can help provide for education as well as retirement. People who have IRAs can tap into them to pay for qualified higher education expenses. They wont have to pay the 0 percent penalty tax on early withdrawals, but they will have to pay tax on the amount withdrawn. The Education IRA is set up as a funding vehicle to pay educational expenses of a named beneficiary. It features nondeductible contributions of up to $500 a year per beneficiary, with no tax on the earnings if withdrawals are less than qualified higher education expenses in the year of the withdrawal. The beneficiary must be under 8 when the contribution is made. The $500 limit is reduced if acontribu-to-r has income above certain levels. And for people whose employers pay for their education, the employer-provide- d educational assistance is excluded from their wages. The maximum exclusion amount is $5,250 and is for undergraduate courses, not for graduate level courses. Publications 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), and 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education, have more details about these tax breaks and the income phaseout rules. To or visit the order, call I IRS Web site at www.irs.ustreas.gov. full-tim- 1 For the last several years so much hoopla has been made about Stephen Coveys The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People that it seemed refreshing to me when 1 ran across The Toastmaster's list of the traits of effective leaders. I felt them worthy and wanted to share them with you. Are leaders born or made? Can you learn superior leadership skills? No one seems to be sure, but experts have noticed seven specific actions that successful leaders carry out, regardless of Porcupuncture the organization or cause they lead. Effective leaders . . . . . . Make others feel important. If your goals and decisions are followers will lose theirenthusi-asquickly. Emphasize their strengths and contributions, not your own. The majority of unintentional poi- Syrup for each child in the home in . . . Promote a vision. Followers need sonings occur in the home, and more case of a poisoning emergency. Use a clear idea of where youre leading than 60 percent involve children under only under the advice of your Poison them, and they need to understand that six years of age. Children Act Fast...So Control Center, emergency room or the goal is valuable to them. Your job Do Poisons! is the theme of National doctor. as tender is to provide that vision. Poison Prevention Week. Durine Naposting emergency telephone num-be- ts Follow the Golden Rule. Trea' . tional Poison Prevention Week. Mai close to the telephone. For poi- voui followers the wav you enjoy be 1999, the Utah SAFE soning emergencies, contact the Utah reminds you that everyon: Poison Control Center at can prevent unintentional poisonim . The Utah SAFE KIDS Coalition tarTo prevent unintentional poisonings, mediall store household products and gets safety issues affecting the health g in of Utah children such cines a locked cabinet, out of reach, and as motor vehicle injuries (all aspects of and out of sight of small children. In addition, the Utah Poison Control traffic safety), fires and burns, Center (a member organization of the drownings, firearms and poisonings. Consumer Protection experts know Utah SAFE KIDS Coalition) recom- The mission of the Utah SAFE KIDS one thing about disasters ... as soon as make is a to safer Utah Coalition mends: place scams appear that piggyone happens, storing all household and chemical forchildren by preventing injuriesand them. After adisaster makes back off of in fatalities through raising community their original containers. products it is common to see scams headlines, in awareness, influencing policies, prokeeping all medicines their origithat claim to be raising money for nal containers and using moting safety and establishing private food, tornado or famine victims. Well, closures. public partnerships. to sources around the counaccording bottle of Ipecac having a try, scams are starting to appear relating to the threatened, and much publicized, Y2K disaster. Several telephone scams reportedly are making their way across the country, preying on fears that the Year 2000 computer problem will mess up bank accounts. So far, the Utah Division of ConApril Fools Day is also Lupus tiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, sickle-ce- ll sumer Protection hasnt received any anemia and cerebral palsy comAwareness Day but lupus is no joke. from Utah residents ripped complaints It is often misdiagnosed or unrecogbined one of every 185 Americans. off by a new century scam, but Francine nized for years. It is a disease so dev- Yet, lupus is not as well known as any Giani, division director, says its probastating, come doctors cant even tell one of these diseases. The vast majorably only a matterof time before someyou have it. Not because they are afraid ity of those affected are adult women, one gets taken. to tell you, but because it is so difficult with greater numbers among Latinos The scams, which Giani has heard s. to diagnose that it has eluded some of and about from other states, apply a new the best minds in medicine. Anyone Many people have lupus without twist to an old theme. year can get it. There is no known way to knowing it. The symptomsoften mimic All they are trying to do is get disease other diseases. Common symptoms prevent this financial information fromaconsumer include achy andor swollen joints, and there is no known cure. that can then be used to steal, she said. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune dis- fever, prolonged fatigue, skin rashes, Theyre just using Y2K fears as the ease that can affect virtually any organ sun sensitivity, mouth sores and anetool to get information." in the body. The immune system of a mia. Lupus affects every individual One scam, reported in several east person with lupus produces antibodies differently, and its effects range from coast newspapers, including the WashThousandsdie that attack healthy tissue instead of mild to ington Post, in volvesacaller posing as from each year. invaders it lupus foreign complications against protecting a representative from the recipients such as infection and viruses. Lupus Early detection and education offer credit card company. affects nearly people in the the best hope for finding a cause and The caller claims the company is United States more than AIDS, mul- - cure. The Utah Chapter of the Lupus to stick Foundation of America is located in sending out replacement strips Poison Prevention Week focuses on preventing injuries in children d, m . 21-2- . ing treated. An abusive leader attracts few loyal followers. . . . Admit mistakes. If people suspect that youre covering up your own errors, theyll hide mistakes, too, and youll lose valuable information needed for making decisions. . . . Criticize others only in private. Public praise encourages others to excel, but public criticism only embarrasses and alienates everyone. ... Stay close to the action. Y ou need to be visible to the members of your organization. Talk to people, visit other offices and worksites, ask questions, and observe how business is being handled. Often you will gain new insights into your work and find new opportunities for motivating your followers. . . . Make a game of competition. The competitive drive can be a valuable tool if you use it correctly. Set team goals, and reward members who meet or exceed them Fxnmine your failures, and celebrate your groups success. 7, Do not be a victim through Y2K scams well-bein- child-resista- nt one-oun- April Fools Day is Lupus Awareness Day African-American- over the magnetic stripe on the back of credit cards to ward off Y2K problems. Customers who dont get one wont be able to use their cards come January I, warns the caller. The card holder is then asked for his or her account number for verification." Another version goes some thing like bank representative this: A calls to confess that the bank is way behind fixing its computer systems for the millennium. Though they hate to admit it, the caller says, that means there is sure to be plenty of mixups in customer accounts, possibly catastrophic ones such as having balances wiped out when January I arrives. As a safeguard, the bank needs to transfer all customer accounts intospe-cily designed Kind accounts immune to any glitches until all systems are Y2Ksafe. The caller then asks for the customers account number for verification. Giani says she is unsure if anyone has fallen for the swindles, but she said people who follow a few simple, common sense rules can avoid being duped. First, never give account information over the phone. Andrealizelhatabankorcredit card company isnt going to contact you asking for your account number because they already have it. Any suspicious calls should be reported to the Utah Department of Commerce's Division of Consumer Protection at 801 al 530-660- Anderson Tax Service Johnny Anderson, Certified TCA Consultant 528-116- or 2 528-353- 9 New Location: 88 South Main, Gunnison (Next to the STAR Theatre) Layton. It serves more than 1,200 people each year with services including monthly support group meetings, community outreach, public education programs, referral services, and medical information. The chapter also supports "lupus research. All contributions are tax exempt. For more information contact the Utah Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America at FOR ALL YOUR BOOKKEEPING NEEDS . . . Taxes, Electronic Filing Bookkeeping, Payroll Tami Hansen, CPA 528-741- HI & LOIS We Laminate!!! Stop by 1. our Gunnison office today! Just $1.95 for 8 12x11! Only $2.95 for 1 1 x 1 7! Check out our custom bookmarks, too! Gunnison Valley News 47 South Main, Gunnison 5 BY GREG & BRIAN WALKER TRY TO IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT A FULLY INTE -GR ATEP SOURCE FOR ALL . JR lUFORfAATlONAL NEEPS... (OMpt -- kam A AMP IT REQUIRES NO NO NO Subscribe to The Salina Sun or MARPWARE SOFTWARE POWMLOAP Gunnison Valley News only $19 per year! TiaAE Call rtuv XyJL JL Av. i V 529-7339528-3- fM, . 11 for 1. |