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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 6 Volume V, Issue XI March 15, 2002 Avoiding Tax Mistakes Filing tax returns is no small task. With numerous lines to fill in, calculations to perform, and a variety of tax rules and regulations to understand, it’s no wonder that millions of Americans make mistakes. According to the IRS, the most common errors include miscalculated income and incorrect figures copied from tax tables. Want to increase your chances of filing an error-free tax return? Here are some tips: If you took a distribution from a retirement plan, such as an IRA, before the allowable age (usually 59½), you’ll have to report the income and may owe a 10% penalty when you file. It’s best to wait to file your return until you’ve received all income statements from banks, brokerage firms, lending institutions, employers, and the Social Security Administration (if retired). If your new baby doesn’t have a Social Security number (or other taxpayer identification) before you file your return, you won’t be able to claim a dependency exemption, or take the child tax credit. If you find a mistake, you can file Form 1040X with the IRS to amend a tax return that has already been submitted. Note: Information submitted by Chris Wright, a Financial Planner with Heritage Financial Group, 399-5409, www.heritagefinancialgroup.com Utah Humanities Council and Weber County Library present Women's Voices: Past & Present Book Discussions March 21 Red Water by Judith Freeman Published in 2002, this novel by Ogden native Judith Freeman tells the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre from the points of view of three of the wives of John D. Lee, the man ultimately held responsible for this infamous event. Discussion leader: Neila Seshachari. April 18 A Mormon Mother: the Autobiography of Annie Clark Tanner "One of the monuments of Mormon literature," this is the story of a beautiful and gifted woman who freely chose to live as a second wife of a brilliant teacher she met while attending Brigham Young University. Discussion leader: Becky Johns. May 16 Something to Declare by Julia Alvarez The rich and revealing essays in Something to Declare offer Julia Alvarez's dual meditations on becoming an American and learning to be a writer. Discussion leader: Sally Shigley. 7:00 p.m. at Ogden Valley Branch Library 131 S. 7400 E. Huntsville, Utah Copies of the books will be available at the Ogden Valley Branch Library. For more information, call Bob Sawatzki at 745-2220. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Clarifies Inaccuracies in Wetlands Permit Reporting WASHINGTON, D.C., (Jan. 16, 2002) – Concerned about inaccuracies in news reports regarding nationwide permits, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing information to clarify permitting procedures. “The permitting program is very complex, and we need to ensure that the American public has accurate information about how their federal government is providing environmental protection,” said John Studt, Chief of the Regulatory Branch for the Army Corps of Engineers. There were several topics bearing clarification: “No net loss”/ acre-for-acre wetlands replacement. Developers (and others who use the permits) are still required to offset damage or impacts, and the standard this year is more restrictive than ever. In the past, Corps districts – which issue the permits — had to ensure that wetland functions were replaced which often resulted in less than one-for-one acreage mitigation. Now they must not only ensure that functions are replaced, but also that the “no net loss” goal is met on an acreage basis within the geographic boundary of the district. This allows area regulators to consider cumulative impacts holistically rather than piecemeal, making decisions in the best interest of the entire watershed. Current permits revoke previous requirements. “Actually, every time we’ve issued nationwide permits, they have become more environmentally protective, including this time,” said Studt. “And each time we’ve proposed changes to the program, they have been open to public review and comment.” The only change in environmental review pertains to intermittent streams, DON’T BE LATE AGAIN! Call: Joan @ 745-0444 Email iitink@aol.com Birthdays Anniversaries Weddings Great gifts for Mother’s Day, Wedding Gifts and for those forgetful Spouses. Find out how you can get your “Forget You Not” Calendar FREE which are often no more than stormwater run-off. Allowing Corps regulators to address impacts to these streams with nationwide permits frees them up to focus on more significant environmental issues, like redesigning major projects for fewer impacts or enforcing required mitigation. Floodplain restrictions. Every protection in place for floodplains in 2000 remains in place today. Automatic approval. Nationwide permits pertain only to situations with minimal impacts (such as less than ½ acre), and each of these permits will still receive individual attention from Corps regulators (most of whom are biologists). Nationwide permits do not take as much time as individual permits, but that is as it should be, because projects requiring individual permits have greater than minimal impacts and therefore deserve more scrutiny. Different standards for commercial versus residential developers. The same standard of minimal impact—½ acre—is applied for those who build shopping centers (commercial) as those who build neighborhoods (residential). The full text of the nationwide permits is posted in the Jan. 15, 2002, Federal Register at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/ac es/aces140.html. For more information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program, visit the program’s Web page at http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/func tions/cw/cecwo/reg/ Note: Information reprinted with permission from “Water Technology” magazine www.watertechonline.com Copyright 2002 National Trade Publications, Inc. 940-4040 2580 N. HIGHWAY 162, EDEN UT FOR ALL YOUR OGDEN VALLEY REAL ESTATE NEEDS dickdixon@att.net Dick Dixon Visit www.dickdixon.org Associate Broker 940-4040 VALLEY RESIDENT & SPECIALIST For all your Excavatingg Needs LANDSCAPE TOP FILL ROCK SOIL DIRT GRAVEL ROAD ESTABLISHED 1981 Visa and Mastercard Accepted BASE SEPTIC TANKS BASEMENTS WATERLINES SNOW REMOVAL Propane Available for Sale 4786 OFFICE LOCATED AT EAST 2600 NORTH EDEN, 745-2309 Office UT 84310 745-6910 Fax |