Tax Bill

While largely ignoring the trial of former U.S. Senator John Edwards, The Sun apparently found more breaking, vital news in Jenna Bush Hager and Henry Hager getting a less than $300 tax break on their second home/rental property while they live in permanent "digs in Manhattan" ("Bush kin gone but get homestead tax credit," May 1). In addition, there were lengthy details about their exact Baltimore property assessment and rental fees. Now that's breaking news. Are you kidding me?

While largely ignoring the trial of former U.S. Senator John Edwards, The Sun apparently found more breaking, vital news in Jenna Bush Hager and Henry Hager getting a less than $300 tax break on their second home/rental property while they live in permanent "digs in Manhattan" ("Bush kin gone but get homestead tax credit," May 1). In addition, there were lengthy details about their exact Baltimore property assessment and rental fees. Now that's breaking news. Are you kidding me?

Death and taxes might be certain, but the latter changes each year. Even without major tax legislation — thanks, political gridlock — taxpayers need to be aware of even slight adjustments that could benefit them as they prepare their returns. This season, filers will come across new tax forms, a twist on an education tax break that can benefit parents of high school students, and changes in mileage reimbursements. Here are tips for lessening your tax bite and a suggestion for putting your refund to good use. Consider: First-time homebuyer credit This popular $8,000 credit expired for most people in 2010.

They're some of the priciest condos in the city, but they're taxed like empty lots. At the Ritz-Carlton Residences along Baltimore's Inner Harbor — where a recent sale topped $1.5 million — the tax bill for most of the condos was $1,309 apiece this year. At Silo Point, an industrial conversion with gourmet kitchens, hardwood floors and sweeping views of the city, the bill for many of the units is $238 each. Even though they were built years ago, and city inspectors declared them ready to live in, they are still valued for tax purposes as though construction never got off the ground.

In a nutshell, Baltimore City is demanding immediate repayment of tax credits it erroneously gave to taxpayers, often over a period of several years ("City homeowners given 30 days to repay tax credits they didn't request," April 8). We must refund their mistakes right now, or else. This is the same Baltimore City that would seize your house for non payment of water bills that were wildly inaccurate. And these mistakes were not realized until private enterprise (The Baltimore Sun) pointed them out. No wonder we lack respect for and distrust the government.

Only four days remain in 2010 — but that's still enough time to make a few financial moves that will not only lower your tax bill next year but help out charities and your retirement. Here's a rundown of some last-minute tax-saving strategies: Charitable donations Make a donation to a charity before year's end, and you can deduct it on an itemized 2010 tax return. Pay with a credit card, and you can claim the deduction for 2010 but won't have to pay the bill until next year.

The Maryland General Assembly's regular 90-day session ended in disarray Monday at midnight as legislators failed to approve an income tax measure to which their leaders had agreed. The lack of action meant that a so-called "doomsday" budget — balanced entirely through hundreds of millions of dollars of cuts — is in place for the fiscal year that begins July 1. House and Senate leaders said they would ask the governor to call a special session this week to allow them to take up a plan to increase income taxes to avoid the most severe cuts.

Tim Nickels' rowhouse in Baltimore went to tax sale over less than $4 in unpaid property taxes and hundreds of dollars in citations for a messy yard. Perfectly legal, under the city's rules. But Nickels was flabbergasted. Baltimore's annual tax sale, an effort by the city to collect on delinquent accounts, has drawn criticism for putting residents at risk of losing their homes over municipal bills as small as $250. Nickels' past-due tab of $955.60 — including the citation fines and late fees — was one of 6,421 unpaid city bills recently sold as liens to investors, who can move to foreclose later this year if the owners don't pay up with interest.

A bill proposed by the Howard County executive would eliminate a two-tiered fire tax system and could garner about $1.8 million in revenue, county officials said. Howard, unlike the rest of Maryland, has two fire tax rates: one for the more densely populated eastern part of the county and another, which costs 2 cents less, for the more rural west. Some western residents say the current system is fair because they benefit less from county services. But County Executive Ken Ulman says the west receives the same fire service as the east and should pay the same rate — as western residents do for other county services, such as school and police.

WHAT! Another big tax bill taking shape on Capitol Hill? How could they? Why should they? How dare they?Dare they will -- in 1992. Election-year politics are likely to churn up federal tax-cut proposals of every ilk next year, from schemes to cut capital gains taxes and unfairly put more money in the pockets of rich investors to those that would benefit the less well off but bore a gaping new hole into federal revenues.If we are going to go through this again -- and it seems likely -- at least it should be done right.

A bill authorizing a tax subsidy for developers of a west side revitalization project is expected to be introduced during Monday's Baltimore City Council meeting. The subsidy, in the form of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, would go to Lexington Square Partners LLC, developers of the proposed $150 million Lexington Square apartment and retail project in an area known as the Superblock, which has long been targeted for renewal. The tax break is being proposed to help offset the cost of building a 296-unit apartment tower and a 650-space garage.

Like a car salesman, the City of Baltimore started high, came down and ended up making a deal all sides could live with. The city has agreed to give Patterson Park homeowner Maureen Coyle about two years to repay $5,702 worth of property tax breaks that she didn't ask for and that she thought reflected a legitimate discount for being an owner-occupant, Coyle says. On Friday the city's law department emailed her a contract spelling out terms of the deal that will require her to repay $250 a month.

Many Baltimore City property owners may have a hard time comprehending the size of their tax bills, but the bills themselves should make more sense when the new batch goes out in the mail in a couple of months. City tax bills are getting something of a makeover. “We are in the process of redesigning some elements of the tax bill to the extent that our current systems allow,” mayoral spokesman Ryan O'Doherty said this week in an email. O'Doherty said details won't be available for another couple weeks, but added: “We are generally pleased with the efforts the city plans to implement this year to make bills more transparent.” Vague wording has confused some taxpayers , particularly when it comes to property tax credits.

So the tax deadline is here and you don't have the money to pay the bill. It's time to act, not panic. You might have more options than you know — courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service. The agency has been easing up on financially strapped taxpayers and last month expanded its "Fresh Start" initiative, which allows some jobless workers to put off paying their taxes for six months without paying a stiff penalty. "There are probably more options than most people are aware of," says Abe Schneier, senior technical manager with the American Institute of CPAs.

In an about-face, Baltimore finance officials are telling five city homeowners who received two years' worth of erroneous tax breaks that they can repay the city over time and without incurring interest or penalties.   The city had demanded the owners repay the undeserved historic property tax credits - ranging from $1,700 to $9,200 - within 30 days, or else the city would tack on hefty penalties. The demand came as a shock to owners who said they had no idea they'd been getting unwarranted tax discounts.

In a nutshell, Baltimore City is demanding immediate repayment of tax credits it erroneously gave to taxpayers, often over a period of several years ("City homeowners given 30 days to repay tax credits they didn't request," April 8). We must refund their mistakes right now, or else. This is the same Baltimore City that would seize your house for non payment of water bills that were wildly inaccurate. And these mistakes were not realized until private enterprise (The Baltimore Sun) pointed them out. No wonder we lack respect for and distrust the government.

This is the time when taxpayers start thinking about strategies to reduce next year's tax bill. But such planning is exceptionally tricky this year. Many tax cuts created in 2001 and 2003 are set to expire after Dec. 31, from historically low income tax rates to the temporary repeal of the federal estate tax. Legislators talk about extending tax breaks but can't agree on who should get them. President Barack Obama and many Democrats want to maintain tax cuts for all but the wealthiest.

The Maryland General Assembly's regular 90-day session ended in disarray Monday at midnight as legislators failed to approve an income tax measure to which their leaders had agreed. The lack of action meant that a so-called "doomsday" budget — balanced entirely through hundreds of millions of dollars of cuts — is in place for the fiscal year that begins July 1. House and Senate leaders said they would ask the governor to call a special session this week to allow them to take up a plan to increase income taxes to avoid the most severe cuts.

Apple has gone on a very public tax strike. Months after reporting the second-highest quarterly profits in U.S. history, America's favorite company is refusing to bring home more than $60 billion of offshore funds in protest of the taxes it would have to pay. Apple paints its predicament as unfair. Yet Apple's funds did not build up offshore because its iPhones, iPads and Macs are so much more popular overseas than they are at home. Though more than two-thirds of its retail stores are in the United States and Apple sells more products in the U.S. than in any other nation, it reports to shareholders that it made 24 cents in pre-tax profit for every dollar of sales in the United States, compared to 36 cents profit on every dollar of sales abroad.