Tax Bill

The proposed Universal Design Tax Credit Bill does a disservice to Howard County taxpayers. The bill would give tax credits to property owners for 50 percent of the costs of increasing accessibility of their homes, for example, by expanding doorways or installing handrails in their bathrooms. The goal of increasing accessibility is laudable. However, the writing of the bill does not require that the homeowners need these renovations, or even require that they need financial assistance.

Editor: Despite all the spin surrounding Mitt Romney's recent comment about the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay income taxes, there is an undeniable, sobering truth that lies in that number. And that's not the only number. While tax-and-spend politicians love to talk about the wealthy needing to "pay their fair share" of taxes, they seldom mention that approximately 70 percent of all federal income taxes are already paid by the wealthiest 10 percent of taxpayers. That's right, one out of 10 Americans must bear more than two-thirds of the nation's income tax bill while approximately half of Americans (the aforementioned 47 percent)

The deadline to apply for a property tax credit that, on average, cuts more than $1,000 off a homeowner's tax bill, has been extended until the end of October. Maryland residents can apply for the Homeowners' Property Tax Credit through October 31, said Robert E. Young, director of the state Department of Assessments and Taxation. The agency has extended the deadline from Sept. 1. Application numbers have jumped in recent years, as people's jobs or overtime income has vanished, and Young said he didn't want the newly eligible to miss out. “We administratively can extend the program until October the 31 st ,” he said.

The Baltimore City Council made the right choice Monday in unanimously approving an important provision in the deal that will retain Under Armour's corporate headquarters at Tide Point and allow the maker of branded performance apparel to greatly expand its presence here and add as many as 1,600 new jobs over the next decade. Under Armour is Baltimore's fastest-growing large employer, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was also correct to "protect this house" and take the necessary steps to enable the expansion, which is expected to include a new 80,000-square-foot office building and retail outlet in the short term and eventually an office building three times that size and an 800-space parking garage, as well as athletic fields and walking trails.

WEATHER The National Weather Service is calling for Wednesday to start out mostly cloudy and gradually become sunny in the Baltimore area, with a high near 73 . Wednesday night is expected to be mostly clear, with a low around 55. TRAFFIC Check our traffic updates for this morning's issues as you plan your commute. FROM LAST NIGHT Orioles beat Mariners , 4-2, in 18-inning marathon : The Orioles won their 14th consecutive extra-inning game on Wednesday morning, 4-2, in the 18th inning - the second longest contest in Safeco Field history.

After Regina Friend's son Roswell committed suicide last year, she was at least relieved to know that the loans he took out to pay for his Temple University degree were forgiven. But now, the Cockeysville woman has learned she faces a hefty tax bill on those canceled loans. "I thought I was done," she said. Then in June she spoke to her tax preparer, who told her that she will owe an estimated $14,000 to the Internal Revenue Service and the state comptroller on the loans she took out for her son. "I don't think there will ever be closure for what happened.

Two reasons you should fully understand your property-tax bill: to make sure you're not getting overcharged -- and to make sure you're not getting undercharged. Really. Baltimore's finance department has a "billing integrity" unit for ferreting out problems , such as property owners collecting property tax credits to which they're not entitled. Officials have pursued such owners for the back taxes, plus interest, plus penalties. (And the penalties were increased statewide this year for people wrongly collecting homestead credits meant for owner-occupiers.)

The organizers of last year's Baltimore Grand Prix made their final payment on their overdue city tax bill this week, the state comptroller's office said Thursday. The payment comes as the city prepares for this year's three-day open-wheel racing festival from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, which is being organized by a new group of local investors and racing promoters. Baltimore Racing Development put on the inaugural IndyCar racing festival over Labor Day weekend last year. City officials expressed confidence in the racing group in the lead-up to the race, but soon afterward acknowledged that the group had fallen behind in hundreds of thousands of dollars of payments to the city and state.

I find it amusing that The Sun claims the bill passed by the GOP-led House extending the Bush-era tax cuts are merely "symbolic" - presumably because the writers at The Sun know the bill will never pass the Democratically held Senate ("GOP pushes symbolic tax bill through House, Aug. 2). Yet when the Senate passed its version of the bill, which extends the Bush tax cuts except on those making over $200,000 a year, it wasn't considered symbolic, even though there was just as much certainty that the Senate bill would be voted down in the House.

If you're a homeowner making $60,000 or less, you might qualify for help on your property taxes. But the deadline to apply is fast approaching. The Homeowners' Property Tax Credit , intended to help low- and moderate-income owners, caps the amount you must pay based on your income. The limit ranges from $4,380 as the maximum tab for eligible recipients making $60,000, all the way down to $0 for those with $8,000 or less in household income. The basic rules go like this: No more than $60,000 in total household income, and a net worth of less than $200,000 -- not including the value of the home and any qualified retirement savings.