Though sparse on details, the broad outlines of what Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump want to do on taxes are clear — and they are very different.

Trump’s tax proposals are tilted to benefit wealthy Americans and large corporations. Under Harris, the bulk of personal gains would come to those with lower and lower-middle incomes, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

“Harris has a more ‘coherent’ plan because she’s essentially got [President] Biden’s budget proposals, which are fairly scored, scrubbed and all that stuff,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative-leaning American Action Forum and former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. “We know that agenda — enhance the child tax credit, raise the corporate rate, tax high-income people.”

Trump, he said, “has got a more tax cut orientation. He’s talked about a 15% corporate rate” — down from the current 21% — “and now he’s walking around and offering a handout at every rally on what he’s not going to tax next — tips, Social Security, overtime. It looks to me he’s just trying to match her on middle-class tax cuts.”

Three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of “Rust,” the movie is set to make its world premiere in Europe.

The organizers of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage international film festival announced Thursday that “Rust” will be screened at the event, followed by a panel discussion honoring Hutchins. EnergaCamerimage will take place Nov. 16 -23 in Torun.

Hutchins was working on the New Mexico set of “Rust” in October 2021 when a bullet from star and producer Alec Baldwin’s prop gun killed the 42-year-old Ukrainian cinematographer and wounded director Joel Souza.

Baldwin recently stood trial in New Mexico for involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’ death, but the case was dismissed amid a dispute over the special prosecutor’s handling of evidence. The actor had pleaded not guilty.

This week, a New Mexico judge denied a request to release Hannah Gutierrez from prison after the “Rust” armorer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Gutierrez has maintained that she loaded Baldwin’s gun with what she believed were inert “dummy” rounds, unaware that a live bullet was in the chamber.

After the “Rust” screening, EnergaCamerimage will host a panel featuring Souza, as well as one of Hutchins’ mentors, Stephen Lighthill, and the cinematographer who finished the film, Bianca Cline.

The panelists are expected to discuss how the filmmakers completed the picture while maintaining Hutchins’ artistic vision. Other topics of conversation will include the role of women in cinematography and the importance of safety on set.

According to the festival’s announcement, Hutchins suggested bringing the film to EnergaCamerimage — a festival celebrating the art of cinematography — during the early stages of production on “Rust.”

“We knew that our event was important to her, and that she felt at home among cinematographers from all over the world, who have been gathering at Camerimage for over 30 years,” festival director Marek Zydowicz said in a statement.

“During the [2021] festival, we honoured Halyna’s memory with a moment of silence and a panel of cinematographers discussed safety on set. Now, once again, together with cinematographers and film enthusiasts, we will have this special opportunity to remember her.”

Dear Liz: I’m way behind on retirement funds. I did get pension funds from my employer after 25 years of service but used a large portion to pay debt that was crushing me. I’m widowed, age 62 and work full time as a nurse. I rent my place. How do I catch up? I have $200,000 in an IRA.

Answer: This answer comes too late for you but may help others who are overwhelmed by debt as they approach their retirement years.

People understandably want to pay what they owe, but bankruptcy is sometimes the best of bad options. This is particularly true as you approach the end of your working years and don’t have enough time to replenish your savings. The typical bankruptcy filing can erase debt while protecting the retirement funds you’ll need for the future. Before using your lump sum pension payout to pay debts, you should have discussed your situation with a bankruptcy attorney.

At this point, your best options may be to work as long as possible, save as much as you can and figure out a smart Social Security strategy. As a widow, you may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits as well as your own retirement benefit. You can’t receive both simultaneously, but you would be allowed to switch between benefits. For example, you could start survivor benefits and then switch to your own when it maxes out at age 70, if that amount is higher. Typically you would want to wait until at least your full retirement age to start benefits, because otherwise you’ll face the earnings test that reduces your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn over a certain amount, which in 2024 is $22,320. Paid services such as Maximize My Social Security or Social Security Solutions can help you determine the best approach.

The fine print on deducting medical expenses

Dear Liz: I take $5,000 per month out of my brokerage account (and the $1,400 in taxes when I withdraw the money) for my husband’s Alzheimer care facility where he now lives 24/7. Can I only claim that on my taxes under medical expenses if I itemize my deductions on my taxes? I don’t have any other deductions.

Answer: Your husband’s expenses may be enough to justify itemizing even if you don’t have other deductions.

The standard deduction for married couples in 2024 is $29,200. To itemize, your deductions would need to be higher than that amount. Furthermore, medical expenses must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income to be deductible, notes Mark Luscombe, principal analyst for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting.

If your husband meets certain criteria, however, the deduction can include the expenses related to meals and lodging at the facility as well as the medical care portion, Luscombe says.

A licensed healthcare professional must certify annually that your husband is chronically ill and living in the care facility due to medical necessity, he says. A tax pro or the facility itself can provide further details.

More on payable-on-death accounts

Dear Liz: You recently wrote about payable-on-death accounts. You wrote that one of the disadvantages to these accounts is that an estate’s executor might have to try to get money back from beneficiaries or pay expenses out of their own pocket if there wasn’t enough money left in the estate to pay the bills. I thought your bills would have to be paid before any money was distributed. Is that not the case?

Answer: No. Payable-on-death accounts typically go directly to the named beneficiaries. Such accounts avoid probate, the court process that otherwise follows death, so there’s no mechanism to withhold money that might be needed to pay final expenses or other bills.

Furthermore, beneficiary designations usually override the terms of a will or living trust. If you were counting on an account to pay final expenses but forgot you named a beneficiary, your executor probably couldn’t access those funds.

Payable-on-death accounts might be a solution for people with simple situations and too few resources to justify a living trust. For example, you might use a pay-on-death designation if you’re leaving a bank account to an only child and you trust them to use the money to pay your final bills.

Otherwise, you’ll want to discuss your situation with an estate planning attorney and get personalized advice about how best to settle your affairs.

Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com.