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Tax season arrives with free filing program for some MA residents

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Tax season arrives with free filing program for some MA residents


Tax season has arrived- and while a majority of U.S. taxpayers feel they pay too much in taxes, select residents in certain states, including Massachusetts, will benefit from a new, free way to file directly with the Internal Revenue Service.

A poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polled more than 1,000 adults in mid-December. What they found was that almost 70% of taxpayers feel their local property taxes are too steep and 6 out of 10 feel they pay too much in state sales tax.

The poll also showed that about a quarter of taxpayers believe they receive a good value from paying either a federal income, state sales or local property tax, with about 33% saying it is a poor value in each case. Results showed that just 20% of surveyed taxpayers are “extremely” educated on how taxes are calculated, and most U.S. adults feel either their federal income or local property tax is “unfair.”

Trust in how tax dollars are spent by either the federal government or local school districts is an issue among U.S. adults, according to the survey. Around 16% of polled taxpayers express strong confidence in their local school districts, just 6% share the same sentiment towards the federal government.

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Some taxpayers in a dozen states, including Massachusetts and New Hampshire, will be able to use a new and free tax filing service launched by the IRS called Direct File. The program, announced in October, will be rolled out in phases and is expected to be more widely available in mid-March.

Eligible taxpayers can file if they report a W-2 wage income, an SSA-1099 Social Security and RRB-1099 railroad retirement income, a 1099-G unemployment compensation a 1099-INT interest income of $1,500 or less, earned income tax credit, child tax credit, credit for other dependents, standard deduction, student loan interest or educator expenses.

The pilot is not an option for taxpayers with other types of incomes including business or gig economy income, or those who itemize deductions and claim other credits.

Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren had advocated for a way to electronically file taxes for free and lauded the Biden Administration for launching the pilot.

“We look forward to supporting the IRS’s efforts to develop and expand the Direct File pilot, setting us on a path where millions of Americans will no longer have to worry about giant tax prep companies sharing their private data with Big Tech firms and ripping them off for services that should be free,” Warren said in October.

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“As our transformation efforts take hold, taxpayers will continue to see marked improvement in IRS operations in the upcoming filing season,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement earlier this month.

IRS officials said they are anticipating more than 128.7 million individual tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. Massachusetts and Maine have an April 17 deadline to file a return or request an extension with October 15 being the deadline for extension filers.



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Massachusetts

Weather alert for patchy fog and black ice in 9 Massachusetts counties until Friday morning

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Weather alert for patchy fog and black ice in 9 Massachusetts counties until Friday morning


A report was issued from the National Weather Service on Friday at 3:13 a.m. for patchy fog and black ice until 9 a.m. for Northern Worcester and Southern Worcester as well as Franklin, Middlesex, Essex, Hampshire, Hampden, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties.

“Patchy fog and isolated black ice are possible this morning across southern New England, especially in areas that typically fog over. As temperatures are at or below freezing, a few slick patches of black ice may form, especially on elevated surfaces; like bridges and overpasses. Please use caution heading out early this morning and allow for extra commuting time,” according to the weather service.

Navigating fog: Safety tips by the weather service

If you must drive in foggy conditions, keep the following safety tips in mind:

Moderate your speed:

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  • Slow down and allocate extra time for your trip to reach your destination safely.

Visibility priority:

  • Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which automatically activate your taillights. Utilize fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them.

Avoid high-beams:

  • Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.

Keep a safe distance:

  • Maintain a significant following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

  • Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to remaining in the correct lane.

Zero visibility strategy:

  • In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.

No parking options:

  • If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these precautions from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring your personal safety.

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Supermarket chain to open 2 stores in former Christmas Tree Shops, Big Lots locations in Massachusetts

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Supermarket chain to open 2 stores in former Christmas Tree Shops, Big Lots locations in Massachusetts



Two shuttered retailers are set to become supermarkets in southeastern Massachusetts.

Big Y announced Thursday that it’s opening grocery stores in Fairhaven and North Dartmouth. The Fairhaven Plaza location used to be a Big Lots, and the Faunce Corner Center store in North Dartmouth was a Christmas Tree Shops.

“These new stores will allow us to better serve families in the South Coast region,” Big Y VP of real estate and development Mathieu L. D’Amour said in a statement.

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The supermarkets will open sometime in 2027. Hiring details and a grand opening date will be announced in the next few months. Big Y opened new stores in Westboro and Uxbridge earlier this year.

Big box store closures in Massachusetts and around the country in recent years have created opportunities for other retailers to move into vacant storefronts.  

Christmas Tree Shops, the bargain outlet that started on Cape Cod more than 50 years ago, went bankrupt and closed all of its stores in 2023. The old North Dartmouth location is being used temporarily this holiday season as a “Spirit Christmas” pop-up.

Another Christmas Tree Shops in Falmouth has been transformed into an Aldi supermarket. Others have been taken over by Ocean State Job Lot. 

Big Lots closed all of its Massachusetts stores last year amid financial turmoil. Just last month, an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet moved into a former Big Lots location in Fitchburg.

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It hasn’t always worked out for supermarkets that move into old retail stores. The Fresh Market, which moved into an old Bed Bath & Beyond store on Route 9 in Framingham less than a year ago, is already closing

A competing grocery store chain, Trader Joe’s, opened two new stores in Newton and West Roxbury this fall.



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26 MA Restaurants Honored By Michelin Guide, Including City’s 1st Star

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26 MA Restaurants Honored By Michelin Guide, Including City’s 1st Star


BOSTON, MA — It was a major day for Boston’s culinary scene on Tuesday as one of the city’s restaurants was finally awarded a Michelin star.

In total, it appears that 26 restaurants were honored by the Michelin Guide.

311 Omakase in the city’s South End was awarded the star at the Michelin Guide Northeast Cities Ceremony, which was held at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

The Japanese restaurant known for its sushi offerings won the biggest honor of the night, but 26 Boston-area restaurants were also noted at the ceremony.

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According to NBC Boston, Bar Volpe and Fox & The Knife, both in Boston; Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, Pagu and Jahunger in Cambridge and Mahaniyom in Brookline were recognized in the “Bib Gourmand” category, which is awarded for its value for the money spent.

Boston Business Journal shared that a number of other area spots were recognized by the organization for their culinary products, though they were not awarded a star.

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