Massachusetts
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.
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.
“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.
Massachusetts
Maps show icing threat across Massachusetts on Saturday; winter weather advisory issued
BOSTON – The WBZ-TV weather team has issued a NEXT weather alert for the threat of ice on the roads in Massachusetts on Saturday.
New England saw a precursor to the weekend weather on Friday morning when people awoke to patchy black ice.
Some might say that the timing of the ice seems to work in our favor, as most of the weather activity is expected to occur prior to 7 a.m. Saturday morning. However, any lingering minor instances of ice could pose a big concern for roads, walking, running, etc.
Ice and scattered showers for Saturday
Confidence for slick spots is greatest in western and central Mass, where there is a higher chance of ice accumulation. A much lesser possibility of ice remains for areas east of Route 495 and I-95.
However, given that temperatures are expected to slip below freezing yet again, everyone should be careful when heading out on the roads Saturday.
By mid-morning, warm air will begin to move into the region, all but stalling any remaining ice conditions. This will allow “warmth” to elevate temperatures into the mid-to-upper 30s, just as our first round of weekend rain moves in by noon.
This storm system heading our way has already had a mean streak, causing severe weather down south. However, the storm will lose its energy for severe weather by the time it reaches us and New England will just have to contend with scattered showers and light winds.
Timing of weekend storms
Many people in western and central Massachusetts will see spots of black ice before sunrise on Saturday, which could be made worse by additional freezing rain.
As for Boston the chance of ice falls significantly below 10% on Saturday. And if you’re heading to Foxboro for the Chargers-Patriots game, we recommend bundling up and bringing rain gear. This will be a dreary, gray and soggy game.
Massachusetts
Fallen police officer remembered by Massachusetts community 14 years after fatal robbery
WOBURN – For 14 years and counting, a Massachusetts community has come together to remember a fallen officer who gave his life to protect his community the day after Christmas.
Killed while responding to robbery
The town of Woburn remembered Officer Jack Maguire with a police procession and a Christmas tree draped in blue lights. The tree overlooks the tragedy.
Maguire was shot and killed while responding to a robbery at Kohl’s on Dec. 26, 2010. He wasn’t even supposed to work that evening.
“Jack had enough seniority to take Christmas off, but he worked, so the younger people with younger kids could spend it with their family,” remembered former Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo. He was there the night that Maguire died but at the time he was a lieutenant on the force. “It was a miserable blizzard, it was a horrible night, Jack didn’t need to be here. Jack was right over there. Jack got out of his car, and engaged. And did what he was trained to do.”
Maguire exchanged gunfire with one of the men involved, Dominic Cinelli, who was out of jail on parole. He died from gunshot wounds sustained during the incident.
“A good officer”
“Jack was always a friend, a role model, a mentor, somebody I spent my entire career with,” said Ferullo.
“Jack was a really hard-working cop, grinding it out. He would work on all of the details. He would work all of the time,” said Maguire’s brother, Chuck Maguire.
That night, Chuck Maguire got a call from his cousin telling him that his brother had been shot. It wasn’t until he got to the hospital and started asking questions that he heard the final news.
“Then as I turned my head, they announce the code that he had died,” said Chuck Maguire. “It’s sad that he died just after turning 60, and just after he announced he was going to retire. We miss him. His kids miss him. My kids don’t see him.”
Chuck Maguire is thankful for the years of community support. People lined Washington Street in Woburn Thursday to watch the police cars pass by the tree in his brother’s honor.
“He was a great guy, a good family man, a good officer,” remembered Bruce Hildebrandt, a Woburn resident who takes the time every year to make sure the tree and its ornaments remain in place. “I pick them up, freezing my fingers off pinching the hooks, but that was not much of a suffering for me compared to what Jack gave for us.”
Massachusetts
Roof collapses as massive fire tears through Massachusetts mansion
BROOKLINE – A massive fire tore through a mansion in Brookline, Massachusetts Thursday morning which resulted in part of the home’s roof collapsing.
It happened at 10:40 a.m. at a home on Sargent Road. Firefighters said they received a 911 call about smoke coming from the home’s attic. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the attic when firefighters arrived.
The fire spread and part of the roof collapsed at one point. Firefighters from several departments, including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Newton ended up responding and were on the scene for more than two hours.
All five people in the home got out safely and no one was hurt.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but firefighters said it does not appear to be suspicious.
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