Monday, April 29, 2013
Plum and Oakmont property owners must pay their tax bills soon to take advantage of the 2% discount.
The Allegheny County Treasurer's office is reminding Plum and Oakmont taxpayers that the deadline for the tax discount period is drawing near. In order to save 2% on your county property taxes, bills must be paid in full and received or postmarked by Tuesday, April 30. “For the second year in a row, the due dates for county taxes had to be adjusted. I am certain that many taxpayers may not remember that their county property taxes are coming due by months end,” Treasurer John Weinstein said in a news release. The County Treasurer’s Office, Room 108, will remain open later until 7:30 p.m. on April 30 to collect taxes at the 2 percent discount rate. Other methods include paying in person by 4:30 p.m. on other weekdays, paying by mail with …
Saturday, March 2, 2013
This program helps financially struggling individuals and families file their 2013 federal, state and local tax returns.
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Saturday, March 2
Allegheny County residents can take advantage of the Money in Your Pocket (MIYP) Coalition Free Tax Preparation Campaign, which helps financially struggling individuals and families file their 2013 federal, state and local tax returns. There are 11 locations staffed with IRS-trained tax preparers throughout the county. Now in its fifth year, the free tax preparation campaign helps low and middle-income workers maximize their tax refunds by claiming valuable state and federal tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Services are provided free of charge, offering clients a cost-saving alternative to expensive commercial tax preparation fees. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal tax …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Standard deductions go up, but the ceiling for itemized deductions go down in 2013, plus other changes that will affect your taxes this year.
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Monday, January 21
The Internal Revenue Service announced annual inflation adjustments for tax year 2013, including the tax rate schedules, and other tax changes from the recently passed American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. The tax items for 2013 of greatest interest to most taxpayers include the following changes. Details on these inflation adjustments and others are contained in Revenue Procedure 2013-15, which will be published in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2013-5 on Jan.28, 2013. Other inflation adjusted items were published in October 2012 in Revenue Procedure 2012-41. -News release from the Internal Revenue Service _____________________ Plum-Oakmont Patch is on Facebook and on Twitter. Don't forget to sign up for our daily email newsletter by …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The county's tax rate will be 4.73 mills in 2013.
Allegheny County Council passed a 2013 budget that includes a millage rate decrease. On Tuesday, county officials approved a a $799.4 million budget, reducing the millage rate to 4.73 mills, according to the Tribune Review. The millage was reduced from 2012's rate of 5.69 mills to offset the increase property values stemming from the county's reassessment. Under the reassessment, taxing bodies can't receive more than 5 percent in property tax revenue so as not to use the reassessment as a major tax increase. Under the new tax rate, a resident would pay $473 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a statement that he is happy with the approved budget. "(I) am glad that we are able to move into…
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The first debate is over. Take our poll and tell us in comments your thoughts after watching the first face-to-face debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
In short segments that often exceeded the allocated two-minute time periods, the presidential candidates tackled economics, health care, Social Security, education, the role of goverment and the deficit in a debate that sometimes found them saying the same thing in different ways. In a debate moderated by PBS' Jim Lehrer, both Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney talked about domestic issues and how they would tackle them, if elected in November. Obama talked of working to make the middle class stronger, job training through community colleges, keeping tuition low, lowering tax rates especially for manufacturers, boosting American energy production and working to close the deficit. Romney talked…
Friday, July 13, 2012
A TEACH (Tell Everyone All Cuts Hurt) representative from Steel Valley School District takes a look at the state budget priorities.
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Friday, July 13, 2012
Hey, Taxpayer, While you were out trying to avoid heatstroke this summer, your state government actually did something. The Pennsylvania Legislature passed another one of those pesky budgets determining exactly what your taxes have bought you this year. I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind paying taxes if I get a good return on my investment. And what better investment than our children, our future? I’m speaking, of course, about public education. So was this a good return? Let’s see: GOOD NEWS PA. BUDGET PASSED HIGHER THAN GOVERNOR WANTED: Last year, the Legislature cut $818 million from public schools—especially the poorest ones. This year, the Gov. Corbett wanted $94 million in additional cuts, but instead the Legislature voted to …
Monday, July 2, 2012
Oakmont Council discussed the possibility of participating in Tax Increment Financing for the Rivers Edge of Oakmont housing development last week.
Oakmont Council and Riverview School District officials continue to explore the possibility of financing a new housing plan in the community. Last Thursday, council held a special meeting—with district officials and residents in the audience—to get up-to-date information about plans for a Tax Increment Financing plan for the proposed Rivers Edge of Oakmont housing development at the former Edgewater Steel site. Brooks and Blair Homes LLC of Wexford, has asked the borough and the school board to participate in a TIF plan to help the company come up with the necessary money to redevelop the site. Under the TIF, the property’s three taxing bodies—the school district, Allegheny County and Oakmont Borough—would divert a portion of taxes …
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The board approved the 2012-13 budget with a 5-3 vote.
Real estate taxes for Plum School District residents will remain steady for the 2012-13 school year, but two electives have been cut. On Tuesday, the Plum School Board voted 5-3 to approve a $56.7 million budget, which included taking $1.6 million from the close to $6 million fund balance to cover a deficit. Board members Tom McGough, Joe Tommarello and Loretta White dissented. John St. Leger was absent. The current millage is 22.2 mills, and it has not increased since 2005. Last week, expenses in the preliminary budget increased by an additional $232,367, which included the purchase of new laptops, and money to go toward the resurfacing of the high school track and additional parking at the high school. Officials agreed to take the amount…
Monday, April 16, 2012
File your 2011 federal income tax return by Tuesday, April 17, to avoid late penalties and interest.
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Monday, April 16, 2012
You still have today and tomorrow left to meet the filing deadline for your 2011 federal income tax returns. The tax deadline is traditionally April 15, but has been pushed back to April 17 this year since April 15 was a Sunday and today, April 16, is Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia. April 17 is also the final date to apply for 2011 tax extensions. The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers to file returns electronically. According to a statement posted on the IRS website, e-file is "the best way to ensure accurate tax returns and get faster refunds." There are also several ways to file your taxes easily online. Some include: For tax law questions or account inquiries, taxpayers can call the IRS toll free at the numbers…
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The program reduces a homeowner’s assessed value by $15,000 for county property taxes.
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
March 1 is the deadline for applying for a homestead exclusion for the 2012 tax year. The Homestead Exclusion Act (Act 50) is a program that reduces a homeowner’s assessed value by $15,000 for county property taxes only. To qualify, a person must own and occupy the dwelling as his or her primary residence. Homeowners do not have to reapply each year. Once a homeowner has filed, the exclusion will remain in effect until he or she sells or transfers the property or changes occupancy. In addition, filing and qualifying for the Act 50 exclusion automatically registers homeowners for the School District Property Tax Relief Program (Act 1), which is funded through gaming revenues. To determine if an application is already on file with the County…
Bob Howard
5:43 pm on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
For Erin: Have you read Obamacare? It is not a solution to the problem of the uninsured. After it is fully implemented it is estimated that 20 million and up to 30 million will remain uninsured. If it was really about insuring the uninsured, it could be done for all the uninsured at a fraction of the costs as is currently done with auto insurance. 159 new agencies are being created. Their … more ›