Wednesday, April 17, 2013
State and federal authorities say they want to give individuals impacted by the bombing more time to file their taxes.
Due to the Boston Marathon bombing, two deadlines to file income taxes have been extended for the Boston area. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has extended the deadline to file income tax returns to April 23, according to the DOR. The extension applies to anybody impacted by the bombing. The DOR extended the deadline saying they wanted to give anybody impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings more time to file. The original deadline was Tuesday, April 16. Also, the federal Internal Revenue Service has extended its income tax return filing deadline to July 15, according to its website. The extensions applies to Suffolk County residents, victims, victims’ families, first responders and individuals who live outside of Suffolk County …
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?
Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue just released their latest figures, what they they found could surprise you.
As 2013 begins, property tax rates are increasing for residents across Massachusetts, and they will be in Westford as well, with residential property tax rates rising from $15.55 to $16.13 per thousand dollars of appraised value and commercial and industrial rates rising from $15.79 to $16.38. Statewide, the average residential rate was $14.38, the average commercial rate was $17.94 and the average industrial rate was $17.69. Compared to other 334 communities in the Commonwealth with set tax rates for the 2013 Fiscal Year, Westford had the 229th lowest residential rate, the 165th lowest commercial rate and the 167th lowest industrial rate. Here's how the towns adjacent to Westford as well as the communities on the list with the highest and…
Friday, November 30, 2012
Massachusetts Democrats in Congress want to avoid cuts in benefits as part of any deal, but proposals such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare are still on the table. What would you do?
As Congress negotiates a deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" on Jan. 1, Massachusetts' congressional representatives have voiced their opposition to any cuts in benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the Boston Globe reports. However, there are proposals still on the table that would change those benefit programs, including linking Social Security benefits to a more conservative inflation index that would slightly reduce annual increases, or raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. The Globe reported that while the Bay State's legislators were united against changes to Social Security, there's some wiggle room on Medicare. Rep. Ed Markey opposes raising the Medicare eligibility age; Rep. Michael …
Friday, November 23, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick plans to ask lawmakers to raises taxes to make up for the shortfall in Massachusetts' transportation system. What options should they consider and what's off the table?
Would you be willing to pay more at the pump, have a tracking system on your car that taxes you by the mile, or see tolls on state highways? Those are just some of the possibilities looming as Massachusetts looks to erase the state's transportation system's deficit. The Boston Globe reported that Gov. Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to raise taxes in order to pay for a transportation system—from the MBTA to roads and bridges—that continues to operate in the red. The administration will present a specific proposal by Jan. 7. One option is raising the gas tax, a route Patrick sought in 2009 only to be rebuffed by the legislature. Patrick sought a 19 cent increase while business groups endorsed a 25 cent increase. Ultimately, the state …
Andrew Sylvia
9:26 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Bottom left of the page under "About Patch" more ›