THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 Page 15 TEACHER | FROM Page 1 her for the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll and that she was surprised that she was called and picked as one of the fi nalists for recognition. “They had me come to Fenway Park for photos and (I) spent a full day with the cameras,” said Gallogly. In addition to the day at Fenway, a fi lm crew followed Gallogly around for a day in the life of a teacher in the Revere schools. While Gallogly said she was happy that her fundraising efforts gained recognition and that she was nominated for the honor, she said she is fully aware that every teacher has been working hard and doing amazing things as they strugADDICTION | FROM Page 11 wealth’s previous eff orts to reduce the stigma around addiction, we are proud to launch the next phase of #StateWithoutStigMA to encourage people to seek the treatment they need and deserve, especially in these uniquely challenging times.” “Throughout the pandemic, this administration has never lost sight that the loneliness, isolation, and economic toll of COVID-19 can and does have a disproportionate impact on people with substance use disorders and people who are working towards recovery,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Today’s announcement is an indication that we will not waver in the fi ght against addiction in our communities even during a gle through the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic and remote learning have seemed to drag on and on, the dedication of those teachers has only become more apparent as, Gallogly said, they have continuously adjusted to the challenges of remote learning. “Back in March, we had never done something similar and never taught remotely, and we were all trying to fi gure this out,” said Gallogly. The new school year has had a more organized schedule for remote learning; still, she said, there has been ample opportunity for increased engagement and collaboration between teachers and students with new technology. “I feel that for my own sake, I’m grateworldwide pandemic.” Building upon the state’s successful #StateWithoutStigMA 2015-2016 campaign, the new advertisements feature people from all walks of life, including health care providers, talking about how and why they support #StateWithoutStigMA. “Now more than ever, we must double up our eff orts to reduce the stigma of addiction,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “We must remove any barriers that keep people with substance use disorders from seeking treatment and recovery, especially as COVID-19 continues to impact families and communities across Massachusetts.” “We recognize that substance use disorder is a medical disease,” said Public Health Comful that I’m able to continue to teach the kids while not putting their health at risk,” she said. “There are a lot of challenges, and a lot of people are having a hard time, but we are all doing our best. There is a lot of resiliency in the kids, the teachers and the families.” As the pandemic and hard times continue for some families, Gallogly said, it’s important for people to check in on their neighbors and to give to local organizations doing good work if they have the means. “I would do something like this again,” said Gallogly. “I think the generosity of the people around me is what really made it possible. I couldn’t have done it without all the people in the community.” missioner Dr. Monica Bharel. “As we continue to devote substantial resources towards treatment and recovery services and support, we have to continue our fight against the stigma that prevents people from accessing these lifesaving resources.” The campaign, which is funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s State Opioid Response federal grant, has a $575,000 media buy that runs through the end of February and will be featured on TV, billboards, digital media, social media and on display ads on public hand sanitizer stations across the state. Campaign assets also include community outreach collateral items, such as posters and window clings to help spread the word. Space for Lease 3 Large Rooms, each with Large Walk-in Storage Area. or Aerobics Studio. Located at Route 1 South at Walnut Street. Rollerworld Plaza, Route 1 South, 425 Broadway, Saugus. Call Michelle at: 781-233-9507 Is Social Security Income Taxable? Dear Savvy Senior, I understand that a portion of my Social Security benefi ts may be taxable when I retire. Can you tell me how to calculate this? Ready to Retire Dear Ready, Whether or not you’ll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefi ts will depend on your income and fi ling status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefi ts. To fi gure out if your benefi ts will be taxable, you’ll need to add up all of your “provisional income,” which includes wages, taxable and non-taxable interest, dividends, pensions and taxable retirement-plan distributions, self-employment, and other taxable income, plus half your annual Social Security benefi ts, minus certain deductions used in fi guring your adjusted gross income. How to Calculate To help you with the calculations, get a copy of IRS Publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits,” which provides detailed instructions and worksheets. You can download it at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf or call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy. After you do the calculations, the IRS says that if you’re single and your total income from all of the listed sources is: • Less than $25,000, your Social Security will not be subject to federal income tax. • Between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefits will be taxed at your regular income-tax rate. • More than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your benefi ts will be taxed. If you’re married and filing jointly and the total from all sources is: • Less than $32,000, your Social Security won’t be taxed. • Between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefi ts will be taxed. • More than $44,000, up to 85 percent of your benefi ts will be taxed. If you’re married and fi le a separate return, you probably will pay taxes on your benefi ts. To limit potential taxes on your benefi ts, you’ll need to be cautious when taking distributions from retirement accounts or other sources. In addition to triggering ordinary income tax, a distribution that signifi cantly raises your gross income can bump the proportion of your Social Security benefi ts subject to taxes. How to File If you fi nd that part of your Social Security benefi ts will be taxable, you’ll need to fi le using Form 1040 or Form 1040SR. You also need to know that if you do owe taxes, you’ll need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS, or you can choose to have it automatically withheld from your benefi ts. To have it withheld, you’ll need to complete IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request (IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4v.pdf), and fi le it with your local Social Security offi ce. You can choose to have 7 percent, 10 percent, 12 percent or 22 percent of your total benefi t payment withheld. If you subsequently decide you don’t want the taxes withheld, you can file another W-4V to stop the withholding. If you have additional questions on taxable Social Security benefi ts call the IRS help line at 800-829-1040. State Taxation In addition to the federal government, 13 states – Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia – tax Social Security benefits to some extent too. If you live in one of these states, check with your state tax agency for details. For links to state tax agencies see TaxAdmin.org/ state-tax-agencies. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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