THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2021 Page 15 U.S. Attorney Warns Public to Be Wary of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank is cautioning the public to be extremely skeptical of unsolicited off ers to purchase COVID-19 vaccines. Federal, state and local agencies have received complaints about scammers capitalizing on demand for the vaccine to access individuals’ personally identifi able information such as Social Security numbers, and money, using various schemes. Among the tactics the scammers use are advertisements that promise early access to COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for a deposit or fee as well as offers to be put on a vaccine waiting list, again in exchange for money. “These scammers are ruthless and relentless, and everyone needs to have their guard up,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “People here in Maine, particularly the elderly, are desperate to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, and the con artists are exploiting that desperation to get access to their money and personal information.” The FBI recommends checking your state’s health department website for accurate information on vaccine availability. The Maine CDC website has up-to-date information on COVID-19 vaccine availability. For more information on COVID-19 scams, visit fbi.gov/coronavirus. If you are the victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721, or online at justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Revere residents named to Dean’s List at UMass Amherst AMHERST – The following Revere residents were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the fall 2020 semester: Melisa Avdic, Kevin Alfred Bardhi, Thai Bui, Leila Cesic, David Oleg Conlon, Alondra Esparza, Zachary J. Gentile, Adriana Bianca Harrison, Brendan Patrick GRANTS | FROM Page 11 able to review the status of their application through the submittable portal found on www. empoweringsmallbusiness.org. Award notifi cations for the sector-specific program will be made in February. Small Business Technical Assistance Grant Program The Baker-Polito Administration and MGCC also announced nearly $5 million in small business technical assistance grants to 63 nonprofi t organizations across the state. The state-fundBEACON | FROM Page 14 paign Director of MCAN. “We urge the governor to sign the … bill into law without amendment at once. We will not be able to address our climate, health and housing crises without it.” “It’s a critical step in maintaining our position of national leadership and executing a green and equitable economic recovery,” said Environmental League of Massachusetts President Elizabeth Turnbull Henry. “We urge the administration and Legislature to quickly resolve diff erences and enact a law that refl ects the scale and urgency of the climate crisis we face.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call Hayes, Jared Cole Henkel, Sonia Yanira Hercules Mancia, Ergi Ismahili, Isabella Mendes Izidoro, Greis Kasofo, Eve Lyn Lescovitz, Andrea Lopez, William Ly, Sebastian Mejia Espinosa, Aladdin Hatim Mohammed, Leandro Jesus Montoya Araque, Oluwafemi Olatunbosun, Lilly Champoux Olson, Cristofer Antonio Pened Small Business Technical Assistance Grant Program, which is administered by MGCC, aims to expand economic and entrepreneurial opportunities in underserved communities throughout the Commonwealth. These technical assistance grants enable nonprofit organizations throughout Massachusetts to provide crucial services, such as help with applying for pandemic-related grant and loan programs, like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as well as individualized business management assistance, fi nancial training, access to non-COVID-19 tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible latenight sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. nacchio, David To Phan, Dante Raff a, Sarah Essah Rashid, Milton Xavier Rios, Michael Joseph Roncevich, Sari Saint-Hilaire, Wellan Sok, Andrew Tran, Baron Tran, Jimmy Tran, Amelia Rose Viscay and Giana Marie Wilson. In order to qualify, an undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 grade point average or better. capital and loan packaging services to under-resourced small businesses in urban and rural communities. The grant recipients – selected through a competitive process – are as diverse as the businesses they serve, including community development corporations, micro lenders and chambers of commerce. Since Fiscal Year 2015, the program has awarded more than $15 million in grants. These funds have directly benefited more than 15,000 jobs and served over 12,500 small businesses, including 2,682 startups across Massachusetts. During the week of January 2529, the House met for a total of two hours and 43 minutes while the Senate met for a total of four hours and 45 minutes. Mon. January 25 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:44 a.m. Senate 11:21 a.m. to 11:32 a.m. Tues. January 26 No House session No Senate session. Wed. January 27 House 10:46 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. No Senate session Thurs. January 28 House 2:13 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. Senate 11:13 a.m. to 3:47 p.m. Fri. January 29 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com How Much Do You Have to Make to File Income Taxes? Dear Savvy Senior, What are the IRS income tax fi ling requirements for retirees in 2020? My income dropped way down when I was forced into retirement last March due to COVID, so I’m wondering if I need to fi le a tax return this year. Unexpected Retiree Dear Unexpected, Whether or not you are required to fi le a federal income tax return this year actually depends on several factors: How much you earned last year (in 2020), the source of that income, your age and your fi ling status. Here’s a rundown of this tax season’s IRS tax filing requirement thresholds. For most people, this is pretty straightforward. If your 2020 gross income – which includes all taxable income, not counting your Social Security benefits, unless you are married and fi ling separately – was below the threshold for your fi ling status and age, you may not have to fi le. But if it’s over, you will. • Single: $12,400 ($14,050 if you’re 65 or older by Jan. 1, 2021). • Married fi ling jointly: $24,800 ($26,100 if you or your spouse is 65 or older; or $27,400 if you’re both over 65). • Married fi ling separately: $5 at any age. • Head of household: $18,650 ($20,300 if age 65 or older). • Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child: $24,800 ($26,100 if age 65 or older). To get a detailed breakdown on federal fi ling requirements, along with information on taxable and nontaxable income, call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy of the “1040 and 1040-SR Instructions for Tax Year 2020,” or you can get it online at IRS.gov. Check Here Too There are, however, some other fi nancial situations that can require you to fi le a tax return, even if your gross income falls below the IRS fi ling requirements. For example, if you earned more than $400 from self-employment in 2020, owe any special taxes like an alternative minimum tax, or get premium tax credits because you, your spouse or a dependent is enrolled in a Health Insurance Marketplace (aka Obamacare) plan, you’ll need to fi le. You’ll also need to fi le if you’re receiving Social Security benefi ts, and one-half of your benefi ts plus your other gross income and any tax-exempt interest exceeds $25,000, or $32,000 if you’re married and fi ling jointly. To fi gure all this out, the IRS offers an interactive tax assistant tool on their website that asks a series of questions that will help you determine if you’re required to fi le, or if you should fi le because you’re due a refund. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete. You can access this tool at IRS. gov/Help/ITA – click on “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” Or, you can get assistance over the phone by calling the IRS helpline at 800829-1040. Check Your State Even if you’re not required to fi le a federal tax return this year, don’t assume that you’re also excused from fi ling state income taxes. The rules for your state might be very diff erent. Check with your state tax agency before concluding that you’re entirely in the clear. For links to state tax agencies see Taxadmin.org/statetax-agencies. Tax Prep Assistance If you fi nd that you do need to fi le a tax return this year, you can free fi le through the IRS at IRS. gov/FreeFile if your 2020 adjusted gross income was below $72,000. Or, if you need some help, contact the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (or TCE) program. Sponsored by the IRS, TCE provides free tax preparation and counseling to middle and low-income taxpayers, age 60 and older. Call 800-906-9887 or visit IRS.treasury. gov/freetaxprep to fi nd out about services near you. You can also get help through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide service, a participant in the TCE program that provides free tax preparation in-person, online and by phone. To fi nd out about service options in your area, call 888-227-7669 or visit AARP.org/ findtaxhelp. You don’t have to be an AARP member to use this service 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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