Apple offers settlement payments - see eligibility
Large companies commonly are sued for one thing or another and end up settling for a predetermined amount that eligible consumers can get a piece of.
Those who bought a Macbook between 2015 and 2019 could be entitled to a payout of between $50 and $395.
Apple was allegedly selling laptops with faulty keyboards during this period but still charging customers to get them fixed at the Genius Bar. The company denies any wrongdoing.
Mac users in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, or Washington may be eligible. They had until March 6 to file a claim on this website.
Accurately filing taxes, explained
When an individual is a single parent, for tax purposes they are considered the head of the household.
As a single parent, you’ll be able to claim a $19,400 standard deduction versus a $12,950 standard deduction for single filers without dependents. There are also separate, more favorable tax brackets for heads of households.
To be acknowledged as the head of household, you must manually check a box yourself or inform your tax preparer.
If you’re married and cover more than half of your child’s expenses, you would also be considered a head of the household but only if you file separately from your spouse.
Californians could be taxed on 2022 rebate, continued
Many Californians have already expressed their shock and disappointment at the news their rebates could be taxable.
One said: “My New 1099 for the State Stimulus Check [Governor Gavin Newsom] sent. OOOHH good I get to pay TAX on it …..WTF?????”
Another said: “For those of you who received that Inflation Rebate Card with either the $350, or $700+ IT IS TAXABLE! They are sending out 1099’s for that money and it MUST BE REPORTED ON YOUR TAXES!”
And one more angry rebate recipient said: “They took my tax money to send me a check. Then they taxed me on that as it were income with a 1099-MISC form. So both Federal and State took taxes from money returned to me from my taxes. I guess ‘gas relief’ was an appropriate term. Cause it kind of stinks.”
Californians could be taxed on 2022 rebate
If you received a rebate in 2022, you might have to pay taxes on it – and Americans are fuming over it.
This might apply if you live in the state of California.
The state has been sending rebates under its Middle-Class Tax Refund (MCTR) program since the fall.
While the money is providing some relief for high inflation, California’s Franchise Tax Board did issue a warning that is required to issue a 1099-MISC (Miscellaneous Income) tax form if the rebate amount is $600 or more.
Find unclaimed money
Sometimes money gets lost in the transfer after a person dies, sells, or forfeits property.
South Carolina, Georgia, and other states have their own list of unclaimed properties for residents to cash in on.
South Carolina State Treasurer Curtis Loftis said: “All sorts of money that people never knew about pops up.”
Loftis said one woman in South Carolina was owed $1million – that she had no idea about.
To find out if you have money owed to you, you can check online by searching your name to see if there is a property that matches an area where you have lived or worked.
By visiting missingmoney.com anyone who is owed cash can claim it easily.
IRS free filing program explained, part two
Private tax filing companies have paid around $39.3million since 2006 to block this initiative.
- Intuit: $25.6million
- H&R Block: $9.6million
- Americans for Tax Reform: $3million
Other groups have put money towards pushing the initiative through:
- NAACP: $140,000
- Public Citizen: $110,000
Igor Volsky, executive director of the Groundwork Actions advocacy group, said, “The overwhelming majority of people demand a free-file option.”
“Now the question for us is how do you channel that into effective political pressure.”
The IRS has officially said that a free file option will be launched through their website for the 2024 filing season.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEZqqupl6YvK57zKilnrFfbn1xhZBxcGirpJ66trjUrGScoJWYuG7Bz52YrZ1dZ31zf4ydoKudk6l6sa3YppynrF8%3D