http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog Bird, Svendsen, Brothers, Scheske & Pattison, P.C.'s Law Blog Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:48:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en There's a tax credit for plug-in electric vehicles. The credit is in the $4,000-$6,000 range. This is potentially huge for people in those big retirement communities where everyone revs up their golf cart hogs to get around Condo Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4. Unfortunately, the IRS has recently ruled ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2010/02/22/golf-cart/ You pay 7.65 cents in Social Security taxes for every dollar you earn . . . until your wages hit $106,800. At that point, the SS tax ceases. It's call the Social Security "wage base." The amount is indexed for inflation, but it didn't go up in 2010 and it's ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2010/02/17/cap-it/ I say "let 'em surf." It's probably the most-useful thing they do all day: "The work computer of one regional supervisor for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed more than 1,800 attempts to look up pornography in a 17-day span: 'It was kind of distraction per se,' he later ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2010/02/03/surfin-sec/ It's not as sweet as the repeal of Prohibition, but the Estate Tax has been repealed . . . for now . . . and only temporarily. Under convoluted earlier legislation, the Estate Tax was scheduled to go away as of 1/1/2010, but then scheduled to come back on 1/1/2011 ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2010/01/11/repealed/ The 2010 standard mileage rate is now 50 cents per mile, which is a reduction from 2009's 55 cents. The reason: lower fuel costs. But are they really that much lower? http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2010/01/06/new-mileage-rate/ Does your favorite charity offer scrip cards? With a scrip card, the charity buys scrip from retailers at a discount, then sells the scrip to supporters at full value. The difference between the amount paid by the supporter and the amount paid by the charity is the charity's "profit." The ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2010/01/05/scrip-that-deduction/ The COBRA subsidy has been extended. Washington earlier passed a 65% COBRA subsidy, which was set to expire on December 31st. The entitlement has just been extended to February 28, 2010. The entitlement allows eligible individuals to receive a 65% subsidy of their COBRA health insurance premiums. The new law ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2009/12/23/65-extension/ An email from our exalted local probate judge. Summary: Get your paws off that will . . . until the guy dies. There have been extensive discussions among the Probate Registers as to whom may a Register disclose the existence and contents of a will filed for safekeeping with the ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2009/12/22/dispatches-from-probate-court/ According to the PBS News Hour last night, the House has passed the bill freezing the estate and gift tax at 2009 levels, which means a continued $3.5 million exemption. Whether the Senate acts, who knows. They're bogged down with health care right now. If nothing gets passed, there is ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2009/12/05/estate-tax-update-2/ I've often wondered: With seven minor children, what's the maximum amount my family would receive from Social Security if I died? The bad news is, I don't get any credit for children four through seven. Benefits max out at three children. The good news is, based on my Average Indexed ... http://sturgislawfirm.com/blog/2009/11/21/maximum-security/