Reference@TBML

Money Smart Week® @ Your Library

 
Branigan Library will be celebrating Money Smart Week @ Your Library on April 2-9, 2011.  Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign designed to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances.  Money Smart Week began as a organized effort of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Money Smart Advisory Council – which is a diverse group of more than 40 Chicago-area organizations working together to promote personal financial literacy.  The library will have a display of information and resources.  Money Smart Week also has Programs & Resources that you can review for more ideas for your financial planning needs.

"Money Smart Week partnered with the American Library Association (ALA) in 2010 to launch Money Smart Week @ your library nationally. Throughout the ten year history of Money Smart Week libraries have been instrumental in facilitating and hosting quality Money Smart Week events." 

 

 

TAX PREPARATION

 

It’s tax time again and your library is here to provide access to forms and instructions.  If you need assistance preparing your tax return, the Southwest Tax Coalition is available.  They will be preparing taxes from February 1 thru April 14^th. Southwest Tax Coalition is located at 120 Wyatt Dr, a short distance from Wienerschnitzel on Wyatt and El Paseo.  Hours are as follows:

 

Monday-Thursday    8:30-2:30pm

Friday 8:30-12:00pm

 

Forms available at the library include 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, some supplemental forms and the New Mexico PIT form packet. If you would like to print forms online, federal forms are available at http://www.irs.gov/ and New Mexico State Tax Forms are available at  http://www.tax.state.nm.us . 

 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and You

 

On February 17, 2009, H.R.1, or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,  was signed into law.  This massive Act, a $787 billion economic stimulus package, will now become one of the largest economic rescue packages since the New Deal Administration of Franklin Roosevelt. 

The full-text of the bill can be found via the Library of Congress.  You can also visit the government's site Recovery.gov to find out "how taxpayer dollars are being spent to rejuvinate our economy."  Make sure you visit the FAQ on that site for concise bits of information.  

Very shortly, employees should start seeing a larger paycheck because of more lenient tax witholding tables.  Visit the IRS to find out about how the Recovery Act will effect tax-related issues.  You can find the tax witholding tables here. 

Additionally, the new Act includes many tax provisions that apply to Americans on Social Security.  Visit the Social Security Administration's Economic Recovery page for more information.

And finally, if you would like to communicate your thoughts on the new recovery plan with the White House, do so here.

LN and BES

 

Tax Season

"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin

Tax season 2008 is here! Below are some useful links...
(Please note, these links are for individual tax payers)

*Update: An important notice from the IRS regarding an e-mail scam targeting tax payers...
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=151065,00.html

Federal Government
Forms and Publications
IRS E-File
Tax Payment Options
Refund Status
IRS Withholding Calculator
Tax Law Changes

New Mexico
Forms
Publications
E-File
Information for Individual Filers
Tax information for Senior Citizens (.pdf brochure)
Tax information for Low-Income Filers (.pdf brochure)

Other Information
Federation of Tax Administrators
-Out-of-state tax forms, information on taxation by state.
TurboTax
-Free tax calculators and tax tips, also offers electronic tax filing options (not a free service)
H&R Block
-Free calculators and tax tips, also offers electronic tax filing options and tax preparation (not a free service)
Taxes @ Yahoo! Finance
-Articles, calculators, tips and advice (some services may not be free).
Tax information @ MSN.com
-Tax planning, tools and advice (some services may not be free).
Tax information from American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
-Estate tax planning, retirement and tax information.