Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 68, No. 15 - April 11, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................5
City Council..........................3
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Lawndale..............................4
Legals.......................... 4,5,6,7
Pets........................................8
Weekend
Forecast
The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood
Teaching Gardens Celebrates
10th Anniversary at Kelso Event
Teaching Gardens, the American Heart Association’s outdoor garden laboratory where kids learn about growing food and eating healthy, marked its 10thanniversary with a recent celebration at Kelso
Elementary School where the program first started. Over 600 students, some shown in the photo, participated, and celebrity guests such as NBA legend Derek Fisher, LA Rams player Gerald Everett and
hip-hop dancer Kida the Great were on-hand. Photo Credit: Danielle Rouillard Photography
Friday
Sunny/
Wind
70˚/57˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
70˚/56˚
Sunday
AM Clouds/
PM Sun
68˚/56˚
Brunt of New Tax Laws Hits
Home at Refund Time
By Rob McCarthy
The mad rush to file income taxes by midnight
April 15 has begun. Expect some added
stress because there are fewer tax brackets,
revised calculations, and fewer deductions to
claim after Congress made sweeping changes
in the nation’s tax code.
The additions and subtractions in the tax
overhaul bill 17 months ago were too many
to count. The immediate effect on workers
was their take-home pay was slightly higher
last year. What they didn’t know -- until now
-- was whether they would still receive a tax
refund under the new formulas for individuals
and couples. And if so, would the IRS be
giving back less.
Those residents who’ve already filed their
federal returns have the answer. For the rest
who haven’t prepared their federal returns
yet, they will soon find out if there’s money
coming to pay off outstanding debts, make
some home repairs, or splurge on a vacation.
Based on IRS figures released before April
1, the consequences of the congressional
changes to tax law aren’t proving to be as
draconian as predicted. Yes, refunds are
safe. The average refund has dipped under
the new tax code by $20, the IRS said after
calculating 92.9 million returns filed as of
March 29. The average refund so far is
$2,873. There are several factors that could
cause a tax refund to be larger or smaller
than expected, especially in the current tax
season when individuals are encountering new
tax brackets with higher standard deductions.
These offset the past deductions -- including
a cap on mortgage interest and state and local
taxes paid -- which members of Congress
eliminated in late 2017. Standard deductions
increased to $12,000 for singles, $18,000 for
heads of households and $24,000 for married
couples filing a joint return.
Situations that could reduce the amount
of this year’s refund include: math errors or
mistakes on the 1040 forms; back taxes owed
to the federal or state government; and unpaid
child support or student loans. If the IRS makes
adjustment to a return or withholds some or
all of a refund, the tax bureau will send a
letter explaining where the money went. The
Internal Revenue Service says it “understands
that taxpayers are anxious to get details about
their tax refunds,” but to disregard misleading
information circulating on social media.
There is no “secret way” for taxpayers
to find out when their refund will be
issued, though the IRS says it issues nine
out of 10 tax refunds in less than 21 days.
The “Where’s My Refund?” tracker at the
IRS website takes the guesswork out of the
waiting process. People can use “Where’s My
Refund?” to check on the status of their tax
return within 24 hours after the IRS receives
an e-filed return or four weeks after a mailed
paper return.
The “Where’s My Refund?” tool is updated
daily and usually overnight. Only
call the IRS tax help hotline if a check on
an individual or couple’s refund indicates
the taxpayer should contact the IRS. If the
system doesn’t show a return filed 21 days
after it was electronically filed or six weeks
after tax forms were mailed, a call to the
IRS is warranted.
South Bay residents without Internet access
can call an automated refund hotline at
800-829-1954. There is a myth that ordering
a tax transcript is a “secret way” to get a
refund date confirmed. The IRS says doing
this will not help taxpayers find out when
they will get their tax refund. While taxpayers
can use a transcript to validate past income
and tax filing status for mortgage, student
and small business loan applications and to
help with tax preparation, they should use
“Where’s My Refund?” to check the status
of their refund.
Even though the IRS issues most refunds
in less than 21 days, it’s possible a refund
may take longer, it says. When a return is
incomplete or needs more review, it takes
longer to process and the taxpayer may need
to provide more information or fix any errors
found by IRS auditors. “This means that in
some cases, a taxpayer who filed later may
receive their refund sooner than someone
who filed earlier in the season,” the bureau
says. “Also, remember to consider the time
it takes for financial institutions to post the
refund to the taxpayer’s account or to receive
a check in the mail.”
See Refund Time, page 7