Monday, April 15, 2013
Technical issues apparently kept some from filing their Pennsylvanian taxes.
If you’re a last minute tax filer, you have one more day to file your Pennsylvania taxes. The Commonwealth issued the following statement on its Facebook page: Due to technical issues that prohibited residents from accessing commonwealth websites including the Department of Revenue website and tax filing resources for a few hours earlier today, Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser announced the department will not impose penalties or interest on personal income tax returns filed on or before Tuesday, April 16. This does not impact the federal deadline to file your taxes, which is still Monday, April 15.
The post office is changing with the times.
It used to be that tax day meant local post offices would have extended hours, with some sites open until midnight for last-minute filers, but that is no longer the case. Local post offices will not have extended hours this year, according to Cathy Yarosky, Communications Programs Specialist for the Post Office. "According to the IRS, about 80% of all tax returns will be filed electronically this year….so our (tax return) volume is down considerably. As a result, no extended hours and no ‘midnight’ postmarks," Yarosky said in an email to Patch. Yarosky said first-class mail, which is what a tax return is considered, is down 25 percent in mail volume over the past 5 years. Did you file your tax return yet? Did you file through the post …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Inquirer's interactive map gives homeowners a glimpse at how their property taxes could look in 2014.
With the city’s Actual Value Initiative still a year away, homeowners in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy can get a look at what they might be paying in property taxes in 2014 right now, thanks to the Inky and the city controller’s office. The Inquirer has created an interactive map that projects what the city’s taxes will look like under AVI in 2014, broken down by zip code. The map uses information compiled by the city controller’s office. You can read their full write-up of the tax breakdown here, and you can play with their interactive map here, but here’s how things shake out for the Northwest, according to the map (which I really suggest you play with): 10 percent 19119 3 percent More on AVI in the Northwest:
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Representatives from the city's Office of Property Assessments explain how your home's taxes will be formed in 2014.
With home values expected to reach homeowners in the Northwest before March 5, representatives from the city’s Office of Property Assessment were on hand in Chestnut Hill Tuesday to explain how property taxes would look in the coming year. The panel, which was the most recent in a line of discussions about the city’s forthcoming Actual Value Initiative hosted by the Chestnut Hill Community Association, was something of a spiritual successor to its city council panel in 2012, which left several attendees with more questions than answers. “It was clear at our last meeting … that our discussion could only go so far because we didn’t have the people putting this tax issue together [at the panel],” CHCA president Brian Tilley said. “This …
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Chestnut Hill Community Association is holding its second AVI panel. In this installment, city officials will explain how homes in the Northwest have been valued.
At the Chestnut Hill Community Association's first Actual Value Iniative and real estate tax panel - a panel that included a number of city council members and city officials - many residents asks the same question, a question they couldn't quite get an answer to. The question: How is my home going to be valued under AVI? What method is being used to decide its worth? That question should be answered at the CHCA's second AVI and Real Estate Tax panel on Feb 12. The second discussion will feature the city's chief assessor from the Office of Property Assessment, Richie McKeithen, and the deputy administrator for assessment programs and policy, Marisa Waxman, who will discuss the process used to find the value of the city's homes. CHCA …
Friday, October 12, 2012
The map is from Pew Charitable Trusts.
See what a study found out about your tax burden.
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Chestnut Hill Community Association discussed plans to get community reaction on the city’s Actual Value Initiative.
Instead of an officer report, Chestnut Hill Community Association President Brien Tilley used time during Thursday’s Board of Directors meeting to discuss how the association could get an early start on planning for the reemergence of the Actual Value Initiative next year. The initiative would likely see property taxes raised to about 1.8 percent of the home’s actual value. While Philadelphia City Council has deferred the contentious matter for a year, Tilley said the CHCA should not wait 11 months to start discussing the matter again. “We’re a board; we represent the community. We have a year to hear from our community, reach out to our community and be heard at the city level,” Tilley said. He asked for board members to give feedback on …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
A new map shines some light on that question.
The majority of homeowners in Chestnut Hill would likely see their property taxes increase between $1,000 and $3,000 if Mayor Michael Nutter's Actual Value Initiative (AVI) is implemented, according to a map released by the Philadelphia Public Interest Information Network. The map shows how AVI might specifically affect individual areas throughout Philadelphia if the tax rate is set at 1.8 percent of the home's value. That hasn't been settled yet but will be once City Council passes a budget. The body is required to do that by the end of June. AVI would likely require homes to be assessed at their actual market value. Here's a look at the Chestnut Hill numbers. The map only profiles certain properties and is intended to give a general …
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The nuts and bolts of how Philadelphia will establish property assessment.
Philadelphia city government currently is working to determine how specifically to tax property owners for their 2012 tax bill. Not matter what the actual outcome of the actual value assessment debate, the Office of Property Assessment is finishing up the investigative process to come up with assessments. As it's the first time Philadelphia will complete a citywide evaluation all at once, sticker shock could be prevalent for property owners this fall. In info sessions at local civic associations, OPA members are sharing with residents how they assess their properties. Richie McKeithern, chief assessment officer, told the Wissahickon Neighbors Civic Association that the citywide assessment will get the tax system more in line with market …
Sunday, April 15, 2012
J. Travis & Associates has been in Mt. Airy since January.
For at least one area tax preparer, it turns out that a change in location has made a major difference. J. Travis & Associates moved to Mt. Airy in January as a Smart Tax franchise. Over the course of the past few months, it's seen an uptick in business, thanks to the support it's received from the company. Jeffrey Travis, who runs the franchise, has been preparing taxes on his own for 32 years. He was in West Philadelphia, but he was looking for a way to expand his business. He contacted H&R Block, but they weren't interested, saying that J. Travis' 1,100 clients weren't enough. Enter Smart Tax, who took on Travis' business and did work looking for a new location for the business. Travis was in an office building in West Philadelphia. But…
gaveth
11:21 pm on Monday, April 15, 2013
Did any post office in Los Angeles area extend their hours?? more ›