Wed, 01/27/2021 - 7:45pm
WASHINGTON Following an unpredictable year with many changes and challenges, the Internal Revenue Service has issued taxpayers pointers before filing 2020 federal tax returns.
Choose direct deposit
The safest, most accurate and fastest way to get a refund is to electronically file and choose direct deposit. Direct deposit means any tax refund is electronically deposited for free into a taxpayer s financial account.
Eight out of 10 taxpayers get their refunds by using direct deposit. It is simple, safe and secure. This is the same electronic transfer system used to deposit nearly 98% of all Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits into millions of accounts.
Zoot Coffee to double its space with a move down Camden’s Elm Street
Kay Stephens
Sondra Hamilton. Photo by Chris Wolf.
Zoot Coffee at its current location on 31 Elm Street. Photo by Kay Stephens
CAMDEN Fifteen years ago, Sondra and Jim Hamilton launched a little coffee shop in the heart of downtown Camden on a shoestring budget with fun, eclectic decor.
Today, with more than a decade under their belts and a loyal customer following, Zoot Coffee will continue its artsy vibe in a new, enlarged space, only a few doors down the street.
While the coffee shop is still open in its current location, they’re in the midst of renovating the space at 5 Elm Street, right next to French and Brawn. The storefront, which was most recently occupied by the boutique, Josephine’s, has been a clothing store for the last decade. Prior to that for more than 100 years, it was the J.C. Curtis Hardware store.
Mon, 01/18/2021 - 2:00pm
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The Internal Revenue Service has announced the nation s tax season will start Friday, Feb. 12 when the tax agency will begin accepting and processing 2020 tax year returns.
The Feb. 12 start date for individual tax return filers allows the IRS time to do additional programming and testing of IRS systems following the Dec. 27 tax law changes that provided a second round of Economic Impact Payments and other benefits, a news release stated.
This programming work is critical to ensuring IRS systems run smoothly, the release noted. If filing season were opened without the correct programming in place, then there could be a delay in issuing refunds to taxpayers. These changes ensure eligible people will receive any remaining stimulus money as a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return.
“In Maine, we have one of the highest state excise tax rates, almost triple some of the New England states,” said Sean Sullivan, executive director the Maine Brewers Guild. “Add that to the production challenge of switching to predominantly canned beer, as well as shortages of aluminum cans, these were additional trends hurting the industry.”
In 2017, the American craft beverage industry got a break when a temporary federal law lowered the excise tax of $7 per barrel to $3.50 per barrel, which was set to expire on December 30, 2020.
“The risk was that as of January 1, that federal excise tax rate was going to go back up to $7 a barrel,” said Sullivan. “More than 25 breweries opened during the last three years that had never paid that amount per barrel, and hadn’t factored that into their costs. Picture yourself as a brewer, heading into a winter where you didn’t have a good economic summer, and then all of a sudden your taxes go up twice the amount you’re used t
International animal defense organization urges maximum sentences for former Rockland police officers
Sarah Shepherd
Former Rockport Police Officers Addison Cox and Michael Rolerson. (Photos courtesy of Rockland Police Department)
ROCKLAND/SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. The case of the two former Rockland police officers who were charged with allegedly beating to death several porcupines with a baton while on duty in September, continues to trigger strong reactions. One international animal rights organization has since submitted a letter signed by 10,000 people asking the Assistant District Attorney who is prosecuting the case to, “seek maximum penalties possible under the law.”
Addison Cox and Michael Rolerson were