About 1 million US taxpayers from all 50 states failed to filetheir returns in 2009, but unless they do so before April 15, theywon’t be getting their checks.In the US, individuals making less than $9,750 a year are notrequired to file taxes. Some people are unaware that federal taxeshave been taken out of their paychecks and that the IRS owes themmoney. Others choose not to file returns because they don’t believethey would get much cash back, and don’t consider the paperworkworth their time.The IRS gives taxpayers three years to claim a refund, afterwhich Uncle Sam gets to keep the money. There is no penalty forfiling a late return, but hundreds of thousands of Americans mightnot even be aware of the fact that they qualify.As a result, the US Treasury could be making more than $917million from unclaimed refunds from 2009.And for those who do file a late return, they will beexperiencing a delay in payment – especially if they also failed tofile returns for 2010 and 2011, the IRS says. The Treasury is alsoable to withhold refunds if taxpayers have outstanding debt, likeunpaid student loans, child support and federal or state taxes.Low-and middle-income Americans, primarily those with children,may also qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). But one infive US residents are unaware that they qualify for the EITC andmay therefore be overpaying the IRS, rather than filing for thededuction.The IRS announcement regarding the number of unclaimed refundscomes just one month before the deadline to file for them, givingtaxpayers only a short amount of time to determine if they areeligible. But even though the IRS has so many unclaimed refunds, itstill claims to struggle with the high number of tax returns.The “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website has beenunavailable numerous times this season, and the IRS blamestaxpayers for clicking on it too much and overwhelming the system.The agency has urged taxpayers to only check their refund once aday, or limit use of their website to weekends.In February, an IRS spokesperson told the Associated Press thatit was receiving more than 1 million tax returns every day and thatthe most common question the agency is hears is about people’srefunds.“I think what we’re seeing is just part of the naturalevolution in the refund process,” IRS spokesman Terry Lemonstold AP. “Twenty-five years ago, you desperately checked themailbox every day.”But by already promising delays in late tax returns and claimingto have an overwhelmed system, taxpayers who file for a 2009 returncould be waiting months for their money. … Read More
Access to federally funded research doesn’t honor Aaron Swartz
We can all pretty much agree that making public and freely available the fruits of federally funded research is important and good. As such, we can be pleased with the recent announcement that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has mandated that federal agencies with more than $100 million in R&D expenditures develop plans to make the published results of their research freely available to the public within one year of publication.We can also probably agree that Aaron Swartz, the brilliant technologist who committed suicide facing trumped up federal charges, who long advocated for free access to scientific research, would have been pleased with the announcement. And it’s fair to say, as some commentators already have, that increased support for Swartz’s open data activism since his death helped prompt the government announcement. A White House website petition calling for free access to federally funded research had garnered 65,000 signatures.Continue Reading… … Read More
Microsoft expected to reveal Xbox 720 in April following PS4 unveiling
Sony’s “surprise” PlayStation 4 announcement earlier this week reportedly caught Microsoft off guard at first, according to one Sony senior official that asked not to be named. The person in question said they definitely ruffled some feathers which seems likely considering most expected the two companies to announce their next… … Read More
American Airlines, U.S. Airways Merger Agreed To; Boards Set To Vote: Report
American Airlines and U.S. Airways have agreed on the terms of a proposed merger, according to a tweet from Bloomberg News.
Approval from both the companies’ boards would pave the way for an announcement tomorrow, according to Bloomberg’s Twitter feed. If approved, the merger would create the world’s biggest airline. U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker reportedly would be the CEO of the new company:
Pope to make first appearance since shock resignation in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday
Thousands of the faithful will flock into St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday to bid farewell to Pope Benedict XVI at his first public appearance since the shock announcement of his resignation. The 85-year-old Benedict, who said on Monday that he would step down on February 28 because of his…
Nintendo Lowers Forecast for Wii U Sales
Nintendo changed its outlook for the Wii U game console it introduced just two months ago as the company gave a mixed picture of its prospects in an earnings announcement. … Read More
HP Pavilion Chromebook detailed in leaked specifications sheet
HP’s first Chromebook has been ousted ahead of a public announcement thanks to a PDF that was recently discovered on the company’s website. The HP Pavilion Chromebook looks to be in line with similar offerings from the competition albeit with a few odd twists, like a 14-inch display and questionable… … Read More
