Born on this day!! TV journalist Sam Donaldson is 87. Accordionist Flaco Jimenez of Texas Tornadoes is 82. Actor Tricia O’Neil (“Genghis Khan”) is 76. Actor Mark Metcalf (“Animal House”) is 75. Singer Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge is 74. Singer Bobby McFerrin is 71. Movie director Jerry Zucker (“Airplane!” ″Ghost”) is 71. Singer Cheryl Lynn is 70. Actor Susan Richardson (“Eight Is Enough”) is 69. Recording executive Jimmy Iovine (“American Idol”) is 68. Country singer Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers is 66. Singer Nina Hagen is 66. Actor Elias Koteas (“Chicago P.D.”) is 60. Actor Peter Berg (“Chicago Hope”) is 59. Actor Jeffrey Nordling (“Desperate Housewives”) is 59. Actor Alex Kingston (“ER”) is 58. Actor Wallace Langham (“CSI”) is 56. Actor John Barrowman (“Arrow”) is 54. Singer Lisa Loeb is 53. Keyboardist Al Gamble of St. Paul and the Broken Bones is 52. Singer Pete Droge is 52. Actor Terrence Howard (“Empire”) is 52. Actor Johnny Knoxville is 50. Musicians Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte are 42. Actor David Anders (“iZombie,” ″The Vampire Diaries”) is 40. Singer LeToya Luckett (Destiny’s Child) is 40. Actor Thora Birch (“Ghost World,” ″American Beauty”) is 39. TV personality Melissa Rycroft is 38. Actor Rob Brown (“Blindspot,” “Treme”) is 37. Actor Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”) is 28.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1861 – The Confederate States of America adopted its constitution.
1888 – A torrential rainstorm hit the East Coast. The rain turned to snow the next day and it became the Blizzard of 1888, the most famous snowstorm in American history. It caused more than 400 deaths.
1930 – William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to be buried in the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
1941 – President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Bill.
1942 – General Douglas MacArthur leaves the Philippines saying, “I shall return.”
1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. At 54, he was the youngest member of the ruling Politburo.
1990 – A newly elected parliament in Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union.
1993 – Janet Reno won unanimous Senate confirmation to be the first female U.S. Attorney General.
2004 – Over 200 people were killed and over 1,400 were injured when bombs exploded in Madrid train stations. Al-Qaeda took responsibility for the attacks.
2011 – Japan is hit by an enormous earthquake that triggers a deadly 23-foot tsunami in the country’s north, about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo. Cooling systems in one of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station fail shortly after the earthquake, causing a nuclear crisis.

Today Is: Dream 2021 Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, Key Deer Awareness Day, Nametag Day, National 3 Day, National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day, National Promposal Day, COVID-1 Global Pandemic Day, World Kidney Day, World Plumbing Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 –  Young Sheldon  /  8:30 – B Positive  /  9:00 – Mom  /  9:30 – Unicorn  /  10:00 – Clarice
NBC – 8:00 – Superstore  /  8:30 – Young Rock  /  9:00 – Law and Order: SVU  /  10:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 –  Station 19  /  9:00 – Grey’s Anatomy  /  10:00 – A Million Little Things
FOX – 8:00 – Hell’s Kitchen  /  9:00 – Call Me Kat  /  9:30 – Last Man Standing
CW – 8:00 – Walker  /  9:00 – Legacies

TV Talk Shows

Seth Meyers: Amy Poehler, Phoebe Bridgers, John Herndon
James Corden: Eddie Murphy, Tiana Major9
Lilly Singh: Lena Dunham
Conan: Anthony Anderson
Watch What Happens Live: Naomi Judd, Roger Daltrey
The Talk: TBA
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Emma Corrin, Dr. Lisa Lippman
Ellen DeGeneres: Jennifer Garner, Maren Morris
The Real: Scott Evans
Kelly Clarkson: Paul Bettany, Maria Bakalova (R 1/21/21)
Tamron Hall: Eddie Murphy, Bella Murphy, KiKi Layne, Ruth E. Carter
Drew Barrymore: Ryan Eggold, Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!

QUESTION: What do you do when you’re LOST?? Stop and ask a cop for directions!! But… he was driving a STOLEN CAR.. and now he’s UNDER ARREST!!! Genius!!!

 

QUESTION: Why hasn’t the woman who returned Lady Gaga’s dogs been paid the $500,000 reward?? Cops are still looking into it.. and say she may be involved!!!

 

QUESTION: Will Piers Morgan have the LAST WORD?? Tens of thousands demand his RETURN to Good Morning Britain, as he says “You haven’t canceled me!!!”

 

QUESTION: Think YOU’RE having a bad day at work?? This soccer analyst on ESPN FC Radio was CRUSHED by a falling set!! He’s OK.. but the video is INSANE!!!!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: Why does this make us feel SO GOOD?? You can still freak your teenage daughter by ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW next to a CUTE GUY!!! Take a look!!

New Top Gear Season Features James Bond Cars

Popular motoring show Top Gear will return for a 30th season in April. BBC America shared a premiere date, April 25, and a trailer for Season 30 on Tuesday.  The preview shows Top Gear hosts Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness take on new challenges designed to push them and their cars to the limit.  “This season sees the trio tackling the thorny issue of ‘mid-life crisis’ cars, heading to the Scottish Highlands on a punishing off-road adventure, celebrating and driving some of the most iconic cars from the James Bond films, and taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane as they drive their dads old cars,” BBC America said.  Flintoff, Harris and McGuinness will drive cars from the James Bond films, including the Aston Martin DB5 first seen in Goldfinger and the decapitated Renault 11 Parisienne taxi that Roger Moore drove in A View to a Kill.  Top Gear will premiere April 25 at 8 p.m. EST on BBC America and AMC+. The season marks Flintoff, Harris and McGuinness’ fourth season as hosts.
*******In honor of the mid-life crisis cars, they’ll all shave a bald spot on the top of their heads!!
******This show is the ultimate dude-gig: driving cool cars in interesting situations!!

Queen Elizabeth Heartbroken

Queen Elizabeth II is allegedly heartbroken after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired Sunday night.  “The queen, who has never given a formal media interview, is said to be privately devastated by the shocking revelations and the potential damage to the reputation of the Royal Family,” royal author Katie Nicholl wrote for Vanity Fair on Tuesday.  “She is also deeply concerned for Prince Philip, who remains in the hospital recovering from a heart procedure,” Nicholl added.  According to Nicholl, Buckingham Palace issued an official statement on Tuesday evening after nearly 48 hours of meetings, crisis talks and private family conversations.  “Sources say the statement is designed to try and put out the flames following the couple’s dynamite interview,” wrote Nicholl.  While it’s not known if the reigning monarch watched the interview privately, the 94-year-old was reportedly briefed by palace aides at breakfast on Monday.   “It is understood the queen immediately called a meeting with Charles and William to discuss what to do,” wrote Nicholl.
*******It’s always fun to attack a 94-year-old woman, whose husband is on his death bed!!! Very brave!!
*******Charles has an 11% approval rating.. which shows why he will never be king!! Wills is at 62%, which means.. he’s next!!
*******This woman has been through World Wars, the Cold War, and crisis after crisis. She probably never thought the family would be attacked by one of its own!!!
****Hopefully, Harry likes it in America… because he aint comin’ home!!

Piers Morgan Defends His Comments

Piers Morgan, the former co-host of ITV’s “Good Morning Britain,” took to Twitter Wednesday to address his critics and make a case for free speech.  He abruptly walked off the show’s set this week after a tense exchange with a fellow co-host. The network later announced that he severed ties with the show. He took to Twitter to show that the fallout did little to change his opinion on the matter.  “On Monday, I said I didn’t believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview,” he posted. “I’ve had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don’t. If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I’m happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I’m off to spend more times with my opinions.”  He posted the message attached to a picture of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill with his famous quote, “Some people’s idea of [free speech] is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage.”  The TV host doubled down on those comments outside his home on Wednesday while speaking with Sky News.  “I don’t believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she’s done to the British monarchy and to the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible,” he said. “If I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly-held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it.”
********So… what is he trying to say??? (just kidding)
*******Why are the Royal redheads the one who cause the most problems?? Just askin’!!!
******It seems like there are two opposing opinions on Meghan: 1) She’s been a victim of her own family, and now the Royal Family, or 2) She’s a manipulative user who’s just trying to get rich and famous. How do YOU see it???
BY THE WAY, speech laws in Britain are NOT like the U.S. They can be very restrictive. But… we’re catching up!!!

Meghan Filed Complaint with ITV

Meghan Markle formally complained to UK broadcaster ITV after Piers Morgan lashed out at her and accused her of lying about her mental health on “Good Morning Britain,” according to a report.  The UK’s Office of Communications had received over 41,000 complaints about Morgan’s behavior by late Tuesday, according to the Guardian — prompting the regulator to launch a probe into whether Morgan’s remarks violated the broadcasting code on harm and offense.  A formal complaint was also lodged on behalf of the Duchess of Sussex with ITV, the British network that airs the morning talk show, the outlet said.  Markle reportedly insisted that she was not upset by Morgan’s attacks — but wanted to file the complaint out of concern for how his comments could affect viewers dealing with their own mental health struggles, an insider told the UK Press Association, according to the Daily Mail.  Amid the backlash, the famed host sensationally quit the show Tuesday, just hours after storming off the set when his co-star Alex Beresford called him out for continuing to “trash” Markle following the couple’s stunning sit-down with Oprah Winfrey.
********Yes…. she complained AS A PUBLIC SERVICE!!! So selfless!!!
*******Her new title is “Duchess of Sucks-to-be-Royal!!!”
*******She said she wants to be “a private person.” When does that start???

Jamie Spears Hit Back About Conservatorship

Britney Spears’ father is firing back after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, teamed up to call for an end to his what they call his “questionable” conservatorship over her.  Jamie Spears has been the target of the #FreeBritney movement since renewed attention was placed on the singer following the release of the documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” Currently, the conservatorship gives Jamie control of the star’s estate. However, she recently began taking legal steps to reclaim agency over her life.  The pair of lawmakers joined forces and issued a letter requesting a hearing to “review and examine the plight of Americans trapped unjustly in conservatorships,” and specifically highlight Spears’ case.   However, in a statement, Jamie’s attorney, Vivian Thoreen, says that the lawmakers are misunderstanding the situation. She notes that Britney’s legal team has been part of the decision-making process around her conservatorship for years. She also says that a professional third-party also has a say when it comes to some aspects of the conservatorship. “Britney’s Conservatorship of the Estate was co-managed by a private professional fiduciary and her father until early 2019,” Thoreen shared in a statement. “At that time, Britney requested in court papers that her father be the sole conservator of her estate. Her Conservatorship of the Person is not managed by her father but by a private professional fiduciary.”  In response to Gaetz and Jordan calling Jamie’s motives “questionable” in their letter, Thoreen paints a picture of a loving father.
*******These congressdudes are wayyy off base on this one!! Wave off, Maverick!!!!
*****If not for her father, Britney Spears would be broke today. That’s the truth.

 

Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!

Bold & Beautiful Lorenzo & Kenna-(National Enquirer)

Marrying man Lorenzo Lamas is set to wed for the sixth time!  The “Renegade” star, 63, popped the question to model Kenna Scott during a pre-Valentine’s Day weekend in Las Vegas.  “The last ten months with Kenna have been the most romantic months of my life….and we look forward to the day we become husband and wife!” gushed the “The Bold and the Beautiful” star.

Casting About-(Globe)

Oscar-winning actress Regina King will play the title role in an upcoming bioflick about the nation’s first Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, amid her 1972 presidential campaign.

David & Katherine:  Baby Bliss-(Us Weekly)

David Foster and Katharine McPhee’s home just got a wee bit cuter:  The happy couple welcomed a son together, they confirmed on Feb. 24.  “Everything went well,” a source says.  “Mom and baby are healthy.”  Starting a family with the singer, 36, was a no brainer for Foster, 71, who’s also a dad to five other children.  Last summer, the producer said there’s no one else he’d rather experience life with:  “She’s really magical.”

Prison Flashbacks!-(Star)

Lori Loughlin may be out of the clink, but she still feels trapped.  Sources say, the 56-year-old, who was released from a federal correctional facility on Dec. 28, is haunted by her two months behind bars.  “She’s depressed and anxious,” says an insider of the Hallmark star, convicted of fraud for bribing college officials $500K to ensure her daughters’ admission.  “Nightmares come and go, and things trigger thoughts of those dark, lonely days.  She’s a mess.  Everything about that time still causes her trauma.”

Mandy’s Baby Joy-(Life & Style)

He’s here!  Mandy Moore and husband Taylor Goldsmith announced the birth of their first child, son August Harrison, on Feb. 23.  “He was punctual and arrived right on his due date, much to the delight of his parents,” the This Is Us star, 36, gushed.  “We were prepared to fall in love in all sorts of brand-new ways, but it goes beyond anything we could have ever imagined.”  No one was more excited for Mandy and the musician, 35, than her on-screen family.  “The cast of This Is Us sent over huge bouquet of flowers,” reveals a source.  “Mandy’s already forwarded Chrissy [Metz] so many photos of Gus, as she calls him.”

On Last Thing:  Keenan Thompson-(People)

The SNL star, 42, plays a widowed dad in the new NBC comedy Kenan.

Last time I danced- My wife [Christine Evangeline] and I danced at the Lonely Island concert in New York pre-COVID.  I’ll groove if I’m moved by the song.  I’ve been doing a lot of “the sprinkler” lately.  Not everybody’s catching on to how great it is, but it’s kind of my jam.

Last time I was starstruck- I just spent some time with Damon Wayans Jr. on Kenan, and that was pretty great.  I’m a big fan of his.  I get very nerdy, and either I go too far and say too much or I just kind of retreat, like “Hi” and “Bye.”

Last moment of bliss- The first day my kids [including Georgia, 6] joined me out here in California.  They were on East Coast time, so they were up at like 3:30 in the morning, and I got up with them to let my wife sleep for once.  It was still dark, and I made them breakfast and I was like, “Man, this is a great moment.”  They’re only going to be little for so long.  I just soaked it up.

Loser of the Week-(In Touch)

Matt James

In the wake of all the offscreen drama during his season, the Bachelor reportedly dumps the woman he chose.

 

STUPID NEWS

Cow Escapes The Slaughterhouse

Police and animal control officers responded to the border of two New Jersey towns to wrangle a cow that made a late night escape from a transport vehicle.  Officers responded just before 3:20 a.m. Tuesday to the border of Carteret and Woodbridge when a loose cow was reported wandering the roads in the area.  Witness Antoine Webb captured video and posted it to Facebook.  Police said the cow escaped from a transport vehicle on its way to a slaughterhouse. They said it was believed to have been destined for the Carteret Abattoir slaughterhouse.  Animal control officers and police captured the cow just after 4 a.m. It was unclear whether the cow was taken back to the slaughterhouse.  See the video HERE.
********Wow. This is a fun story.
********All the other cows were thinking, “Who does she think she is???”
******If you read this story on the air, you’ll create thousands of vegans!!!

iPhone Still Works After Lost In Lake

A British Columbia woman was reunited with her iPhone 11 after the device spent six months at the bottom of a lake — and it still works.  Fatemeh Ghodsi of Vancouver said she was riding bumper boats on Lake Harrison in September when she dropped her phone into the water.  “I was in a situation where I kind of lost balance and dropped it in the water,” Ghodsi told CBC News.  She said staff told her the phone would be impossible to find in the deep water, so she gave up hope — until six months later, when she received a mysterious text message.  Married couple Clayton and Heather Helkenberg said they found the phone while diving for treasure and trash under the Lake Harrison water park when they came across the iPhone.  “I took it home, cleaned the dirt off of it and it just turned right on, so it was pretty amazing,” said Clayton Helkenberg, who posted a video of the discovery to YouTube.  Helkenberg said he got Ghodsi’s phone number from the device’s SIM card and texted her to say he had found her phone.  Ghodsi said the phone still works, but the microphone and speaker aren’t as clear as they used to be.  She said she plans to be more careful on the bumper boats in the future.
********It was underwater for six months… and it still knows everywhere she went!!! Creepy!!!
*******For some reason, ads for fishing boats keep popping up!!
*******She now has quite a few pictures of naked fish!! Go figure!!!

Waitress Gets 2 Big Tips In One Night

A server at a Florida restaurant said she is thankful for the generosity of her customers after receiving a $1,300 tip and a $1,500 tip on the same night.  Kimberly Filion said she was working her shift at Kirby’s Sports Grille in Juno Beach, where she has been for six years, when she mentioned in passing to a customer that she was a graduate of Ohio State University.  Filion said the customer ended up leaving her a $1,300 tip with a note: “Go XU!!”  She said the customer told her the big tip was part of the Crosstown Tip-Off Challenge, which began in Ohio as a means of expressing fandom for the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University while leaving big tips for servers.  Filion said she told one of her regular customers about the big tip later in the evening, and the man ended up leaving her a $1,500 tip.  “He wrote something like, ‘I want to be the king,'” Filion told the Palm Beach Post.  Filion said she split the big tips with her coworkers.
*********Sure she did!!! (kidding)
********Have you ever given/received a big tip???
******Follow-up: are you a stripper???

Snake Has Smiley Emojis On It

A snake breeder who accidentally bred a ball python with the shape of three smiley face emojis on its body said he sold the designer reptile for $6,000.  Justin Kobylka, who has been breeding snakes for two decades, said he was attempting to breed ball pythons for the color combination of bright golden yellow and white when he ended up hatching a snake with three yellow smiley faces on its scales.  The breeder said the snake was born after about eight years of working to breed pythons for the color combination.  Kobylka said he estimates about one in 20 of the snakes he bred for the color combination would have a smiley face, but the snake is the only one he’s ended up with that has three faces on its scales.  Kobylka said the “emoji ball python” sold for $6,000.  See the video HERE.
********Can he do that with human kids??? We’d love to see ours smile once in awhile!!
*******Now you can die from a smiley-face bite?? How awesome!!
******Where does a ball python with three smiley faces go??? Anywhere he wants!!!
******At least he’s easy to spot in the toilet bowl!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: ESPN BOGOTA REPORTER HIT BY FALLING TV.

VIDEO: BEAR CHASES SKIERS!

 

A LIST FOR THURSDAY

Important Tax Changes For 2020 You Should Know When You File

Huffington Post

 

The standard deduction increased.

Some people itemize their taxes, meaning they claim individual tax deductions that apply to their financial situation and write off the total amount from their taxable income. However, you only itemize if your individual tax deductions exceed the standard deduction.

About 90% of taxpayers qualify to take the standard deduction. This deduction reduces your taxable income by a fixed amount, depending on your tax filing status. It’s set each year and adjusted for inflation. And for tax year 2020, the standard deduction was increased, allowing you to reduce your taxable income by a bit more than you did in 2019.

This year, the standard deduction for single taxpayers and those married filing separately is $12,400, up from $12,200 the previous year, according to Arnold van Dyk, an attorney and director of tax services at TaxAudit. For married taxpayers filing jointly, it has been raised from $24,400 to $24,800, and for heads of households, it was increased from $18,350 to $18,650.

 

Contribution limits for health savings accounts went up.

Certain tax-advantaged savings accounts have caps on how much you can contribute each year. Those maximums increase over time, and last year, that was the case for health savings accounts.

So why does that matter now? If you didn’t max out your contributions in 2020, you have until April 15 of this year to do so.

HSA contribution limits were raised modestly. You can contribute up to $3,550 for yourself, or $7,100 for families for tax year 2020 (those limits were previously $3,500 and $7,000, respectively). The annual “catch-up” contribution amount for individuals age 55 or older will remain at $1,000, van Dyk noted.

 

There’s a new “lookback rule” for certain tax credits.

Many people had changes to their employment and income in 2020 due to the pandemic, which means they may qualify for lower amounts of certain credits. However, a new “lookback rule” established last December may allow taxpayers who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) to get more money back during a particularly tough year.

This new rule allows certain taxpayers to “look back” at their 2019 income and claim these credits based on that year’s earned income if it was higher than their 2020 earned income.

This doesn’t happen automatically, though. You or your tax preparer will have to compare the two years and choose the option that allows you to claim the largest credits.

 

A new tax credit for stimulus payments was created.

Millions of Americans received a stimulus check in 2020 as part of a greater coronavirus relief package. That money was actually a tax credit for 2020, paid out in advance.

That’s why stimulus payments are not taxable ― they’re credits that reduce your taxable income for the year. However, since the IRS didn’t have everyone’s 2020 tax returns, they based the stimulus check amounts off of information from 2018 or 2019 tax returns, whichever they had on file that was most recent.

Fortunately, if your financial situation changed since 2019 and you received too much stimulus money based on your 2020 income, you do not have to pay it back, says Lisa Greene-Lewis, a certified public accountant and tax expert for TurboTax.

Similarly, if you received too little or a partial payment, you can claim more in the form of a recovery rebate credit when you file your 2020 taxes, she added. “That goes for qualified dependents you didn’t receive stimulus payments for as well.”

For example, if you had a baby in 2020 and the IRS didn’t know that when they issued your stimulus payment, you can claim the stimulus for your new dependent when you file.

 

An above-the-line charitable contribution deduction was added.

Usually, you can only write-off donations to charity on your taxes if you itemize. However, in order to encourage charitable giving during the pandemic, a new provision under the CARES Act allows taxpayers who take the standard deduction to deduct up to $300 in donations.

This deduction is available for 2020 only and only applies to cash donations, including checks and online payments. Donations in the form of clothes, furniture, supplies and other items don’t count.

Greene-Lewis added that the CARES Act also temporarily eliminated the limit on the number of cash contributions you can deduct if you itemize your deductions. “Usually, cash donations that you can deduct are limited to 60% of your adjusted gross income, but the CARES Act eliminates the limit for tax year 2020 returns,” she said.

 

Penalties for retirement early withdrawals were suspended.

Usually, you aren’t allowed to take money out of your 401(k) or other retirement account before you reach age 59 1/2, otherwise you’re subject to taxes and other penalties. However, another change that resulted from the CARES Act was the elimination of the 10% early withdrawal penalty on up to $100,000 in retirement funds withdrawn if you are a qualified individual impacted by coronavirus.

Additionally, instead of having to pay taxes on those withdrawals in 2021, you are allowed to spread the tax payments out over three years. “For example, if you took a distribution of $30,000, you would be able to include $10,000 in income each year over three years as opposed to including the entire $30,000 in income for tax year 2020,” Greene-Lewis explained. You also have the option of paying that money back to your account, lowering your tax liability.

 

Several important tax provisions were extended.

In addition to the new tax changes outlined above, the CARES Act also extended some tax provisions that were set to expire in 2020. These are known as “tax extenders,” and the following are a few important examples, according to Lewis:

• Taxpayers can deduct qualified, unreimbursed medical expenses that are more than 7.5% of their 2020 adjusted gross income. That threshold was set to increase from 7.5% to 10% in 2020, but the reduction was permanently passed.
• For tax years beginning in 2020, volunteer firefighters and volunteer medical responders will be able to exclude payments provided by state and local governments for performing emergency response from their income. That exclusion is permanent.
• If you experienced a foreclosure, short sale or loan modification, you may still be able to exclude the amount of debt forgiven on your principal residence on your taxes.
• The ability to write off any mortgage insurance premiums paid, which are included in the mortgage interest deduction, was extended through 2021.
• Credits for nonbusiness energy property improvements made to your home (such as installing energy-saving roofs, windows, skylights, doors, etc.) were extended through 2021. “The provision still allows you to claim the nonbusiness energy property credit for 10% of amounts paid for qualified energy efficiency improvements, up to a lifetime cap of $500,” Greene-Lewis said.

Keep in mind that there are many more tax deductions and credits available to certain taxpayers who were impacted by the coronavirus in 2020. If you lost your job, had to care for a sick loved one (or yourself), became self-employed or experienced some other change to your financial situation, it’s a good idea to talk with a tax professional about what assistance may be available when you file.

 

The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo.  The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan.  The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations.  Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
© 2020 – Radio Genius Show Prep