It’s only January, but tax-time is here.
Jim Inman Photo: canva.com
Today is the first day Hoosiers can submit their Indiana income taxes.
The Indiana Department of Revenue hopes Hoosiers will have all the necessary documentation when submitting state tax returns. Electronic filing, online payments and direct deposit are also encouraged by the state agency to help expedite returns and refunds.
The past two years have been challenging for Americans filing state and federal tax returns. The pandemic has forced many IRS employees to work remotely, which has hindered response times for processing. Adding in different state and federal programs for assistance has caused additional challenges as well.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said earlier this month that agency officials are warning taxpayers that “in many areas, we are unable to deliver the amount of service and enforcement that our taxpayers and tax system deserves and needs.”
There has been no announcement of any extension for filing, as has occurred the past two years. Taxpayers have until April 18 to file state and federal tax returns.
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A federal court has ruled on a case between the City of Bloomington and a vendor of the Bloomington Farmer’s Market.
Last week the court ruled for the city in a lawsuit brought by Schooner Creek Farm and the owners, Sarah Dye and Douglas Mackey.
In the 2020 filing, Dye and Mackey argued that their First Amendment rights were violated by Mayor John Hamilton, parks department employee Paula McDevitt and Marcia Veldman, a former employee of the city.
The problems began in 2019 when protests and demonstrations occurred as a response to Dye’s potential connections to a white supremacist group. The market was shut down for two weeks in July 2020 due to safety concerns.
Dye and Mackey filed a lawsuit, claiming the city selectively enforced rules regarding free speech.
However, the city arrested protestors at the market who demonstrated and did not abide by rules for public safety.
District Court Judge Richard Young heard the case, and rejected all allegations by Dye and Mackey.
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And for your watercooler news… today is National Peanut Butter Day. Whether you’re a fan of creamy or chunky, plain or with grape jelly, peanut butter is likely found in the cabinets of most every kitchen across the nation.
One hundred years ago, Joseph Rosefield created what we know as peanut butter today. Through homogenization, he was able to create a process that kept peanut oil from separating from peanut solids. He sold the patent to a company that began making Peter Pan peanut butter.
