Tag Archives: Internal Revenue Service

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Should rape and incest survivors be forced to prove that they were assaulted to the IRS?


Should rape and incest survivors be forced to prove to the IRS that they were assaulted?

What kind of question is that?

But a bill proposed by anti-choice lawmakers in Congress could force many sexual assault survivors to do just that.1

The bill would impose tax penalties on small businesses and individuals who buy abortion coverage with their own money—with exceptions only for cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s life is in danger.2

The result? Survivors of rape and incest who seek abortion care could be forced to detail their assaults and provide proof to IRS investigators.3

Reliving a horrific sexual assault to the police and in court is awful enough. Forcing women to prove that they were assaulted to IRS investigators is simply inhumane.

Tell Congress to stand up against this terrible bill—and speak out against the Republican war on women. Sign the petition today

http://pol.moveon.org/noaudits/?id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=4

Despite campaigning on job creation, Republicans have focused their agenda this year on attacking the rights and well-being of women. From pushing several anti-choice bills to cutting billions from health care, food aid, child care, and education, their attacks constitute nothing less than a full-scale war on women.

But as we saw earlier this year, a huge outcry can have a big impact. When Republicans included a provision in the original version of this bill that redefined rape—which said that only “forcible” rape counted when it came to using federal dollars for abortion care—they faced a huge backlash, and eventually removed that term.4

Now, the new version of the bill is out—and as Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, put it, “This bill gets more outrageous and insulting by the day. Not only would a woman have to describe her sexual assault to the police, but she could then be forced to relive that horrifying experience with an agent from the IRS.”5

Republicans clearly have no boundaries when it comes to attacking women’s rights. But just like when they attempted to redefine rape, we can stop them—and their bill—if we all speak out.

Can you sign the petition today? Just click below—and share this email with your friends, family, and social networks today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Kat, Wes, Joan, Peter, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits,” Mother Jones, March 18, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207116&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=5

2. “H.R. 3: A Dangerous and Misleading Bill that Threatens Women’s Health,'” National Women’s Law Center, March 2, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207136&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=6

3. “GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits,” Mother Jones, March 18, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207116&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=7

4. “Pro-Choice Advocates: GOP’s Revised Abortion Bill Remains ‘Extremely Harmful’ To Women,” The Huffington Post, March 3, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207117&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=8

5. “GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits,” Mother Jones, March 18, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207116&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=9

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Amnesty Program … (Paymytax.org)


This temporary amnesty program waives penalties and interest on certain unpaid Washington State business taxes.

Program dates:

February 1, 2011 through April 30, 2011

This program waives penalties and interest on:

State business and occupation (B&O) tax

State public utility tax

State and local sales and use tax including:

General retail sales and use taxes

Rental car taxes

King County food and beverage tax

Additional sales and use tax on motor vehicle sales/leases

Lodging taxes, but not including tourism promotion area lodging charges

Brokered natural gas use tax

Important: If you have filed and paid all tax returns as of November 25, 2010, you are not eligible for amnesty on tax returns due after that date.

Who’s eligible:

Registered businesses

Unregistered businesses

How to apply:

By April 18, 2011 you must:

Submit an Application (pdf)

File all outstanding tax returns and any amended returns for which you are requesting a waiver.

Requirements:

For amnesty to be granted, you must:

Pay all tax due by April 30, 2011, on any invoice for which you are requesting a waiver. You must also pay penalties and interest on taxes not included in this program.

Pay all filing and other fees on any tax warrant for which you are requesting a waiver.

File and pay all tax returns on time during the amnesty period.

Waive your right to seek a refund or challenge the amount of taxes paid under the program.

Exclusions:

Taxpayers are excluded from this program if they:

Have ever been assessed a penalty by the Department for evasion or misuse of a reseller permit or resale certificate.

Are in bankruptcy and payment of tax debt would violate federal bankruptcy laws.

Have ever been prosecuted for failing to pay or collect the proper amount of any tax administered by the Department under RCW 82.32.

For more information:

See the Amnesty Q & A. For specific questions, send an email to communications@dor.wa.gov or call us at 1-800-647-7706 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-647-7706 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Bankrate.com


Here are stories published today.

Financial reforms take hold in 2011 | 2011-02-09

New laws mean simplified mortgage disclosures, a consumer finance watchdog and more. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/new-financial-regulations-take-hold-in-2011-1.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110208

When to seek a credit consolidation loan | 2011-02-09

A credit consolidation loan can solve your debt problems faster, if you know how to use one. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/debt/getting-a-credit-consolidation-loan.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110208

Is mortgage payment help taxable? | 2011-02-09

The IRS taxes mortgage payments made by your insurer, but you can still deduct interest. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/is-mortgage-payment-help-taxable.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110208

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BREAKING: School board bigot resigns after our campaign


Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights
Human Rights Campaign
 

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Bullying from politicians, the pulpit, and playgrounds… An election that could decide the future of marriage equality… This is your last chance to help us mobilize volunteers, expose hate groups, run hard-hitting ads, and get hundreds of thousands of pro-equality voters to the polls. Join the fight.
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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

An immediate crisis


Human Rights Campaign


We need 16 donations from Seattle by TOMORROW.

We’re fighting poisonous hate from right-wing groups and on the campaign trail.

Join

How would you feel seeing this headline on November 3rd?

Radical Conservatives Take Over Washington

It’s not farfetched. At a time when anti-LGBT bullying and harassment are already out of control, this election could usher a wave of extremists into Congress and bolster hateful right-wing groups that have already begun urging lawmakers to pass a national ban on same-sex couples marrying.

One prominent candidate founded a “cure the gays” group before running for Senate. Seriously. Last week, another declared he wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education so students won’t be taught that “Susie has two mommies is an appropriate family situation.”

We’ve already raised more than half of the $250,000 we need by MIDNIGHT TOMORROW to expose illegal electioneering by radical groups and get hundreds of thousands of voters to the polls.

But we need 16 donations from Seattle to get us there. Can you help, Carmen?

With Tea Party funding and groups like the National Organization for Marriage running illegal ads, the risk of a radical takeover of Washington is shockingly real.

So we’re fighting back. Here’s how:

  • We’ve got organizers on the ground in key cities across the country, fighting against radical candidates.
  • We just filed a formal complaint with the IRS detailing illegal political campaigning by a tax-exempt nonprofit arm of the National Organization for Marriage.
  • We’re running innovative programs in faith communities so groups like the Mormon Church hierarchy don’t have the last word.
  • And we’re launching a massive effort to get pro-equality voters to the polls.

In the wake of so many horrific stories of anti-LGBT hate crimes and bullying, fair-minded supporters across the country – both LGBT and straight – are energized and ready to help. Over a million are wearing purple today in memory of victims of anti-gay bullying. But at the same time, every day brings new examples of right-wing vitriol – and unless we take direct action to fight them, they could soon have an even bigger platform for their hate.

Last week, the president of the extreme, anti-equality Family Research Council wrote in The Washington Post that it’s the “homosexual movement” – not bigotry – that causes feelings of despair among LGBT youth.

His offensive claim comes in the wake of a Mormon leader’s hateful sermon saying same-sex attraction is “impure and unnatural”… the Catholic Diocese of Minnesota mailing a misleading, anti-gay DVD to every single parishioner in Minnesota… and the National Organization for Marriage’s relentless, outright lies.

These groups do real damage with these comments, but hearing the same hate spouted from elected leaders – and seeing it in legislation like a federal ban on marriage equality – is even more dangerous. And that’s the immediate crisis before us now.

Can you help us reach the 16 donations from Seattle we need to fight back?

Election Day is only 13 days away. I hope you’ll stand with us.

Not backing down,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

P.S. If you’ve already put a check in the mail or given to HRC by some other means, I can’t thank you enough. If you haven’t yet contributed, I hope you’ll join us today. Also, don’t forget to wear purple today! Learn more here.

Join