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A dangerous email scam currently is circulating nationwide and targeting employers, including tax exempt entities, universities and schools, government and private-sector businesses. The scammer poses as an internal executive requesting employee Forms W-2 and Social Security Number information from company payroll or human resources departments. They may even send an initial “Hi, are you in today” message before the request.

WASHINGTON – With the 2017 tax season underway, the IRS reminds seniors to remain alert to aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents. The callers claim to be IRS employees, but are not. 

These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Taxpayers will have until Tuesday, April 18, 2017 to file their 2016 returns and pay any taxes due. That’s because of the combined impact of the weekend and a holiday in the District of Columbia. 

If you are a parent of a soon-to-be college student or perhaps thinking of attending or completing your education, you will want to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as a FAFSA. 

But where to start? As they say, knowledge is power! For many, the FAFSA, and the process of completing a FAFSA, can be confusing. 

Lessening the confusion
First, take time to navigate through the FAFSA website. Unfortunately, a simple Google search with the terms FAFSA will return sites that may or may not be accurate.

Leaving a philanthropic gift to a charitable organization can be a rewarding experience, both for the donor and the designated organization.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that unclaimed federal income tax refunds totaling more than $1 billion may be waiting for an estimated 1 million taxpayers who did not file a 2013 federal income tax return. 

Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Secure driver's licenses and identification documents are a vital component of a holistic national security strategy. Law enforcement must be able to rely on government-issued identification documents and know that the bearer of such a document is who he or she claims to be.

The REAL ID Act is a coordinated effort by the states and the Federal Government to improve the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents, which should inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.

Financial planning is one of the most important (if not the most important) and concerning money topics that many folks share. How much should you have saved by a certain age? Should new parents start to save now for their newborn baby or is it ok to wait awhile? How much will you need in retirement for healthcare costs or everyday living?

This article appears in Crains Cleveland Business 

By Steven A. Dimengo and Richard B. Fry III 
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC.

February 12, 2017 - Gov. Kasich’s quest to lower the Ohio personal income tax rate continues in his latest proposed biennium budget, even in the face of Ohio’s tax revenue falling short of estimates.