Hurricane Sandy

Tax Assistance Events for Sandy-Affected Areas

The free events are designed help individuals and businesses prepare their 2012 tax returns.

The State's Treasury Department's Division of Taxation has organized a number of tax assistance outreach events throughout February and March in towns affected by Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday.  The events, scheduled during the height of tax season, are being held in towns that suffered heavy damage during Sandy as well as adjacent municipalities. The events will be located at libraries or other public buildings. The events are scattered throughout Monmouth, Ocean and Bergen Counties. The tax assistance events are free and residents can register online by visiting https://www.state.nj.us/treas/taxation/contactus_tytstormsandyrelief.shtml.. Residents can also email outreach.tax@treas.state.nj.us or call …

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IRS: Phishing Scam Targets Department of Defense Military Members & Civilian Employees

The IRS warns NJ residents to beware of this new phishing scam

A message from the Internal Revenue Service:  New Jersey residents should be on the lookout for a new email phishing scam now circulating that targets Department of Defense military members, retirees and civilian employees. According to IRS spokeswoman, Dianne Besunder, the email appears to come from Defense Finance and Accounting Services and displays a .mil email address. The message states that that those receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be able to obtain additional funds from the IRS. Email recipients are then asked to send various VA and IRS documents containing their personal and financial information, such as copies of VA award letters and their income tax returns, to an address in …

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Middletowners, Did You Miss the Income Tax Deadline?

Don't fret. The IRS offers advice for taxpayers who missed the deadline.

The IRS has some advice for you naughty taxpayers out there in Middletown who missed the tax filing deadline.  More information can be found at www.irs.gov. Also, did you know filing your taxes is considered "voluntary?" You might go to jail if you don't, but still...

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NJ Democrats Push Tax Relief Plan

Many residents will save more under the Democrats' plan compared to Gov. Chris Christie's, New Jersey's senate president says.

Gov. Chris Christie may say that he and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-3) agree on property tax relief, but don’t believe it, Sweeney told the audience at a town hall meeting at Camden County College Monday evening. The Democrat spent much of the meeting distancing himself from Christie, saying that the governor’s tax relief plan is too complicated and focuses more on helping wealthy New Jersey taxpayers, not the middle class. Christie touts “an income tax plan where 95 percent of the money goes to the wealthy,” Sweeney said. “My plan, the Senate plan, all of the money goes to the middle class because it’s capped at $250,000 (annual income).” Sweeney hosted the town hall in southern New Jersey to promote his plan with fellow …

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Bad Economy; Good Fiscal Rating

Middletown officials attribute a comparatively higher rating from Moody's to austere, careful management.

Middletown has earned a top credit rating and officials say it couldn’t be better news for taxpayers. If a town has a good rating, Mayor Tony Fiore explained, then, just as with a credit card or FICO score, when a town then needs to borrow money, interest rates are lower and credit is more readily and amply available, because it's a low credit risk. It also means that for a town the size of Middletown, the largest municipality in Monmouth County, its debt is relatively small. According to a report by Bloomberg News on NJ.com, Moody’s Investor Service lowered ratings on $1.7 billion in debt for 24 other municipalities in the state, including a few in the Bayshore area. Moody’s recently affirmed that Middletown has an Aa2 bond rating. Moody'…

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POLL: Are Lower Taxes Low Enough?

Middletown weighs in on why taxes never seem to be reduced.

Despite the persistent push by Gov. Chris Christie to keep property tax bills low with 2 percent caps on spending, Middletown municipal and school officials are saying they still can’t remember a time when taxes went down. “Have I ever heard of a reduction in Middletown’s tax bill? Not at least in the last decade, if ever,” Mayor Tony Fiore said. “Municipal taxes may have stayed flat a few times, but I don’t remember them ever being cut.” Yet, Fiore and Middletown Township Public Schools Superintendent William George are boasting that both their budgets represent the most austere spending plans in those 10 years or so. They’re proud of the measures they say they’ve taken to keep costs down for taxpayers. But, even though both budgets fall …

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