Understanding the Conservatorship of Britney Spears and Less Restrictive Alternatives
Late ’90s and early 2000s pop star Britney Spears has been making headlines lately that have nothing to do with her illustrious singing career. Ms. Spears has been under conservatorship for more than a decade, and she has filed several pleadings in recent years to express to the court her disapproval of the control that…
The Rock or The Hard Place?: Dealing with Federal and State Tax Debt
Taxpayers with both federal and state tax liabilities often find themselves between a rock and a hard place. After all, both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) have extensive collection powers and can impose harmful interest and penalties on delinquent taxpayers. In general, when a taxpayer does not have…
Penalties Invalid if IRS Does Not Get Proper Approvals
When the IRS discovers that a taxpayer failed to report income on their tax returns, or adjusts the amount of tax they owe in an audit, there is a chance that something known as the Section 6662 accuracy-related penalty will be assessed. The penalty, which is equal to 20% of the amount of additional tax…
How Work Affects SSI, SSDI and CDB Eligibility
Understanding how income and resources are deemed is critical in determining eligibility for Needs Based Benefits. This article will focus specifically on how income and resources affect the three types of cash benefit programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB). SSI, SSDI and CDB provide cash income…
Using ABLE Accounts to Avoid a One Third Loss in SSI
When an individual receives SSI, SSI deems all income he or she receives. SSI deems earned income, unearned income and in-kind support and maintenance income differently. This article addresses how SSI deems in-kind support and maintenance only. In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) is the value of the food and/or shelter that somebody else provides a…
Negligence – An Introduction to Causes of Action
This is the fourth article in a series on the circumstances that can give rise to a civil lawsuit. Earlier articles in the series can be found on Fletcher Tilton’s website under ARTICLES. Negligence Generally In the last two installments of this series, we saw the importance of incorporating and obtaining appropriate business liability insurance…
Immigration Alert: H-1B ‘Cap’ Electronic Registration begins tomorrow, March 9th
March 8, 2021 As a reminder to clients, the Fiscal Year 2022 H-1B ‘cap’ registration period will begin at noon tomorrow, March 9th. All H-1B candidates for the coming annual allotment must be registered online during the approximately two-week period ending on March 25th. The electronic registration process was successfully introduced by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration…
Fletcher Tilton Welcomes Attorney Brittany Bergeron
Brittany A. Bergeron is an Associate in the firm’s Trust and Estate Department. She focuses mainly on estate planning and special needs planning. She also has experience in estate and trust administration, elder law matters, MassHealth applications, guardianships, and conservatorships. Click here to read more about Brittany.
Immigration Alert: USCIS Expands Premium Processing Service to E-3 Petitioners
February 25, 2021 Yesterday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective immediately, employers can request 15-day processing for certain Australian E-3 Nonimmigrant Petitions. Specifically, expedited service will now be available for E-3 Extension of Status and Change of Status petitions, for a $2,500 Premium Processing fee. This expansion of Premium Processing services has been made…