by admin on July 20, 2010
The U.S. Senate broke a Republican filibuster and approved legislation restoring unemployment benefits to 2.5 million Americans who lost aid during a political dispute over how to pay for it. Benefits will be extended for those who have already used their standard 26 weeks of unemployment. President Obama, a strong supporter of the unemployment benefits extension, is expected to sign it into law tomorrow.
The legislation would extend through November a program offering the long-term unemployed up to 99 weeks of assistance and provide aid retroactively to those whose checks were cut off by the impasse. It would push total unemployment benefit spending this year to more than $130 billion, a 50 percent increase from last year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Democrats dropped other unemployment assistance provisions amid complaints over the cost, including a 65 percent subsidy created last year to help the jobless buy health insurance through their former employers (COBRA). There is no plan to extend them during this session of Congress even though it benefited 2 million households last year, according to the Treasury Department. The measure wouldn’t renew an additional $25 weekly jobless benefit (Federal Additional Compensation Program) that was part of last year’s economic stimulus. That means that all retroactive payments would be for $25 less than what they were before June 2nd, as will all payments in new tiers. Nor would it extend a tax exemption for the first $2,400 in unemployment aid.
Also, Democrats don’t plan to extend aid to the growing number of Americans who have already received the maximum 99 weeks of allowable aid (Tier V or Tier 5 provision). 99 weeks (Tier IV) would still be the maximum amount of a time a person could receive benefits for in states with high unemployment rates, and 86 weeks (Tier III) would still be the max in states with low unemployment rates.
A number of other jobs-related provisions, including plans to send additional aid to state governments, that once comprised Democrats’ election-year agenda were jettisoned amid complaints they would add too much to the deficit
by admin on July 12, 2010
In an effort to revitalize the economy and give individuals employment opportunities, the federal government implemented the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The purpose of this Act is to invest money in projects such as infrastructure, including the construction of highways and improvement of mass transit, and cleaner, more efficient energy alternatives. With determination and creativity on how to promote your skills and experience, you too can find a federal stimulus job.
Steps
- Read the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Before you can find a federal stimulus job, you need to know and understand the intent of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that is generating employment opportunities. Employment areas that the Act is channeling money include those related to alternative energy, infrastructure improvements, education and healthcare.
- Track the money. The federal government has a website, Recovery.gov, which allows you to query, by state, agencies that have received stimulus money. Knowing which agencies receive money will help narrow your federal stimulus job search and enable you to work smarter and more efficiently.
- Monitor an agency’s website for bid/contract awards. This information will give you the names of companies receiving federal stimulus funds, the amount of funding and job description. Should you have the skills that a federal stimulus project requires, you can then contact the recipient and inquire about employment opportunities.
- Contact your local Office of Economic Development or Chamber of Commerce. Your local Office of Economic Development is an excellent resource to inquire about existing and potential federal stimulus jobs, for they often work in partnership with state and federal agencies to bring economic opportunities to an area. They, along with the Chamber of Commerce, can also provide you information on area businesses that are in line to receive federal funding and will in turn be increasing their workforce.
- Attend federal stimulus job fairs. Job fairs are a convenient way to meet with agencies and/or companies that have received federal funds and in the process of hiring employees to complete projects. When attending job fairs, be sure to dress professionally, for you are going to make a first and lasting impression with potential employers. Also, be sure to have resumes that you can pass out to prospective employers.
- Search the Internet. Online employment websites are a convenient way to find a federal stimulus job. Federal websites such as Recovery.gov and USAJOBS.gov allow you to query job opportunities by agency, location and occupation. Depending on the site, you may be able to apply for vacancies and post your resume online.
- Visit your local unemployment office. The local unemployment office can provide information on federal stimulus jobs that are currently or available in your local area. Staff may also be able to give you insight and a timeframe on future job opportunities that will be available.
Tips
- Attend seminars or take classes to learn more about topics such as green technology and other forms of alternative energy. This knowledge will increase your marketability and chances of landing a federal stimulus job.
- If you are a veteran or served in the military for three or more consecutive years and received an honorable discharge, be sure to note that on your application so you receive veterans’ preference.
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Find a Federal Stimulus Job. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Eligible taxpayers who contracted to buy a home, qualifying for the first-time homebuyer credit, before the end of April now have until Sept. 30, 2010 to close the deal. The Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010, signed by the President on July 2nd 2010, extended the closing deadline from June 30 to Sept. 30 for any eligible homebuyer who entered into a binding purchase contract on or before April 30 to close on the purchase of the home on or before June 30, 2010. The new law addresses concerns that many homebuyers might be unable to meet the original June 30 closing deadline.
Special filing and documentation requirements still apply to anyone claiming the homebuyer credit. To avoid refund delays, those who entered into a purchase contract on or before April 30, but closed after that date, should attach to their return a copy of the pages from the signed contract showing all parties’ names and signatures if required by local law, the property address, the purchase price, and the date of the contract.
Besides filling out Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit, all eligible homebuyers must also include with their return one of the following documents:
- A copy of the settlement statement showing all parties’ names and signatures if required by local law, property address, sales price, and date of purchase. Normally, this is the properly executed Form HUD-1, Settlement Statement.
- For mobile home purchasers who are unable to get a settlement statement, a copy of the executed retail sales contract showing all parties’ names and signatures, property address, purchase price and date of purchase.
- For a newly constructed home where a settlement statement is not available, a copy of the certificate of occupancy showing the owner’s name, property address and date of the certificate.
Besides providing a tax benefit to first-time homebuyers and purchasers who haven’t owned homes in recent years, the law allows a long-time resident of the same main home to claim the credit if they purchase a new principal residence. To qualify, eligible taxpayers must show that they lived in their old homes for a five-consecutive-year period during the eight-year period ending on the purchase date of the new home. Homebuyers claiming this credit can avoid refund delays by attaching documentation covering the five-consecutive-year period:
- Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement, or substitute mortgage interest statements,
- Property tax records or
- Homeowner’s insurance records.
There are three options for claiming the credit on a qualifying 2010 purchase:
- If a 2009 return has not yet been filed, claim it on Form 1040 for tax-year 2009. Though these returns cannot be filed electronically, taxpayers can still use IRS Free File to prepare their return. The returns must be printed out and sent to the IRS, along with all required documentation. The IRS urges taxpayers claiming refunds to choose direct deposit.
- If a 2009 return has already been filed, claim it on an amended return using Form 1040X.
- Whether or not a 2009 return has been filed, wait until next year and claim it on a 2010 Form 1040.
More details on claiming the credit can be found in the instructions to Form 5405, as well as on the First-Time Homebuyer Credit page on IRS.gov.