Tax Day has arrived and Colleen Crain has some tips from a tax professional…
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”
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A bill that would force a TOPS Opportunity or TOPS Performance recipient to repay their state funded scholarship makes it out of House Education. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (40) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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A second LSU football player has suffered a season-ending injury this spring. Andre Champagne has the story…
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”
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Tax Day is here and hopefully you are ready. It can be a daunting task to gather documents and work through returns or get all the required information to a tax preparer on time. If you find yourself unprepared, CPA John Therio with Malcom Dienes in Metairie says you can file form 4868 for an extension.
Cut 4 (13) “…that extension.”
If you don’t send payment, he says, IRS penalties can be up to 5% per month.
Theriot says if you’re rushing to complete your return to beat today’s deadline, don’t forget to fund your IRAs and HSAs. And remember there are new laws that allow exclusions of some tip income and overtime income if you qualify…
Cut 5 (09) “…your employer.”
With the new deductions and income exclusions, Theriot says, some taxpayers seem to be getting bigger refunds this year. He says tax rates are down but that’s not the only reason for the bigger refunds.
Cut 6 (12) “…bigger refunds.”
He says he hasn’t seen the same for self-employed individuals but adjusting their quarterly payments could make a difference.
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New vehicles now sell for an average of nearly 50-thousand dollars according to a report from the Associated Press. That’s up 30-percent in six years. UNO economist Walter Lane says most of the vehicles that come off the assembly line have all the new technology designed to make you a safer driver
Cut 7 (13) “…the cars.”
Lane says several years ago, the consumer could choose not to have the latest technology advances, now the vehicles are already fully loaded.
Lane says tariffs have also driven up the price of a new vehicle…
Cut 8 (09) “…in the cars.”
Lane says spreading out the payments over a five- or seven-year period can help reduce the monthly note, or just hang on to what you are currently driving…
Cut 9 (06) “…historically have.”
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TOPS Opportunity and Performance award recipients would pay back their state-funded scholarship if they lost their scholarship under a bill that barely got out of the House Education Committee. Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg is the author of the bill…
Cut 10 (09) “…those dollars”
Bamburg says TOPS Opportunity and Performance award students would be exempted from repaying if they had to drop out of school because of a life event or circumstances like parental leave, temporary or permanent disability, religious commitment or death of an immediate family member.
Executive director of the Taylor Foundation, James Caillier, testified against the legislation, telling lawmakers, a student who loses a merit scholarship should not be forced to pay it back
Cut 11 (14) “…a scholarship.”
If this legislation becomes law, TOPS Opportunity and TOPS performance recipients would repay the scholarship dollars they have used up, even though the scholarship money goes to the university not the student. Lafayette Representative Josh Carlson supports the legislation…
Cut 12 (11) “…to be repaid.”
The measure passed on a six-to-five vote. Laplace Representative Sylvia Taylor asked Bamberg if L-A Gator Scholarship recipients should repay the state if they funk out of the private school they attended on taxpayer dollars…
Cut 13 (10) “..everything.”
The measure heads to the House floor. The state spends 320-million dollars on TOPS scholarships.
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Today is the last day to register to vote or make changes to an existing registration in person or by mail ahead of the May 16 closed party primary election. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says that means if you want to vote in the Senate Republican Primary or a Congressional GOP primary, you have to registered as a Republican or “No Party”…
Cut 14 (09) “…vote in.”
To participate in a Democratic primary, you have to be registered as either Democrat or no party. Landry says if you can’t register or switch your party affiliation in person, you still have until April 25th to do it online at geauxvote.com.
Cut 15 (11) “…those days.”
Any updates submitted by mail must be postmarked by April 15. Third party voters, such as members of the Green or Libertarian parties, cannot participate in Democratic or Republican primaries but may vote in eligible races, propositions, and constitutional amendments.
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LSU football’s defense has dominated the offense so far in spring practice. Coach Lane Kiffin says he was discouraged by his offense’s performance in Saturday’s scrimmage, where the quarterbacks combined to throw five interceptions, but he also acknowledged there will be growing pains with transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt not currently participating.
Cut 16 (17) “…doesn’t happen overnight.”
One of the biggest surprises of LSU’s spring practice has been fifth-year senior offensive lineman Bo Bordelon taking first-team reps at left guard. Coach Lane Kiffin said Bordelon has been very impressive this spring.
Cut 17 (18) “…go in there and start.”
One of the most competitive positions this spring has been defensive tackle. Kiffin says true freshman Deuce Geralds has stood out and believes he will be a productive player for the Tigers this season.
Cut 18 (11) “…going on there.”
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The Pelicans finished 26-56 in Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars’ first season with the franchise. Dumars dismissed Willie Green 10 games into the season, and assistant coach James Borrego took over on an interim basis to close out the year. Dumars says Borrego has proven himself as a strong candidate for the permanent job and will be under consideration.
Cut 19 (19) “…good job with that.”
Zion Williamson has become a potential trade candidate this offseason, but Dumars said he wants to keep the star in New Orleans and has no plans to move him.
Cut 20 (19) “…we said no.”