AUGUST 11, 2011
Seven days a week, Dove Valley Animal Hospital is committed to your pet
CAVE CREEK - “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to all living things. At Dove Valley Animal Hospital, there's currently a movement afoot to bring greater awareness to feline health. One of the exam rooms is even going completely cat, Dr. Mike Kiedrowski offered.
There's a cat box so Fluffy can hide, some kitty toys strategically placed as distractions, and the walls will be adorned with everything kitten. Cats tend to be secretive with their health issues, so prevention is key. "The room is designed to make them a little more comfortable," explained Dr. Rebecca Johnson.
A variety of pets find their way to see Kiedrowski, Johnson and Dr. Wendy Gruber. This is an optimal time to bring in pet tortoises since they soon will prepping to hibernate or otherwise get ready for winter. "They really do need an annual physical and fecal to keep them well," the doctors concurred.
Yearly exams for all pets should not be optional. Puppies and kittens should be seen as soon as they are old enough for their first vaccines and altering. That's the best time to commence a rapport with your vet. Along with the owner, they can watch for any changes as the animal matures.
When your pet has advanced to old age and euthanasia is necessary, the health professionals at Dove Valley Animal Hospital make it as comfortable as possible. They accommodate owners' wishes as well. Knowing the bond between "parents" and pets, the staff will craft a footprint "stone" as a memento. "They take great pride in personalizing them for our clients," Gruber added. It's a genuinely touching gesture.
Amongst so many outstanding veterinarians in the area, Kiedrowski said, "We are very blessed to be part of this [vet] community."
Truth be told, the Desert Foothills community is fortunate to have the vets at Dove Valley.
Find out more at 480-595-5731 or dovevalleyah.com.
AUGUST 17, 2011
Watch Out for False Promises from OnlineBusinessScams.com
PHOENIX – Better Business Bureau (BBB) cautions consumers to watch out for a website that is falsely charging for BBB complaint resolution services. Consumers allege that OnlineBusinessScams.com charges an upfront fee of $1,500 to $2,000 for assistance in collecting money owed from businesses, only to forward consumers’ complaints to BBB.
According to one consumer, OnlineBusinessScams.com told him that in order to help him collect money owed from a business he needed to pay 30% of the amount owed. The site requested half of the 30% upfront, which he paid to begin the process.
After receiving the fee, OnlineBusinessScams.com asked the consumer to provide the details of the dispute so the site could determine whether to handle the “case.” Afterwards, the consumer received an information packet that included an envelope addressed to BBB. OnlineBusinessScams.com told the consumer that they would recover his money within 90 days. The consumer states that 90 days have passed and that his attempts to contact OnlineBusinessScams.com have been unsuccessful.
“As far as our research shows, we have not seen proof that this company has helped its clients,” Carrie Lorimer, BBB Operations Director said.
BBB wishes to remind all consumers that its services are free. Consumers never have to pay a third party in order to receive help from BBB. To file a complaint against a business, please fill out the form online at www.arizonabbb.org or visit the BBB’s Phoenix or Prescott office locations. For more consumer tips and news you can trust, visit BBB’s news center at www.arizonabbb.org.
AUGUST 17, 2011
Ten Tax Tips for Individuals Selling Their home
PHOENIX – The Internal Revenue Service has some important information to share with individuals who have sold or are about to sell their home. If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, you may qualify to exclude all or part of that gain from your income. Here are ten tips from the IRS to keep in mind when selling your home.
1. In general, you are eligible to exclude the gain from income if you have owned and used your home as your main home for two years out of the five years prior to the date of its sale.
2. If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases).
3. You are not eligible for the exclusion if you excluded the gain from the sale of another home during the two-year period prior to the sale of your home.
4. If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return.
5. If you have a gain that cannot be excluded, it is taxable. You must report it on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.
6. You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.
7. Worksheets are included in Publication 523, Selling Your Home (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p523.pdf), to help you figure the adjusted basis of the home you sold, the gain (or loss) on the sale, and the gain that you can exclude.
8. If you have more than one home, you can exclude a gain only from the sale of your main home. You must pay tax on the gain from selling any other home. If you have two homes and live in both of them, your main home is ordinarily the one you live in most of the time.
9. If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and within 36 months of the date of purchase, the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full credit is due with the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence, using Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf). The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year's tax return.
10. When you move, be sure to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive refunds or correspondence from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8822.pdf), to notify the IRS of your address change.
For more information visit www.irs.gov or all 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).