Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 2, 2016

12

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, January 2, 2016 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

PAYING INCOME TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS


Dear Savvy Senior:

Will I have to pay federal income taxes on my Social 
Security benefits when I retire?

Approaching Retirement

Dear Approaching,:

Whether or not you’ll be required to pay federal 
income tax on your Social Security benefits will 
depend on your income and filing status. About 
35 percent of Social Security recipients have total 
incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax 
on their benefits. 

 To figure out if your benefits will be taxable, 
you’ll need to add up all of your “provisional 
income,” which includes wages, taxable and non-
taxable interest, dividends, pensions and taxable 
retirement-plan distributions, self-employment, 
and other taxable income, plus half your annual 
Social Security benefits, minus certain deductions 
used in figuring your adjusted gross income.

How To Calculate

To help you with the calculations, get a copy of IRS 
Publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent 
Railroad Retirement Benefits,” which provides 
detailed instructions and worksheets. You can 
download it at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf or call 
the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you 
a free copy.

 After you do the calculations, the IRS says that if 
you’re single and your total income from all of the 
listed sources is:

 · Less that $25,000, your Social Security will not 
be subject to federal income tax.

 · Between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50 percent 
of your Social Security benefits will be taxed at your 
regular income-tax rate.

 · More than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your 
benefits will be taxed.

 If you’re married and filing jointly and the total 
from all sources is:

 · Less that $32,000, your Social Security won’t be 
taxed.

 · Between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50 percent 
of your Social Security benefits will be taxed.

 · More than $44,000, up to 85 percent of your 
benefits will be taxed.

 If you’re married and file a separate return, you 
probably will pay taxes on your benefits.

 To limit potential taxes on your benefits, you’ll 
need to be cautious when taking distributions from 
retirement accounts or other sources. In addition to 
triggering ordinary income tax, a distribution that 
significantly raises your gross income can bump 
the proportion of your Social Security benefits 
subject to taxes.

How to File

 If you find that part of your Social Security 
benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to file using 
Form 1040 or Form 1040A. You cannot use Form 
1040EZ. You also need to know that if you do owe 
taxes, you’ll need to make quarterly estimated tax 
payments to the IRS or you can choose to have it 
automatically withheld from your benefits.

 To have it withheld, you’ll need to complete IRS 
Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request (irs.
gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4v.pdf), and file it with your 
local Social Security office. You can choose to have 7 
percent, 10 percent, 15 percent or 25 percent of your 
total benefit payment withheld. If you subsequently 
decide you don’t want the taxes withheld, you can 
file another W-4V to stop the withholding.

State Taxation

 In addition to the federal government, 13 states 
– Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, 
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North 
Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West 
Virginia – tax Social Security benefits to some 
extent too. If you live in one of these states, check 
with your state tax agency for details.

 For questions on taxable Social Security benefits 
call the IRS help line at 800-829-1040, or visit an 
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (see www.irs.gov/
localcontacts) where you can get face-to-face help.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. 
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today 
show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …January Birthdays*

 Gerald Day, Mary Tassop, JudyWebb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary Bickel, Marlene 
Enmark, Ross Kellock, Ruth Wolter, Sue Watanabe, Sandy Thistlewaite, Bobbi 
Rahmanian, Fran Syverson, Shirley Wolff, Judy Zaretzka and Becky Evans. 

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required

...................................................................

ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the 
Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 Activities at the Senior Center

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale 
daily lunch program held at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through 
Friday at 12:00 pm and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested 
donation of $3.00 for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are 
necessary, space is limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, October 19th and 26th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use your new 
technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people. 

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. is 
necessary. 

 

Brain Games: Thursday, October 15th, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, October 21st from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. A suggested donation of $5 at one 
of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

 

Case Management: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required 
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 

 

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The class 
utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are provided. 

 

Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00. 


KATIE Tse..........This and That

FOR PHIL


I was very saddened this week 
to hear of the passing of my 
pastor, counselor, and friend, 
Phil Carlson. To say that Phil 
was a wonderful person is an 
understatement. He was always 
there for my family and me. He 
was one of a small handful of 
people I went to whenever there was a crisis. Phil was 
not only a good person, he was a loving and lovable 
person. Although Phil was a man of great physical 
stature, his ego was infinitely small. Listening to Phil, 
you got the sense that he constantly poured himself 
out in order to fill others. He was the epitome of what 
a pastor-teacher should be. 

 I remember one particularly special sermon Phil 
preached on humility. My dad and I consider it to be 
one of the most powerful sermons we’ve ever heard. 
It moved me to tears at times. I was so engrossed in 
it I didn’t even notice that Phil had gone way past the 
usual ending time. Months later I still had my sermon 
notes taped to my desk as a reminder. 

 Another quality I greatly admired about Phil was his 
authenticity. Most of us know some good people, but 
not many real people. The Phil Carlson who preached 
on Sunday mornings was the same Phil Carlson who 
took the time to counsel me on tough issues during 
the week. 

 Anyone who knew Phil knew that he lived life at 
200%. Not only was he a gifted pastor, but he was also 
a skillful medical doctor and an insightful author. 
His books, “You Were Made For Love” and “Love 
Written In Stone” are amazing, valuable additions to 
any Christian literature collection. 

 Above all, Phil was very gentle and caring. I 
remember him talking about a delicate ear exam 
that he had to learn, and how the doctor who taught 
him advised that the students go home and try the 
procedure on themselves before they perform it on 
any patients. That is what Phil was like. He was always 
caring, not wanting to hurt anyone, willing to take the 
time to gently lead people to the truth God had for 
them. After we found out about Phil’s passing, my 
mom felt bad that she had emailed him several times 
recently about her own health concerns, not knowing 
how serious his own status was at the time. “But that’s 
what Phil was like,” I said. “He was the kind of person 
who, even though he was feeling terrible, would ask 
how you were doing.” That was Phil.

 Whenever a fellow Christian dies, we who are left 
sorrow. We sorrow when we see loved ones suffering. 
And we sorrow for ourselves when they are gone, 
because we miss them and the support and comfort 
they gave us. But when they are gone we do not 
sorrow for them any longer. The Bible teaches that to 
be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 
Another great pastor, the late Chuck Smith, warned 
his congregants to not believe any future newspaper 
obituaries stating that “Chuck Smith died.” That’s 
bad reporting, Chuck said. Instead, it should read, 
“Chuck Smith moved.” The same can be said for Phil 
Carlson. Phil Carlson, Chuck Smith, and the rest of 
our loved ones in Christ didn’t die. How can anyone 
die after Jesus has given them eternal life? 

 No, Phil Carlson moved. He moved into a new home 
and a new body, perfect in every way. He is more alive 
today than he ever was when he walked among us. 
We sorrow, but not as those who have no hope. Jesus 
teaches that we should strive to finish our race -this life- 
well, so that we may receive a crown of glory in heaven. 
I’m sure that when I get to heaven I will be able to spot 
Phil immediately. Not because he will be one of the 
tallest people there, but because his crown will be one of 
the biggest and brightest. If there ever was a person who 
I’m sure heard Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful 
servant!” it most certainly was Phil.

* Phil is survived by his wife, Carole, and children, 
Jonathan, Caitlin, Brendan, and Ciara. They would 
cherish the opportunity to hear your stories about 
how Phil has impacted your lives. They have set up 
a PO box where you can send letters: The Carlson 
Family at PO Box 1264 Sierra Madre, CA 91025. 
At this time they do have needs and many of Phil’s 
friends have been wanting to help. The page linked 
below can help relieve some of their immediate and 
on-going needs. They are so grateful for all of your 
prayers, kindness, and support.https://fundly.com/
philip-carlson-family-care-fund/


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953At first, Dad and I didn’tsee eye to eye about moving toThe Kensington, but sincehe did, we’re both thrilledLimited Senior Living Suites Still AvailableCall or Visit to Reserve Yours Today