Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/348032
DearMary:I am recently mar- ried and my hus- band owes the IRS $23,000 in back taxes for tax year 2010. He agreed to an installment plan of $320 per month with the IRS. Their divorce decree states that each is respon- sible for paying half of the any taxes owed, but she says she cannot pay any- thing. He has been paying $400 per month, trying to pay his half off faster, but it's hard on our finances and the interest continues to accrue each month. Is it possible for an ac- countant or tax attorney to deal with the IRS to get the total amount owed re- duced? — Rhonda Dear Rhonda: Here's what you need to know about divorce decrees: Creditors and the IRS?are not bound by them. In fact, they could not care less about what the di- vorce judge decreed. The IRS is going to hold your husband responsi- ble for 100 percent of the taxes owed for 2010 and 2011. And the IRS will hold the ex-wife 100 percent re- sponsible as well. They don't care which of them actually pays as long as the taxes get paid. And if it goes to collection and they start filing liens, the last thing the IRS will be con- cerned about is a divorce decree! If the ex-wife doesn't abide by the decree, the di- vorce judge will deal with her, not the IRS or other creditors. If your husband pays the taxes in their en- tirety, he can go after his ex for half based upon the terms of the decree and probably get the court to help him. My advice is for your husband to stop trusting the ex to do any- thing, let alone pay taxes for which he is le- gally obligated. The IRS is the last en- tity he or anyone on earth wants to owe. That being said, there is a way to get an amount owed reduced, and that is through a process known as an "offer in com- promise." You will need to get a tax attorney or CPA who is an "enrolled agent" with the IRS to craft an of- fer to the IRS. If they ac- cept it, your husband must be prepared to write a check for the full amount agreed upon. Since he has been making payments faithfully, his offer is likely to be received positively. Dear Mary: What is the right thing to do when you honestly cannot afford to put your kids in sports, such as Little League base- ball, but you know it is such a good thing for them both physically and so- cially? — Bonnie Dear Bonnie: The right thing is to live within your means and not go into debt. If this is a high pri- ority as you look at your total financial pictures, de- cide what you will sacri- fice to free up the money for childhood enrich- ment activities. Then con- sider all reasonable alter- natives. Does your Parks and Recreation Dept. offer organized sports? What about the YMCA or a local church? If your kids really want to play, get them into a se- rious savings program now so they can help pay the fees next season. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Divorcedecreesmean nothing to the IRS Mary Hunt COURTESYPHOTOBYROSSPALUBESKI RedBluffFireandCalFireweredispatchedaround6:15p.m.Tuesdaytoareportedvegetationfirenearthe Denny's Restaurant at 48 Antelope Blvd. in Red Bluff. The first unit at scene reported a spot fire near the Trav- elodge. The fire was quickly contained in about 10 minutes. FIRE QUICKLY CONTAINED The Central Valley Re- gional Water Quality Con- trol Board is actively pur- suing landowners, tenants and operators of irrigated lands that are not in com- pliance with the new Waste Discharge Require- ments adopted March 12. The order requires own- ers and operators of com- mercial irrigated lands to implement surface and groundwater discharge management practices for water quality purposes. Based on available pub- lic information, the Water Board is mailing Water Quality Regulation Notices to irrigators throughout the Sacramento Valley wa- tershed suspected of non- compliance with the new regulations. According to the Water Board, failure to obtain regulatory cov- erage may result in penal- ties of up to $1,000 per day. Irrigated landowners or their tenant farmers have two options to com- ply with the Order; join fellow Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition members via the Shasta Tehama Watershed Edu- cation Coalition or gain coverage as an individual grower under the individ- ual Waste Discharge Re- quirements. Commercially irrigated landowners not currently enrolled in the Coalition can join STWEC and take advantage of the Water Board's amnesty period. The Water Board is waiv- ing its fee for individu- als who enroll or re-enroll each irrigated parcel with STWEC by Oct. 2. After the amnesty period landown- ers must directly apply to the Regional Board prior to enrolling with the Co- alition and pay a State fee. In addition, the Water Board has the discretion to reject the application and regulate the landowner di- rectly. The other option irriga- tors have to comply with the Order is to indepen- dently gain coverage. De- pending on specific site conditions, the Water Board estimates annual costs at $1,084 plus $6.70 per acre to cover the direct oversight by the State. In addition, irrigator moni- toring and reporting are required. Regulatory coverage is not required if a property is not used for commercial purposes, or if commercial irrigated lands are covered under the dairy program. To learn more about the Order and for more infor- mation at the local level, visit www.stwec.org or call (530) 527-4208. The Central Valley Re- gional Water Board can be reached at (916) 464-4611 or visit www.waterboards. ca.gov for details. WATER QUALITY Board enforcing new water regulations Today REDBLUFF Business A er Hours: 5:30p.m., hosted by Red Bluff-Tehama County Cham- ber of Commerce California HEAT Chorus - Sweet Adelines: 7p.m., Meteer School multipurpose room, 695Kimball Road, 895-0139 Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628- 1948 Community Action Agency: 3p.m. Board of Supervisors chambers Democratic Central Com- mittee of Tehama County: 5:30p.m., Patio Room, Lariat Bowl, 365S. Main St. Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527- 8177 Grief Support Group: 3 p.m., St. Elizabeth Commu- nity Hospital, Coyne Center, Kristin, 528-4207 Imagination Train sto- ryhour: 4p.m., Tehama County Library Kelly-Griggs House Museum: 1-3p.m., 311 Washington St., group tours by appointment, 527-1129or 527-5895 Live country music, din- ner: 5-7p.m., Veterans Hall Painting session, Red Bluff Art Association: 10 a.m., Tehama District Fair- ground, 529-1603 PAL Martial Arts: 3-5p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, ages 5-18, free, 529-7950 Passages caregiver sup- port group: 10a.m., Com- munity and Senior Center, 1500S. Jackson St., 229- 0878or 800995-0878 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Phoenix Commu- nity Support Group for chemical dependency: 11:30 a.m., Presbyterian Church, 838 Jefferson St., 945-2349 Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff Exchange Club: noon, M&M Ranch House, 645Antelope Blvd. #1 Red Bluff Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees: 5:30p.m., 1525 Douglas St. Red Bluff Lions Club: 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial, 527-6616 Red Cross Disaster Volun- teers Meeting: 6-7:30p.m., CalFire headquarters, 604 Antelope Blvd., north side of Antelope, 934-5344 Reeds Creek School Dis- trict Board of Trustees: 4:40p.m. Rock Choir: 4p.m., 601 Monroe St., free, all wel- come Sacramento River Dis- covery Center Thursday Evening Program: 7p.m., 1000Sale Lane, 527-1196 Senior Chair Volleyball: 1p.m. Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Sunrise Speakers Toast- masters: noon, 220Syca- more St. Support group for pet loss: 2p.m., Family Service Agency, 1347Grant St., 527-6782 Swinging Squares Square Dance Club: 7p.m., Com- munity Center, 1500S. Jackson St., beginner or review classes, 529-1615 Tehama County Health Planning Council, noon: Elks Lodge, 355Gilmore Road Tehama County Planning Commission: 9a.m., board chambers, 745Oak St. Widowed Persons Dinner: 5p.m., call 384-2471for location CORNING Cal-Fresh and Healthy Family Appointments: 1-3p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Corning High School Board: 7p.m., 643Black- burn Ave. Corning Patriots: 6p.m., Senior Center, 824-2332 Dance with Juana: noon to 1p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Dual Diagnosis Group: 1:30-3p.m., 1600Solano St., 527-8491, Ext. 3309 ESL/Citizenship classes: 9a.m.-11a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Improved Order of Red Men: 7p.m. Independent Grange 470, 20945Corning Road, 824-1114 Sewing group: 9a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Soccer training: 4-6p.m., except for holidays and rain, Woodson School Soccer Field, 150N Toomes, 824- 7680. CALENDAR (530) 528-1220 331 Elm Street, Red Bluff See all of our hearing aid prices online at www.entpatient.com Includes no risk 30 day trial period. Fee-for-Service Pricing. Offer valid for one Unitron Shine + Hearing Aid any style. Custom ear molds may be required at additional cost. May not fit all types of hearing loss. No cash value. Must be 18 yrs or older. Offer expires July 31, 2014. $ 499 00 each "Astonishingly effective. Surprisingly affordable. Fully digital." Unitron Shine + Hearing Aid Coupon Timothy Frantz, M.D. "The Hear Doc" At North Valley Ear, Nose and Throat, we are celebrating 20 years of helping people hear better! Hearing loss is the third most common health condition affecting older adults after hypertension and arthritis. Unfortunately up to 75% of people with hearing loss do not treat it, primarily due to the high cost of hearing aids. Dr. Frantz is genuinely concerned about what he considers to be a true crisis and he wants to change that. 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