Page 2 February 1, 2018 TORRANCE TRIBUNE
Bonuses, Bigger Checks Calendar of Events
Promised to Workers
See Bigger Checks, page 8
Douglass Burkley Brandlin
Swatik & Keesey LLP
AT T O R N E Y S AT L AW
Run a Valentine Heart Ad
in the Torrance Tribune.
Business and Community Members Show Your Love!
Heart $25 (up to 30 words)
Valentine message to be
published in our February 8th issue.
Jane,
I love you. It’s been a Wonderful
20 years. Wishing you the
best Valentine’s
Day ever!
Love Tom
Show Your Valentine that You Care.
Actual Size. Ad Message due by February 2.
Email your message to marketing@heraldpublications.com or
Send to: Herald Publications - 500 Center Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
PAYMENT BY CASH OR CHECK ONLY. Please make checks out to: Herald Publications
Message:
Deadline for Calendar items is the prior
Thursday by noon. Calendar items are $1 per
word. Email listings to marketing@heraldpublications.
com. We take Visa and MasterCard.
THURSDAY, FEB. 1
• Smoke and Mirrors – 11:00 AM. – 5:00
PM., Torrance Art Museum, 3320 Civic
Center Drive (Exhibit Runs 11:00 AM. –
5:00 PM. Tues-Sat, Jan 21th – March 10th)
FRIDAY, FEB. 2
• CITY HALL CLOSED – All Day
• Toddlertime, 10:15 AM. & 11:00 AM.,
children 18 months to 3 years, free, Katy
Geissert Civic Center Library, 3301 Torrance
Blvd., Call: 310-618-5964.
SATURDAY, FEB. 3
• Torrance Certified Farmers’ Market at
Wilson Park, 8:00 AM. – 1:00 PM., 2200
Crenshaw Blvd., Between Carson St. &
Sepulveda, Call: 310-781-7520.
SUNDAY, FEB. 4
• Katy Geissert Civic Center Library –
OPEN.
MONDAY, FEB. 5
• Baby Time at the Library, 10:30 AM. &
1:30 PM., children ages 6 to 18 months,
free, Katy Geissert Civic Center Library,
3301 Torrance Blvd., Call: 310-618-5964.
• Pajama Rama: Evening Storytime, 6:30
PM., children ages 2 and up can wear
their pajamas, free, Walteria Library, 3815
242nd Street, Call: 310-375-8418.
TUESDAY, FEB. 6
• Torrance Certified Farmers’ Market at
Wilson Park, 8:00 AM. – 1:00 PM., 2200
Crenshaw Blvd., Between Carson St. &
Sepulveda, Call: 310-781-7520.
• City Council Meeting, 7:00 PM. – 9:00
PM., City Hall, 3031 Torrance Blvd.
• Family Storytime, 10:30 AM., free, Henderson
Library, 4805 Emerald Street, Call:
310-371-2075.
• Family Storytime, 11:00 AM., free, Southeast
Library, 23115 Arlington Ave., Call:
310-530-5044.
• Family Storytime, 10:30 AM., free, North
Torrance Library, 3604 Artesia Blvd., Call:
310-323-7200.
• Pajama- Rama, 6:30 PM., free, for ages 2
years and up –wear pajamas, Katy Geissert
Civic Center Library, 3301 Torrance Blvd.,
Call: 310-618-5964.
• El Retiro Book Group, 10:00 AM., free,
please read the book prior to the meeting,
El Retiro Library, 126 Vista Del Parque,
Call: 310-375-0922.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7
• Craft Delight, 12:00 PM. – 2:00 PM., free,
Henderson Library, 4805 Emerald Street,
Call: 310-371-2075.
• Pajama Rama: Evening Storytime, 6:30
PM., children ages 2 and up can wear
pajamas, free, Henderson Library, 4805
Emerald Street, 310-371-2075. •
By Rob McCarthy
A message from the taxman can usually be
summed up in two words: Pay up. So it’s a
pleasant surprise when the Internal Revenue
Service announces that many taxpayers have
more money coming their way soon.
Tax season, which opened on Monday, puts
the IRS in a giving mood and this year is no
different. When Congress approved a tax code
overhaul in late December, the changes included
lower tax rates for individuals. The IRS has posted
the new tax tables on its website, and expects
employers to begin using them in February.
“Many employees will begin to see increases
in their paychecks to reflect the new law in
February,” the IRS said, without giving an
estimate about how many U.S. workers’ takehome
checks will rise.
Congress’ new law won’t affect current
tax returns for 2017, though it did raise the
standard deduction for individuals to $11,000,
heads of household to $18,000, and married
couples to $24,000. For people with simpler
tax situations, the new tables are designed to
produce the correct amount of tax withholding.
The revisions aim to avoid a common
taxpayer mistake: over- or under-withholding
of income taxes.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress
last December is predicted to deliver modest
tax cuts to middle-income people. The Tax
Policy Center in Washington, D.C., estimated
an average tax cut of $1,200 for all households
in 2018, which won’t be seen until next year’s
income tax returns are filed. But, the larger
paychecks don’t have to wait that long.
The time it will take for employees to see the
result of tax cuts legislation on their paychecks
will vary, according to the IRS. Those hikes in
take-home pay depend on the employers and
how quickly they calculate federal withholdings
using the 2018-revised tables. “Employers
should begin using the 2018 withholding tables
as soon as possible, but not later than Feb. 15,
2018,” the IRS said.
Whether taxpayers really see any extra money
depends on whether they read their pay stubs.
A finding by the Electronic Payments Association
suggests that any slight change could go
unnoticed by the majority of U.S. workers.
The association reported that 82 percent of
U.S. workers use direct deposit instead of a
paper check. If they read their electronic pay
stubs, they’ll see a difference.
There’s an added bonus in the tax rate
change for workers. Employees do not have
to do anything at this time, though the IRS is
revising the standard W-4 withholding form that
each employee fills out at time of hire. “The
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