Placer County Announces Public H1N1 Vaccination Clinics

With the arrival of additional vaccines, Placer County Health and Human Services' Public Health Division is announcing a schedule of upcoming free public vaccination clinics for the H1N1 flu, sometimes referred to as the "swine flu," in partnership with the respective cities.

The upcoming round of clinics will be:

• Monday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., at the Rocklin Sunset Center, 2650 Sunset Blvd., Rocklin, CA
  
• Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., at the North Tahoe Event Center, 8318 North Lake Boulevard, Kings Beach, CA
  
• Thursday, Dec. 17, from Noon - 4 p.m., at the Roseville Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Dr., Roseville, CA
  
• Friday, Dec. 18, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., at the Gold Country Fairgrounds, 1273 High St., Auburn, CA. This is a drive-through clinic; patients don't even need to get out of their cars. Please enter the Fairgrounds from Auburn Folsom Road at Fairgate.
  

These public clinics are intended to make the H1N1 vaccine available to Placer County residents who are at higher risk for complications of H1N1 flu, and who haven’t yet been able to obtain the vaccine. The target groups, as identified by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include:

• Pregnant women;
  
• People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age;
  
• Health care and emergency medical personnel;
  
• Anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age;
  
• Anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system.
  

Since early November, Placer County has been conducting school-based vaccination clinics, ensuring that hospitals and those involved in emergency response are able to vaccinate staff and higher risk patients, and ensuring that obstetricians, pediatricians, and family practice physicians have vaccine to vaccinate higher risk patients. Placer County will continue these school-based clinics and outreach efforts along with the new public clinics so that as many individuals in higher risk groups that wish to be vaccinated for H1N1 flu have the opportunity to receive it.

As additional vaccine arrives later this month, Placer County will schedule additional H1N1 vaccine clinics, including clinics for all Placer County residents.

Physicians in the community are beginning to receive additional vaccine as well, so individuals may wish to contact their healthcare provider to see if they now have vaccine available.

Placer County will provide information through its web site, http://www.placer.ca.gov/. To receive future information about flu clinics through direct e-mail, consider signing up for the county’s free e-newsletter, available at the above web address.

The upcoming vaccinations will be free of charge.

Blog Post Courtesy of Jason Probst, Communications Analyst with the City of Roseville.

First-Time Homebuyer Credit Extended to 2010; Current Homeowners Also Qualify

Some interesting information from our friends at Professional Solutions Group, one of our guest bloggers!

"A new law that went into effect Nov. 6 extends the first-time homebuyer credit five months and expands the eligibility requirements for purchasers.

The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 extends the deadline for qualifying home purchases from Nov. 30, 2009, to April 30, 2010. Additionally, if a buyer enters into a binding contract by April 30, 2010, the buyer has until June 30, 2010, to settle on the purchase.

The maximum credit amount remains at $8,000 for a first-time homebuyer –– that is, a buyer who has not owned a primary residence during the three years up to the date of purchase.

But the new law also provides a “long-time resident” credit of up to $6,500 to others who do not qualify as “first-time homebuyers.” To qualify this way, a buyer must have owned and used the same home as a principal or primary residence for at least five consecutive years of the eight-year period ending on the date of purchase of a new home as a primary residence.

For all qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 tax returns.

A new version of Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit, will be available in the next few weeks. A taxpayer who purchases a home after Nov. 6 must use this new version of the form to claim the credit. Likewise, taxpayers claiming the credit on their 2009 returns, no matter when the house was purchased, must also use the new version of Form 5405. Taxpayers who claim the credit on their 2009 tax return will not be able to file electronically but instead will need to file a paper return.

A taxpayer who purchased a home on or before Nov. 6 and chooses to claim the credit on an original or amended 2008 return may continue to use the current version of Form 5405.

Income Limits Rise
The new law raises the income limits for people who purchase homes after Nov. 6. The full credit will be available to taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes (MAGI) up to $125,000, or $225,000 for joint filers. Those with MAGI between $125,000 and $145,000, or $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers, are eligible for a reduced credit. Those with higher incomes do not qualify.

For homes purchased prior to Nov. 7, 2009, existing MAGI limits remain in place. The full credit is available to taxpayers with MAGI up to $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers. Those with MAGI between $75,000 and $95,000, or $150,000 and $170,000 for joint filers, are eligible for a reduced credit. Those with higher incomes do not qualify.

New Requirements
Several new restrictions on purchases that occur after Nov. 6 go into effect with the new law:

• Dependents are not eligible to claim the credit.
  
• No credit is available if the purchase price of a home is more than $800,000.
  
• A purchaser must be at least 18 years of age on the date of purchase.
  

For Members of the Military
Members of the Armed Forces and certain federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and still qualify for the credit. An eligible taxpayer must buy or enter into a binding contract to buy a home by April 30, 2011, and settle on the purchase by June 30, 2011."

For more details on the credit, visit the First-Time Homebuyer Credit page on IRS.gov.

Thanks guys for sharing this information with our readers!

About Professional Solutions Group:
Professional Solutions Group, LLP is a Certified Public Accounting firm headquartered in Roseville, California. Founded in 2000 by managing partner Sherif Boctor, PSG has developed into one of the fastest growing CPA firms in Northern California, with more than a dozen employees and nearly 2,000 individual and corporate clients. For more, visit their web site: http://www.prosolutionsllp.com/

Please note that this information is for general guidance only. Professional Solutions Group, LLP and Style Media Group cannot be held responsible for any decisions made as a result of information contained herein. You are encouraged to seek legal and financial advice before making any financial decisions.

Best Barbecue Sauce in Folsom -- The Faceoff!

We just got this email about a friendly little contest from our friends at Acorn Cafe in Folsom...check it out:

It's a faceoff between Head Chef Jeff and cafe owner Susan. The Challenge? The best barbecue sauce in Folsom!

Who will be the judges? YOU!

During the week of December 7th (yes, that's this week people!), a BBQ Beef Sandwich Special will be offered, priced at $5.75 -- it will include 2 BBQ Beef Sliders -- one made with Chef Jeff's barbecue sauce and the other with Susan's!

The sauce with the most votes will be the BBQ sauce used exclusively in the cafe.

Um, yum!!

Check out Acorn Cafe in Folsom at http://www.theacorncafe.com/.