Military Officer - January 2008 - (Page 48) chaptersinaction spouses to the symposium during the western-themed opening reception at the Austin Ranch in Grapevine, which featured good food, a disc jockey, and country line dancing lessons. The following day, delegates quickly got down to business in a series of workshops that focused on recruiting-and-retention issues in MOAA chapters and chapter-management techniques that can be used to improve chapters’ effectiveness. “The symposium opened my eyes,” says Mississippi Coast Chapter president Maj. Ella Welch, USAF-Ret. “I learned about things we could be doing in our chapter, I took home a lot of good information, and I enjoyed hearing what other chapters were doing.” Because the symposium was held on a weekend, many second-career servicemembers were able to attend. Personal affairs officers focused on ways to enhance their chapters’ benefits information program. A special personal affairs session also was held for spouses and auxiliary members, who discussed the role they play in supporting chapters. 2008 KEY EVENTS Jan. 1 The 2008 “Give Me 10!” recruiting campaign begins Feb. 1 Deadline for submissions for the 2007 Communications Awards. Visit the Chapters/Community section at www.moaa.org for new submission guidelines and entry categories. April 1-3 Council Presidents’ Seminar, Alexandria, Va. April 17 MOAA Career Fair, Washington, D.C., Convention Center June 1 Chapter Levels of Excellence Award submissions due. (See Appendix J of the Council and Chapter Policies and Procedures Guide.) Oct. 16-18 Chapter Presidents’ Symposium, Lake Tahoe, Nev. Dec. 31 The 2008 Give Me 10! recruiting campaign ends 48 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2008 How does your state rate?* MOAA chapters are working to pass state legislation that would exempt military retired pay. States that exempt all military retired pay Alabama Hawaii Illinois Kansas Kentucky (1) Louisiana Massachusetts Michigan (2) Mississippi (3) Missouri (4) New Jersey New York North Carolina (5) Oregon (6) Pennsylvania Wisconsin States with no income tax Alaska Florida Nevada South Dakota Texas Washington Wyoming States that tax only dividend and interest income New Hampshire Tennessee 1. Military retirees who retired before Jan. 1, 1998, are exempt. Those who retire after this date might or might not be subject to Kentucky tax on retired pay. See Kentucky Schedule P to determine exempt amount. (Go to www .revenue.ky.gov, select Individual Income Tax, then Current Year — Individual Income Tax Forms, and Schedule P.) 2. Exempts USPHS and NOAA retired pay as federal employment. 3. Retired pay is exempt from individual income tax after Jan. 1, 1994. The exemption is available to the spouse or other beneficiary upon the death of the primary retiree. Widow’s pensions received from the VA are not taxable. 4. Allows recipients 62 or older to exempt their Social Security benefits, Social Security disability benefits, and public pension benefits — including uniformed servicemembers’ retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan payments. Exemption will be phased in during a six-year period retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007. Other provisions establish income limits for single and married taxpayers and maximum deduction limits for those who draw both Social Security and public pension benefits. (Details about this new legislation can be found at Missouri General Assembly Web site (www.moga.mo.gov). Click on Truly Agreed /Finally Passed, and scroll down to HB 444.) 5. If an individual had five years of creditable service as of Aug. 12, 1989, all military retired pay is exempt from taxes. Otherwise, a deduction of up to $4,000 is allowed for military pay or survivor’s benefits. 6. If you retired before Oct. 1, 1991, Oregon does not tax your federal pension/military retirement. If you retired on or after Oct. 1, 1991, some retirement income might be taxable. Visit www.oregon.gov/dor/pertax/faq-mov ing2.shtml for details. * Correction: This is an updated version of the state tax-exemption chart that ran in the November 2007 issue. Members of MOAA’s headquarters staff briefed symposium participants about MOAA’s marketing and recruiting efforts, pending legislation, and The Officer Placement Service. Participants also learned more about the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, received an update on the “Give Me 10!” recruiting campaign, and took home tips and suggestions on how to improve their newsletters and Web sites. Several guest speakers also outlined programs members could start or support. During the president’s dinner, Col. Thomas A. Heaney Jr., deputy commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command in Fort Knox, Ky., told participants about the many challenges Army recruiters face today. Heaney asked delegates to assist Army recruiters by helping them establish connections with key community leaders. During the symposium’s closing session, chapter leaders and personal affairs officers shared their findings and recommendations with those present. These presentations, along with those given by MOAA national staff and guest speakers, can be found in the Chapters/Community section of MOAA’s Web Base, www.moaa.org. MO — Contributors are Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret., director; Col. Barry Wright, USA-Ret., deputy director, Council and Chapter Affairs; and Kris Ann Hegle. For submission information, see page 20. http://www.revenue.ky.gov http://www.revenue.ky.gov http://www.moga.mo.gov http://www.oregon.gov/dor/pertax/faq-moving2.shtml http://www.oregon.gov/dor/pertax/faq-moving2.shtml http://www.moaa.org http://www.moaa.org
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