Military Officer - November 2007 - (Page 42)

chaptersinaction A Taxing Issue MOAA state council members across the country are lobbying to exempt military retired pay from state income taxes. Do you know how your state stacks up when tax time rolls around? T his month, we’ve launched a new name and a new look for this part of the magazine. After discussions between the Council and Chapter Affairs Department and magazine staff, we think “Chapters in Action” is a better description of what our chapter system is all about. The new look will help us do a better job explaining the relevance of MOAA’s chapter system to the membership of MOAA and how the chapters’ work affects the lives of MOAA members as a whole. In coming months, we will feature issues that affect all of us so you can be better informed. We also have moved this section toward the front of the magazine — right behind “Washington Scene.” This was not an accident, as we work to relate at the state level some of the things that are going on in our national level efforts. This won’t happen every month, but periodically during the year we will update you on state-level legislative efforts. This month, we talk about a topic that affects us all — taxes. Speciﬁcally, we look at state taxes, what some councils and chapters are doing about them in their states, and how you already might have beneﬁted or might beneﬁt in the future from their work. Some states are all the way there and have either no state income tax or do not tax military retired pay or give breaks on a portion of that pay. MOAA state council and chapter support of these efforts has led to some big wins — and now helps you make decisions about where you will live. In this month’s lead article, you’ll ﬁnd out where those tax breaks are and what MOAA is doing to inﬂuence the action in other states. We also will be asking your opinion each month about important issues and what you think should be done. All of this is part of our message that chapters are relevant to your lives and deserve a good look. Get involved, and see how rewarding that can be. Councils and chapters are doing important work but always can use more help. Visit your local chapter, and if it isn’t doing what you want to see done, ask if you can start an effort. This is a great way to make a difference. We have accepted challenges all our lives. This one isn’t that hard. — Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. Director, Council and Chapter Affairs Making Progress M ON THE ROAD: This month, Col. Barry Wright, USA-Ret., deputy director of MOAA’s Council and Chapter Affairs, will visit members of the Aiken (S.C.) Chapter. Go to MOAA Calendar, page 88, for dates. * issouri Council of Chapters President Lt. Col. Pat Frederick, USAF-Ret., is ready to celebrate. For the past six years, council members have lobbied jointly with the Missouri Association of Veterans’ Organizations to pass legislation that would exempt military retired pay from state income tax. On July 25, their efforts paid off when Gov. Matt Blunt (R) signed into law H.B. 444, which allows recipients age 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 (SBP) payments — from state income tax. The exemption will be phased in over a six-year period retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007. Other provisions of the bill establish income limits for single and married PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT 42 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - November 2007

Military Officer - November 2007 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Chapters in Action Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Cover Story: Commanding the Corps With Love, From Home Financial Guidebook Financial Tuneups Banking on Your Time Pages of History MOAA Scholarship Recipients Faces of MOAA MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - November 2007

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