$150k worth of equipment stolen from Lee HealthAward-winning stylist to host event during Naples Automotive Experience
FORT MYERS $150k worth of equipment stolen from Lee Health Fort Myers police arrested a hospital employee accused of stealing more than 150 thousand dollars worth of medical equipment from Lee Health.
NAPLES Award-winning stylist to host event during Naples Automotive Experience On Friday, an Emmy Award-winning Hollywood stylist will host Forever Fabulous, a charity event with the St. Matthew’s House.
FORT MYERS Colonial and I-75 diverging diamond to be completed by spring The diverging diamond at Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 in Fort Myers is diverting drivers.
NAPLES 20th Annual Spring Home & Garden show coming to Naples The 20th semi-annual Spring Home & Garden show is coming to Naples.
NAPLES Collier Publix worker spreads joy with kindness cards In Collier County, one person stands out for his daily acts of kindness, bringing smiles to those around him.
FGCU FGCU softball pitcher ranked among the best in the country FGCU softball pitcher Allison Sparkman enters her sophomore season ranked as one of the top pitchers in the country.
Congress steps in as Port Charlotte widow searches for husband’s ashes A Port Charlotte woman continues to fight to find her husband’s ashes, lost in the mail. Members of Congress are now backing her efforts.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers mom recounts dramatic chase to find kidnapped daughter A mother’s worst nightmare unfolded when her 2-year-old daughter was taken from her in Fort Myers on Monday.
ESTERO Copperleaf Community fights hunger through fundraising The Copperleaf Country Club community in Estero is making a significant impact in the fight against hunger.
NAPLES Collier County students explore trade careers at job fair Hundreds of Collier County students explored potential future careers at the Build My Future Job Fair.
NORTH NAPLES New orthopedic hospital nears completion in Collier County A new orthopedic hospital is nearing completion in Collier County, Florida, with an estimated cost of $140 million.
Real estate deals that shaped the SWFL landscape in 2024 The rise of online retail and continued regional population growth played a large role in a series of yin/yang real estate transactions that defined Southwest Florida’s top deals of 2024.
New Florida law governs oversight, brings financial bite A new law has transformed the condominium market in Florida, forcing owners to change their financial plans. The laws have been prompting many owners to sell their condos now, because the bills have come due and they cannot afford to pay them.
Punta Gorda imposes moratorium on car washes, storage facilities Approvals for new car washes and storage facilities in Punta Gorda will be put on pause for a period of 180 days during a moratorium begininng after the next City Council meeting Feb. 19.
Stephen Deutsch, Charlotte County commissioner, accused of using racial slur A Charlotte County commissioner is involved in an investigation after being accused of using a racial slur.
FORT MYERS $150k worth of equipment stolen from Lee Health Fort Myers police arrested a hospital employee accused of stealing more than 150 thousand dollars worth of medical equipment from Lee Health.
NAPLES Award-winning stylist to host event during Naples Automotive Experience On Friday, an Emmy Award-winning Hollywood stylist will host Forever Fabulous, a charity event with the St. Matthew’s House.
FORT MYERS Colonial and I-75 diverging diamond to be completed by spring The diverging diamond at Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 in Fort Myers is diverting drivers.
NAPLES 20th Annual Spring Home & Garden show coming to Naples The 20th semi-annual Spring Home & Garden show is coming to Naples.
NAPLES Collier Publix worker spreads joy with kindness cards In Collier County, one person stands out for his daily acts of kindness, bringing smiles to those around him.
FGCU FGCU softball pitcher ranked among the best in the country FGCU softball pitcher Allison Sparkman enters her sophomore season ranked as one of the top pitchers in the country.
Congress steps in as Port Charlotte widow searches for husband’s ashes A Port Charlotte woman continues to fight to find her husband’s ashes, lost in the mail. Members of Congress are now backing her efforts.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers mom recounts dramatic chase to find kidnapped daughter A mother’s worst nightmare unfolded when her 2-year-old daughter was taken from her in Fort Myers on Monday.
ESTERO Copperleaf Community fights hunger through fundraising The Copperleaf Country Club community in Estero is making a significant impact in the fight against hunger.
NAPLES Collier County students explore trade careers at job fair Hundreds of Collier County students explored potential future careers at the Build My Future Job Fair.
NORTH NAPLES New orthopedic hospital nears completion in Collier County A new orthopedic hospital is nearing completion in Collier County, Florida, with an estimated cost of $140 million.
Real estate deals that shaped the SWFL landscape in 2024 The rise of online retail and continued regional population growth played a large role in a series of yin/yang real estate transactions that defined Southwest Florida’s top deals of 2024.
New Florida law governs oversight, brings financial bite A new law has transformed the condominium market in Florida, forcing owners to change their financial plans. The laws have been prompting many owners to sell their condos now, because the bills have come due and they cannot afford to pay them.
Punta Gorda imposes moratorium on car washes, storage facilities Approvals for new car washes and storage facilities in Punta Gorda will be put on pause for a period of 180 days during a moratorium begininng after the next City Council meeting Feb. 19.
Stephen Deutsch, Charlotte County commissioner, accused of using racial slur A Charlotte County commissioner is involved in an investigation after being accused of using a racial slur.
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) Around this time of year, many taxpayers begin the annual ritual of pondering The Big Question: Do I take the standard deduction or spend time hunting for receipts and filling out extra forms to itemize? The decision largely boils down to whether itemizing will reduce your taxable income more than the flat, no-questions-asked standard deduction will, thus saving you money. But a major plot twist may make the issue even more vexing for some this tax season: The standard deduction nearly doubled in 2018 to $12,000 for single filers, $18,000 for heads of household and $24,000 for joint filers. Generally, that means that a married couple filing jointly, for example, would now need to cobble together at least $24,001 in various tax deductions for itemizing to lower their tax bill more than taking the standard deduction would. NerdWallet: Free Income Tax Calculator It’s a change that’s sure to leave some longtime itemizers wondering whether the standard deduction is actually the thriftier option this year. Here are four things tax pros say could indicate that it’s time to stop itemizing and take the standard deduction. 1. YOU DIDN’T PAY A LOT OF MORTGAGE INTEREST The tax deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes have been boons to itemizers because they often add up to more than the standard deduction, says Andrew McCue, a certified public accountant at Weiss & Company in Glenview, Illinois. But if you didn’t pay much in property taxes, had a small mortgage or were at the tail end of your mortgage (where the payments were mostly toward principal and not much interest), these itemized deductions may not save you as much this year as the standard deduction could. “If those are adding up to a substantial amount, that’s when you want to look at it and look at the standard deduction,” he says. 2. YOU USED THE DEDUCTION FOR STATE AND LOCAL TAXES The federal deduction for state and local income taxes is popular among itemizers, but a new cap of $10,000 for joint filers this year means some people may be better off taking the standard deduction instead, McCue says. But even with the cap in place, taxpayers who also have deductible mortgage interest might still save more by itemizing this year, he says. “In Illinois, it’s not hard for me to say I’ve got $6,000 of property taxes, but that varies a lot state to state,” he says. Add in another $6,000 for mortgage interest, and “just with those two items, you’re at the standard deduction for an individual,” he says. 3. YOU DIDN’T DONATE A LOT TO CHARITY Charitable donations are a well-known tax deduction for itemizers, but if this year’s higher standard deduction gets you a bigger tax break, the tax-deductibility of your gifts may be a moot point, says Kasey Pittman, a CPA at Newport News, Virginia-based accounting firm PBMares. “They’re not going to see that added benefit from donations, and I think once they figure that out, they’ll learn to plan their donations and to be more thoughtful about what year they give in and such,” she says. For example, giving $5,000 to a favorite charity once every five years could save more money than giving $1,000 every year for five years. That’s because “bunched” donations, when combined with other itemized deductions, could get you over the higher standard-deduction threshold and make itemizing worthwhile financially, Pittman says. 4. YOU DIDN’T HAVE HUGE MEDICAL EXPENSES In general, unreimbursed medical expenses that are more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income may be deductible if you itemize, says Travis McMurray, a CPA at accounting firm Blackburn, Childers & Steagall in Tennessee. But the higher standard deduction could still be a better option. “Quite honestly, you’d have to have a pretty significant medical event for that to kick in, or your income must be pretty low,” he says. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Tina Orem is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: torem@nerdwallet.com.