VSTYLE Magazine, April 2018

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F e at u r i n g

6 Taxes are forever Retirement means no taxes, right?

Maybe not.

Plus

2 Kicks with sticks He’s the drummer in the bands. Ted Skolits has drums, will travel.

4 Villagers prove ‘oldies’ are ‘coldies’ Does your blood get thinner in Florida?

* MVESEtT yAlVeI L L A G E R

Kicks with sticks Ted Skolits finds his beat playing drums for Villages bands.

STORY: CHRIS GERBASI // PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

T

ed Skolits never imagined he’d be working so hard in his 60s.

Most Villagers focus on R&R—rest and relaxation.

But Ted focuses on a different R&R—rock ’n’ roll—playing drums in two bands while also working part time.

In fact, he’s playing more gigs now than during 15 years of early adulthood when by day he was a mild-mannered computer programmer for RCA and J.P. Morgan, and by night a drum-pounding, Led Zeppelin-loving rocker in a New Jersey band called Kicks.

“That was always my outlet,” says Ted, who was influenced by his dad’s big band favorites, like drummer Buddy Rich.

Family kicks replaced musical kicks until Ted relocated to Central Florida and discovered the “unbelievable” talent in The Villages.

“There are so many good musicians here that it makes us want to be better and better,” he says. “You can’t just slide by. You have to be on top of your game here. There’s such good competition and so much talent.”

Ted drums for Flashback, led by singers Ralph DiNome and daughter Dawn DiNome, and a newer band, No Regrets. He loves the variety of playing Flashback’s 1950s and ’60s pop, and No Regrets’ ’70s and ’80s rockers.

Ted also can list “producer” on his credits. One Sunday, he listened as the pastor at North Lake Presbyterian Church in Lady Lake described the plight of children living in Ocala National Forest. Much like Jake Blues in “The Blues Brothers” film, Ted experienced a divine epiphany— “The band!”

Thirty-eight years after he and his brothers last performed a Blues Brothers routine in Jersey, Ted got the band back together “on a mission from God,” as Elwood Blues would say. They staged benefit concerts for the forest children, and in February raised money for the church’s Operation Homebound meals program.

Ted’s brothers John and Rob performed as Jake and Elwood, respectively, backed by local musicians and relatives, including Ted’s children Teddy, Kevin, and Katie. One comedy bit included his mother, Terry, 91, of the Village of Silver Lake.

While the show was time-consuming, Ted’s not taking a breather. He bought an electronic drum set so he can practice at home.

“Here we are, we think we would be retiring and just relax,” Ted says. “No. Here I am, I want to do better and I’m getting the opportunity.”

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Villagers prove ‘oldies’ are ‘coldies’ STORY: JOE ANGIONE

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Age is the great tolerance breaker: As we age, we’re less able to take cold weather, to exercise, to work, to remember and think clearly, and also less able to roll with the punches life throws at us.

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inter is officially over—what there was of it this year. Before moving to The Villages, my wife and I were accustomed to colder winters.

We worried Florida’s heat would be difficult, if not impossible, to bear.

There were friends who told us our blood would become thinner and we’d get used to the hot weather. But our first few years here gave no indication we were adjusting to the heat. We kept air conditioning on all year—at considerable expense. We were outdoors as little as possible. And in the so-called winter months, we laughed to see longtime Villagers riding their golf carts wearing snow jackets, gloves, woolen hats, and even sporting lap robes to brave an occasional 50-degree day. What happened to them? Did their blood eventually thin and make them chill easier? Could this happen to us?

Dr. Robert Vyge, a board-certified internist at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in North Carolina, says, “No. The concept of developing ‘thinner blood’ by moving from a colder Northern climate to a warmer Southern climate is only a myth.

People may often feel colder at times after moving to the South…but it has to do

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with a person’s tolerance for cold weather changing, and perhaps to a loss of some ‘insulating’ fat that may disappear after being more active in a warmer climate.”

Although blood-thinning doesn’t happen, after five or six years, we, like most Villagers, lost our tolerance for the cold. Florida’s tropical weather ceased to be a sweaty inconvenience. Unfortunately, weight loss wasn’t a factor. My wife and I tacked on some “retirement pounds” that accumulate no matter where you live.

Most likely, age reduced our tolerance for cold and explains our acclimation to Florida’s warmth. Age is the great tolerance breaker: As we age, we’re less able to take cold weather, to exercise, to work, to remember and think clearly, and also less able to roll with the punches life throws at us.

In the Angiones’ house, adapting to Florida’s warm weather is saving us some money. Our A/C is on only at night, and we’ve lost interest in expensive ski trips, cruises to Alaska, or exploring Antarctica.

Last Christmas, my wife did the unthinkable. She bought us a lap robe for our winter early-morning golf dates.

“Oldies” really are “coldies.” It’s kind of embarrassing.

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Many people believe you don’t file tax returns after retirement with a fixed income, but that may not be the case.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

ou may not make enough income in retirement to pay taxes, but John Krier, district coordinator for Villages TaxAide, says you still need to file a return.

“Filing a tax return can help you avoid identity theft,” John says. “File as early as you can but be sure you have all your tax documents when you file. Filing early prevents others from using your Social Security number to file a false claim and steal your identity. You also have the IRS documents to prove you are who you say you are.”

Identity theft continues to be a problem, especially for seniors who often give out confidential information on the phone without realizing it’s a scam.

Villages Tax-Aide is part of a national organization sponsored by the AARP Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Association of Retired Persons.

This was

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the organization’s 50th year of offering free tax-filing help to anyone of any age, but it was especially designed to help those 50 and older. Villages Tax-Aide is in its 20th year and prepares returns in Lake and Sumter counties.

All the workers in Villages Tax-Aide are volunteers.

They receive training from the AARP Foundation and are certified by the Internal Revenue Service. If you feel you cannot be a tax preparer, volunteers also serve as client facilitators, technical support providers, management assistants, greeters, and bilingual interpreters. Last year, The Villages had 129 volunteer counselors and 49 client facilitators who helped more than 18,000 people with their 2016 federal tax returns.

Please note, everything done for you by these AARP Foundation volunteers is strictly confidential.

This is a safe environment to file your tax return free with knowledgeable tax preparers. However, it is the taxpayer’s responsibility to get the tax return to the IRS. For 2017 taxes, if you made $10,400 and are under age 65, you must file a return. Remember, everyone gets at least one deduction. Single persons or married persons who file separately can claim $6,350 as a standard deduction. Married couples filing jointly

may claim $12,700, and those who are single with dependent children may file as “head of household” and claim $9,350. Other exceptions also increase the deduction. See irs.gov for other questions.

The number of documents and information required are too long to list here but can be obtained by going to villagestaxaide.com for the complete list. You also can make an appointment through this website. Any questions you may have can be answered by emailing taxaid@aarp.org anytime.

Retirees can be taxed on their Social Security income as well as pension benefits if what they make exceeds minimum earnings set by the Internal Revenue Service.

“If you have an IRA, you must start taking that out at age 70½, and that will be taxed,” John says. “If you sell any assets—stocks, bonds, what have you—that will be taxed. Just about any income you have is taxable from a federal standpoint. From a state standpoint, Florida doesn’t care. They don’t have an income tax.”

John says problems occur for many people when they reach that magic age of 70½ because they’re required to take minimum distributions of pension, IRAs, and so on. You pay taxes on the amount you’re receiving, and it increases your Social Security, making

If you have an IRA, you must start taking that out at age 70½, and that will be taxed. If you sell any assets—stocks, bonds, what have you—that will be taxed. Just about any income you have is taxable from a federal standpoint.”

— JOHN KRIER, DISTRICT COORDINATOR

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it taxable. If your total income becomes much higher, you may go into a higher tax bracket.

Upon the death of a spouse, the partner can file a joint return the year the spouse dies. After that, you must file as a single person.

“That’s a significantly higher tax rate,” John says. “In addition, you lose the personal exemption for your deceased spouse, and you lose the standard deduction. All of a sudden, your income goes up and your tax rate goes up and this often gives people a big shock when they see their tax bill.”

John says it’s vital for couples to discuss finances, even if only one spouse has handled them through the years. It’s important to know where all papers are kept, such as old tax returns and any papers related to current income from pension, stocks, and so forth. Even if you don’t know procedures for filing taxes, learn where everything related to taxes is kept and be aware of income and regular bill payments.

Another problem many people in The Villages face is the sale of their primary residence when moving here.

“In general, the IRS allows a $250,000 exclusion per person. If you have lived in the house for at least two of the past five years that you’ve owned it—and not rented or leased it—in most cases, you won’t even receive any tax paperwork on the house. If it exceeds $500,000, that additional money becomes taxable,” John says. “When this comes into play, somebody who might live in California or New York may think they’ve got it made coming to Florida, where housing is much less expensive, but they’ll be taxed on the sell.”

Another area taxpayers need to keep an eye on is home energy credits. According to

the IRS website, the maximum lifetime limit is $500, so if you have previously used credits for windows or a furnace, you have less than you may think to take as credit.

“Be careful about what energy credits you’re looking for, and don’t take the contractor’s word for it that you’re going to get a big energy credit for windows or whatever,” John says.

Another big issue for today’s retirees is caring for dependents.

Many grandparents are raising grandchildren, or they have a grandchild living with them.

“What the law says is that you have to provide more than half their support. That doesn’t mean just more than half of running the house,” John says. “What that means is you pay more than half of their share of the household costs.”

The household costs allotted is $10,000 per person. If you have a grandchild living with you that is making $20,000 but paying none of the household costs, that means that child’s income is considered $30,000. That person cannot be called a dependent. “If they’re making an income, they should be contributing to the household costs,” John says.

Regarding this, you must have Social Security numbers for every person being named on your tax return.

“The IRS is getting more and more particular about this because of identity fraud,” John says. “If you have dependent children in the home, be sure to acquire a Social Security number for them.”

One final note: “All of this is also going to change somewhat next year,” John says. “Until we get closer to the next filing season, we really won’t know all the changes that have come about with the new tax law.”

Here is a list of places to find free help from AARP volunteers with filing your income tax or with tax questions.

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‘Minced, Marinated, and Murdered: A French Culinary Mystery’

By Noël Balen and Vanessa Barrot. A tour of Paris highlighted by visits with great chefs is marred when the chefs keep turning up dead.

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It’s obvious Noël Balen and Vanessa Barrot know their French cuisine and how to mix up a good murder mystery that leaves you guessing the secret ingredient.

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STORY: LEIGH NEELY

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his is the first book in the Gourmet Crimes series from Le French Book, a publisher that translates popular French novels into English. The translator for this book was Anne Trager, founder of the company.

My first word of caution is don’t read this book when you’re hungry. The incredible French cuisine is discussed in great, mouth-watering detail, and getting something to eat may be the only reason you put this book down.

“This is exactly what I’ve been talking about,” Laure said. She started pointing. “Jambon persille—ham in aspic with tons of green parsley, crispy pork cracklings, pistachio and morel sausage; caillettes, or pork meatballs with spinach; pressed calf-muzzle salad; boudin blanc sausage with foi gras; slices of other local dry sausages; and red-wine-braised sabodet sausage.”

Food writer Laure Grenadier is on assignment for her magazine in Lyon, the city considered the capital of French gourmet food. She and her photographer are treated to the best meals and interview the most

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successful chefs. However, something else becomes a priority when the chefs they have interviewed turn up dead.

In addition to working as a sleuth and digging into the crimes, the writers provide amazing history of French cuisine and how the chefs prepare the food.

Paco Alvarez is Laure’s photographer, and the two of them work well together, whether on a story or solving a crime. The books also delve into the personal lives of the two, which makes their sleuthing more difficult yet more interesting.

When Laure begins uncovering secret rivals and tense disputes among the chefs, she fears the police theory of a serial killer may not be hitting the mark. As she was close friends with all the victims, she puts all her effort into discovering who murdered them while working on the article for her magazine.

Whatever happens, deadlines must be met.

This is an entertaining novel, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I especially like it because I’m in the magazine business, but it’s also entertaining reading. It’s obvious Noël Balen and Vanessa Barrot know their French cuisine and how to mix up a good murder mystery that leaves you guessing the secret ingredient.

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