Dear friends,

I have been navigating a season of life where I have been doing a lot of reflection about how I made decisions in the past, how I evaluated information, who I trusted and what I need to learn from those experiences. In doing that, it has struck me how much freedom we really do experience in the relationships we choose to build and the way we react to the curveballs that life throws at us.

We have freedom in who we invite into our lives (for the most part =), how much energy we put into building and nurturing those relationships and evaluating what we are contributing and what we are getting out of those relationships. Sometimes relationships end in disappointment or even heartbreak. Sometimes relationships change and become something different for a season (or forever). And sometimes relationships end up evolving and strengthening, ultimately sustaining us through both good and bad times.

And we have freedom in deciding how we are going to deal with situations that can be complex and challenging. We can look for quick answers and quick fixes, while choosing not to try to understand the deeper issues and motivations that may be at hand. Or we can approach those situations with a heart full of understanding and grace, while still striving to set and maintain healthy boundaries and while committing to interrupting old patterns that may be leading us down the wrong path.

On this 4th of July, we are again so thankful that you have exercised your freedom to choose to be in relationship with us and give us space to nurture and grow that relationship so that we can provide the best advice and service we can. And we are thankful that, especially in these times that feel a little more volatile and a little more uncertain, you feel free enough to ask questions and seek to understand rather than giving into emotion or short-term solutions that might end up thwarting your long-term plans.

May we continue to exercise our God-given freedom to continue to choose the things that make our lives and our world better.

Happy 4th of July!

Darrell
(for all of us at Douglass Financial Services)

The weather is starting to warm up so it’s time to get outside and start exploring! Here are some local activities scheduled for this summer. Check out their websites/Facebook pages for more details.

• All British Car Show at David Davis Mansion – June 4, 10:00am-3:00pm

• Old House Society House Tour – June 10, 10:00am-3:00pm

• Baby Animal Days at Rader Family Farms – June 10 and 17, 11:00am-4:00pm

• Sunday Funday at Vrooman Mansion with Gill Streat Eatz Food Truck – June 12, 12:00-5:00pm

• Castle Home & Garden Tour in Lexington – July 2, 10:00am-12:00pm

• David Davis Garden Walk – July 14, 1:00-7:00pm

• Bloomington First Fridays (Downtown Bloomington 5-8pm, every first Friday in the summer)

• Normal Uptown Circle Live Music – scheduled all throughout the summer

• Cornbelters and KCL baseball games at the Corn Crib

• Free Lunchtime Concerts at Withers Park (Wednesdays, 11:30am-1:00pm; various performers)

• Mackinaw Valley Vineyard & Winery Summer Events – various events throughout the summer

• Wine Down Wednesday at Hoffman House in Fairbury

• Bloomington Farmers Market (Downtown Bloomington 7:30am-12:00pm)

• PK Unkorked Wine Shop & Tasting Room in Pontiac for live music

It has now been a full year since we switched to our new phone system, and we are happy with how it has allowed us to be more efficient in responding to our clients. 

Please continue to reach us via our general office number 815-842-4393 (consider adding Douglass Financial to your phone contacts). From there, we are able to direct you to our Bloomington office and/or directly to the person you would like to reach. 

Every once in awhile we field a question about whether someone’s retirement income will be taxable in retirement. While that is a somewhat complicated question, here are some key points to note:

• Each state taxes retirement income differently. In Illinois, distributions from qualified plans and IRAs are not taxable, nor are Social Security and pension benefits.

• At the federal level, Social Security benefits are taxable based upon income from other sources. Again, there is some calculation that needs to be done to determine how much will be taxable, but it will not exceed 85% of the total benefit (e.g. if you have $20,000 of Social Security income, no more than $17,000 of it will be taxable).

• Also at the federal level, distributions from qualified plans and pensions are taxed at your ordinary tax rate (typically 12%, 22% or 24% for most of our clients), which is determined by how much other taxable income you have.

• Typically in retirement, Roth IRA distributions are not taxable on the federal or state level. Tax planning is a vital part of the retirement planning process, so we look forward to designing a plan that fits each of our clients and the individual situations.

The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.

The VITA program has operated for over 50 years. VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:

• People who generally make $58,000 or less

• Persons with disabilities; and

• Limited English-speaking taxpayers

In addition to VITA, the TCE program offers free tax help, particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

While the IRS manages the VITA and TCE programs, the VITA/TCE sites are operated by IRS partners and staffed by volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

VITA/TCE services are not only free, they are also a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns. All VITA/TCE volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA/TCE site prior to filing. Each filing season, tens of thousands of dedicated VITA/TCE volunteers prepare millions of federal and state returns. They also assist taxpayers with the preparation of thousands of Facilitated Self-Assistance returns.

Bloomington Housing Authority
104 E. Wood Street
Bloomington, IL 61701
309-830-4832
Volunteer Prepared Taxes
Get Directions and Service Details


Normal Township ARC
600 East Willow St.
Normal, IL 61761
309-888-9099
Volunteer Prepared Taxes
Get Directions and Service Details

Heartland Community College
(1st floor of Instructional Commons North)
1500 W. Raab Road
Normal, IL 61761
Volunteer Prepared Taxes
Get Directions and Service Details