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a 3ti PAGE 10 - PLAINDEALER-U IHM MU, ii'i.n Processing Tax Return Proof Of Citizenship Necessary For Passport What happens to your tax return after you mail it to the Kansas City Service center? To start with, your 1040 return is one of more than eight million that will be received this( filing season at the Kansas City Service center. It will arrive as one of several thousand similar returns that day. Hie first step then is sorting the envelopes by the district office for the state in whjch you reside and by the particular type of tax return you are filing. After your return has been removed from the envelope it is given a special 13 digit number that identifies your return by date received, the state in which you reside, the type of return and a special serial number. Yours is the only return in the nation that will have this special number and it enables the Internal Revenue Service to locate it quickly if needed later. Even though taxpayers do their best to fill out their return properly, they sometimes make mistakes. Some of these, such as errors in addition or subtraction, will be corrected when the return is processed by the Center's computer system. But if you should leave out necessary information, like attaching a W-2 form or if you should fail to sign your return, it is necessary for IRS to contact you. This slows down processing of your return and delays your refund. With the millions of returns received each filing period by /ice centers perhaps the biggest problem is in correctly identifying taxpayers. And if you have a name like Jones, Smith or Brown, the problem can be even greater. For this reason IRS asks all taxpayers to please use the peel-off address label which they receive with the tax package. This label contains all of die identifying information needed to process your return. If every taxpayer used the peel-off label the number of errors made in processing returns, which are due to either incorrect information on the return or difficult-to-read information, could be cut considerably. Another helpful hint to taxpayers. Please put your Social Security number on your check, letters, or any correspondence you send in to IRS. This alone will help considerably. But back to your tax return. After your return is checked for information it is ready to go into the IRS computer system. This is done by entering information and numbers from your return into a TV-like machine which has a keyboard attached. The operator "types" the information into the machine which is then displayed on the "TV" screen. The operator then checks to make certain she didn't make any mistakes and then releases it into the computer. The computer then checks your return for mathematical and other errors and if it is correct, puts your tax information on amagnetic tape Conduct Bicentennial License Plate Contest Materials and entry blanks have been distributed to public, parochial and private schools for Illinois grade and high school students who will participate in the state's bicentennial license plate contest, sponsored by Secretary of State Michael J. Howlett. Deadline for entries is May 10^ 1974. The 1976 bicentennial plfcte will be determined from the winning student's design. The contest has been divided into three divisions. The Red division includes grades one through four; White, grades five through eight; and the Blue division is for grades nine through 12. •Super in tendents of educational service regions are id charge of distributing contest information. All grade and high school principals have received package of materials. Many civic and fraternal organizations are assisting in promoting the effort locally. ?"Each principal will select a$d send the two best designs in e$ch division from his or her school to the Secretary of State's office," Howlett said. "Entries will be judged and three division finalists from fourteen regional areas throughout the state will be named." A blue ribbon committee will choose the winning entry from forty-two finalists. All will receive a set of encyclopedias for their school with the winner awarded a $1,000 scholarship grant. All entrants may submit only one design of a 12 x 6 inch horizontal format with a written statement of 200 words or less explaining why particular colors or symbols were used. Designs must be completed with colored pencils, crayons, ball point, felt tip, fountain pens or water colors. "We have been pleased with the early state-wide interest in the contest," Secretary Howlett said.-* "The designs will be judged on their relevance to state and national history and I believe it very appropriate to have a student design our Bicentennial plate in 1976." Serving as chairman of the ribbon selection committee is James L. O'Keefe, Chicago attorney. along with that from many other taxpayers. Each day the completed tapes are shipped to the National Computer center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. There, some additional computations are made and if you have a refund coming, a special tape is prepared and mailed to the nearest federal disbursing center where a refund check is printed and mailed. The sooner you mail in your return, the earlier you will receive your refund check. Many taxpayers wait until April 15 to file their returns, so March is a month when fewer returns are received in the service center and faster service can be expected. Mail your return in now and receive your refund earlier. Toll-free telephone numbers are listed on page 2 of the instructions with the 1040 tax package and page 7 of the 1040A tax package. Local numbers are also listed in some instances. Tljis service allows taxpayers anywhere in the state the opportunity of obtaining tax information without long distance charges. State Board Gives Nod To MCC Bidders Officials of the Capital Development board in Springfield recently gave clearance to issue letters of intent to successful bidders for the McHenry County college construction program. Marvin Gaston of the CDB bid office in LaGrange, reports that his office is now preparing these letters: Successful Bid­ ders include Jenkins and Boiler, Gurnee, general con­ tractor; J.B. Krejci Co., Inc., Skokie, exterior utilities; Althoff's, McHenry, plumbing; F.E. Moran, Inc., Northbrook, fire protection; James W. Hardy, Inc., Elk Grove, heating, piping, refrigeration and temperature control; Gideon Engineering corp., Skokie, ventilation and air d is t r ibu t ion ; Al thof f ' s , McHenry, electrical. According to Dr. James R. Davis, MCC president, the well and elevator will be rebid. Dr. Davis also announced that the ground breaking will be scheduled as soon as arrangements can be made with the general contractor. Security We don't fear an invasion from Mars. We figure they have heard of the high cost of living on this planet. -Herald, Miami. TROPICAL FISH • SMALL ANIMALS • BIRDS UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP JUu/iaC's £Pet Centeii GRAND OPENING FRI., SAT., SUN., APRIL 5,6 & 7 $100 IN GIFT CERTIFICATES TO BE GIVEN AWAY - NO PURCHASE NECESSARY SPECIAL PURCHASE ONLY ALL GLASS *5 10 GALLON TANKS SO * HABITRAIL ir* $950) $7.99 * ASST. DOG TOYS <«e9 980 66* * PET EXCERCISER FUNBALL ' ... (Reg. $3.98) $2.99 * HUSH I AIR PUMP ^ AA (Reg. $3.98) $2.99 * 50 WATT AUTO. HEATER .. (Reg. $3.19) »Z.44 VISIT OUR NEW MARINE FISH DISPLAY OTHER IN STORE UNADVERTISED SPECIALS OPEN CLOSED WED. M-T-TH 10 6 Fri. 10-9 Sat. 10-5 Sun. 10-4 444 VIRGINIA (Rt. 14) CRYSTAL LAKE 815-459-3133 Are you going abroad this year? One of your first tasks in applying for a passport for the first time says Pat Frank, McHenry county Extension adviser in Home Economics is proving you're a citizen of the United States. If you are a naturalized citizen of the United States, your naturalization certificate is sufficient evidence for a passport. If you were born in the United States, it's probably easiest to hunt up your birth certificate. A birth certificate is known as primary evidence, Miss Frank explains. To be acceptable, your birth certificate must show your given name and surname, the date and place of birth, and the fact that the birth record was filed shortly after birth. The certificate must also be certified with the registrar's signature and the raised, impressed or multi-colored seal of his office. Uncertified copies are not acceptable, she adds. If you're one of the unfortunate few who cannot obtain your birth certificate, you'll need a notice from the registrar which states that your birth record does not exist. In this case, the notice must be accompanied by the best secondary evidence available, such as a baptismal certificate, a certificate of circumcision, a hospital birth record, or affidavits of persons who have personal knowledge of the facts of your birth, says Miss Frank. In addition to proving that you're a citizen of the U.S., you also must prove who you are when applying for a passport. A previous passport, a certificate of naturalization, a driver's l icense o r a government identification card or pass will serve as documentary evidence, if they contain your signature and either your physical description or your photograph If you can't supply documentary evidence, you can use an identifying witness instead. The witness must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien of the U.S. who has known you for at least two years. In addition to appearing with you when you apply for the passport, the witness must be able to establish his own identity by providing one piece of documentary evidence about himself, Miss Frank explains. When you apply for your passport, take with you two duplicate photographs of yourself. These photos should have been taken within six months of your application and be a good, front-view likeness of you. You will need to be able to sign the photos on the front left hand side without marring your features. A group photograph is preferred when husbands and wives or children are included in the passport. The photos can be injcolor or black-and-white, and should not be smaller than 2Vz by 2Vfe inches nor larger than 3 by 3 inches. As soon as you receive your passport, sign it, Miss Frank urges. It's not valid until you do. And be sure ty fill in the information requested on the inside front cover. V.A. NEWS EDITOR'S NOTE: Veterans and their families are asking thousands of questions concerning the benefits their Government provides for them through the Veterans Administration. Below are some representative queries. Additional information may be obtained at any VA office. Q - The Veterans Administration started paying me $220 monthly undo* its dependents ' educa t iona l assistance program while I was single. Now that I'm married, will my benefits be increased? A - No. The law does not provide for additional asistance because of dependents of participants in this program. Q - I'm a 73-year-old veteran drawing pension from the Veterans Administration. Is it true, as I have heard, that I don't have to submit an annual questionnaire? A - Yes, that is correct. Veterans 72 years old and older who have been on the agency's pension rolls during two consecutive years are exempt from filing the questionnaire. They <re required to notify VA if the value of their estate or annual income changes, however. Q - I'm a Vietnam era veteran. My employer is willing to set up an on-the-job training program for me. How does my employer go about getting approval so I can draw GI Bill benefits during training? A - Both you and your employer should contact the nearest VA office for complete information and assistance. A mapmaker is the only person to date who has succeeded at ruling the world. Consumer Forum May's "Stock-up" Liquor Prices! by Illinois Attorney General William J. Scott What person who wears glasses hasn't feared" the possibility of injury to his eyes as the result of ^ shattered lenses? And it certainly is a fear held by the parents of active children who wear glasses. Most of us have read stories of people blinded when their eyeglass lenses were shattered by a pebble, perhaps thrown up firom a moving lawn mower. To counteract such dangers, many eyeglass manufacturers now offer impact resistant lenses. But after July 1, 1974, impact resistant lenses will be the ONLY kind you'll be able to buy in Illinois. For to distribute or sell any other type of eyeglass lense will be illegal, » unless so directed as necessary •by a physician or optometrist. NEW LAW FOB EYEGLASS LENSES Under the new law, passed by the General Assembly, no person shall distribute or sell any eyeglasses or sunglasses unless they are fitted with impact resistant lenses. Before they are mounted in frames, reads the law, "all plastic and heat-treated glass lenses shall be capable of withstanding an impact text of a % inch steel ball dropped fifty inches. This test is to be conducted at room temperature with the lens supported by a plastic tube (one inch inside diameter and 1V4 inches outside diameter) with a Vs inch X V8 inch neoprene gasket on the top EYEGLASS FRAMES COVERED, TOO And, tHere's a new law for eyeglass and sunglass frames, too. It was found that many frames produced contained highly flammable substances. Therefore, after July 1, 1974, "no person shall distribute, sell or have in his possession with intent to distribute or sell, any eyeglass frame or sunglass frame containing any form of cellulose nitrate or other highly flammable materials. "The manufacturing optician shall inspect the finished eyewear andtertffy in writing to the Consumer that the provisions of this Act have been complied with." That means whether you buy prescription eyeglasses... or walk into a local department or drug store to purchase some nonprescription sunglasses, the glasses you buy must come with a certification, in writing, that the frames are not made wi th h ighly f lammable materials and that the lenses are impact resistant. The law does not go into effect until July 1, 1974. But if you're purchasing eyeglasses or sunglasses in the meantime, it would be to your benefit -and safety- to request lenses and frames that comply with this most important new statute. PUNCH LINE OF THE WEEK Meister Brau Bock 6 Pack 12 Oz. Cans 99 There is room for exception to the law, but only when your "physician or optometrist, having found that such lenses will not fulfill the visual requirements of the particular patient, directs in writing the use of other lenses and gives written notification thereof to the patient." Remember, this law applies to both regular eyeglasses and sunglasses - whether they are prescription lenses or not. APPEAL MOST HoflR-ess To iHose vMohlAve UJ9T MEM&RSMP IN IT. 18% ALCOHOL - SWEET OR DRY Tribuno Vermouth 1.39 fifth Gilbey's Gin 90 PROOF - DISTILLED LONDON DRY 3.39 fifth Chateau Louis Champagne Or Cold Duck * 12% 1.49 FREUND CONSTRUCTION GENERAL CONTRACTOR QUALITY WORKMANSHIP AT FREUND CONST. COSTS REMQDELING-SIDING-NEW HOMES-ROOFING FREE ESTIMATES Phone: 385-5145 4421 W. PONCA STREET, McHENRY, ILLINOIS Czarina Vodka 80 PROOF - TRY A REAL FINE ONE 3.69 quart 80 PROOF - IMPORTED FROM THE WEST INDIES LIGHT OR DARK Pott Rum 3.49 fifth THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CONSERVING ELECTRICITY Set your clothes washer and dryer for savings. Using the correct settings on your automatic washer and dryer can cut your laundering costs. On both your washer and dryer, adjust the setting for each type of item. Less hot water in your washer and a lower temperature in your dryer means less energy is consumed. For example, a permanent press item can be washed in warm . water and dried on a warm setting Higher settings waste energy and often do an inferior job. Also, you may be able to regulate the operating time on your washer or dryer to save energy. On your washer, partial-load settings use a shorter cycle to clean smaller loads. A "damp dry" setting on your dryer not only reduces the energy used but also prepares the clothes for immediate ironing without sprinkling--cutting down on your laundry time, too. These hints are included in our free booklet "101 Ways to Conserve Electricity at Home." For your free copy, write Commonwealth Edison, Department AV, P.O. Box 767, Chicago, Illinois 60690. Commonwealth Edison concern lor your total environment Seagram's 7 Crown Yi Gallon 80 PROOF - A REAL GREAT OLD TIME BLEND Hill & Hill Whiskey 3.39 fifth Chateau La Salle Wine 12% ALCOHOL A FINE LIGHT WINE FROM CALIFORNIA 159 fifth 80 PROOF - 100% IMPORTED SCOTCH WHISKEY, Clan MacGregor Scotch 3.99 fifth Southern Comfort 100 PROOF - THE SMOOTH 0W SOUTHERN LIQUEUR 439 fifth A 4400 West Route 120 Market Place Shopping Center !