DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have about 25 years worth of U.S. Naval magazines, which I would like to give to anyone who would be interested in taking them off my hands. My telephone number is 207-783-1705. Thank you for your help. — Mike Owen.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Is there a senior bus going to Fryeburg Fair on Senior Day? A contact number and fee information would be great. Is there a Make A Wish and USO address (in Washington D.C.) to send a donation? Please share these addresses. Thank you. — No Name, Greene.
ANSWER: Hopefully, a reader will write in with information about senior bus trips to the Fryeburg Fair on senior day. At this late date, the one bus trip that had public information that Sun Spots found required full payment by the first week in September and we have gone past that date by a few weeks.
Make A Wish donations in Maine can be sent to 477 Congress St., No. 111, Portland, ME 04101. United Service Organizations donations can be sent to P.O. Box 96860, Washington, DC 20077-7677.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Who do I get to fix my White sewing machine? It’s not new and was working fine until now. Also, can you explain why we can’t deduct our donated clothes off our taxes? Thank you. — Want to sew.
ANSWER: These sewing machine repair listings have been published in Sun Spots in the past:
Leo’s Sewing Machine Repairs at 207-754-7968
Cote Brothers sewing machine repair at 207-225-5920.
TurboTax offered this information about donating clothing for tax deductions: “Donating used goods such as clothing, linens, electronics, appliances and furniture gets you a write-off for the item’s fair market value at the time you donated it, which may be considerably less than what you originally paid.
“The value of clothing donations to charity are based on published lists of retail values or current thrift store prices.
“The IRS has a helpful booklet on this subject, Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property. For items valued at more than $500, you’ll need to fill out Form 8283 and attach it to your return. On this form you, have to describe each item over $500 that you donated, identify the recipient, and provide information about the value of the item, including your cost or adjusted basis.
“Congress has clamped down on donations of household goods to make sure folks aren’t inflating the value of their used stuff. No tax deduction is allowed unless an item is in good condition or better. If an item in less-than-good condition is valued at more than $500, you can take a deduction only if you get the item appraised and attach the appraisal to your return. Congress also gave the IRS broad authority to deny deductions for low-value items such as used socks and underwear.”
Use the QR code to go to Sun Spots online for additional information and links. This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com, tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots. We’ve joined Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/sj_sunspots.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
