Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

Amnistia fiskale, amniston paranë kriminale

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Bujar Leskaj/

Modeli i amnistisë i dalë për diskutim publik në fund të qershorit 2022, i ngjan vetëm ligjeve të qepura me porosi të sektit Rama, të denoncuara nga organizata prestigjoze Transparency International. Ai është i pangjashëm me asnjë model të mëparshëm të aplikuar në vendet e rajonit apo në shtetet anëtare të Bashkimit Evropian, nuk përbën një rrugë të gjenerimit të fondeve të ekonomisë gri dhe të paformalizuar të vendit, por ndihmon pasurinë e vënë nga korrupsioni dhe paranë kriminale. Kjo nuk është rruga e progresit ekonomik të vendit, as e kapërcimit të gjendjes së vështirë nga rritja e çmimeve dhe lufta në Ukrainë. Çdo ide apo projekt, i cili kërkon legalizimin e pasurisë dhe parasë, pa përjashtuar qartë dhe me forcë pasurinë dhe paranë kriminale, përbën një hap të rëndë prapa në zhvillimin normal të shoqërisë dhe ekonomisë sonë.

Lind pyetja, përse qeveria vendos një tavan 2 milionë euro për t’u amnistuar? Cilat para dhe kapitale ka parasysh brenda këtij tavani? Asnjë qytetar shqiptar që ka punuar në mënyrë të ndershme, në emigracion ose brenda vendit, nuk mund të gjenerojë kaq shumë të ardhura. Kush është ai biznes i rregullt ose që punon pjesërisht në ekonominë gri, i aftë të grumbullojë deri në 2 milionë euro, duke i mbajtur të fshehura këto para apo kapitale? Këto janë para të ekonomisë kriminale, që tentojnë të futen në kanalet bankare, nëpërmjet ligjit më të diskutueshëm mbi faljen masive fiskale në historinë e vendit tonë. Nisma e sotme e amnistisë fiskale do të ketë një përdorim tjetër fundor: pastrimin e parave të korrupsionit në nivelet e larta të politikës shqiptare, dhe jo legalizimin e parave të emigrantëve, të cilët përdoren nga kjo qeveri si fasadë.

Si Bashkimi Evropian, ashtu dhe Fondi Monetar Ndërkombëtar kanë dalë kundër kësaj nisme. Më 19 maj 2022, Fondi Monetar Ndërkombëtar, në deklaratën përmbyllese të misionit të tij në Shqipëri, cilësoi se “Ne përsërisim këshillën tonë kundër një amnistie të mundshme tatimore, duke pasur parasysh shqetësimet për ndikimin e saj në pajtueshmërinë me detyrimet tatimore, si dhe rreziqet e pastrimit të parave dhe të qeverisjes”, ndërsa më 4 korrik 2022, në deklaratën në takimin e 13-të të Nënkomitetit për Tregtinë, Industrinë, Doganat dhe Tatimet midis BE-së dhe Shqipërisë, Komisioni Evropian shprehu “…shqetësime serioze për draftin aktual të ligjit për amnistinë fiskale. Kjo amnisti do të dobësojë kontrollet e Shqipërisë kundër pastrimit të parave”.

Glauk Konjufca: 4 Korriku është datë e rëndësishme edhe për Kosovën

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Për të shënuar 246 vjetorin e pavarësisë së Shteteve të Bashkuara të Amerikës, kryetari i Grupit të Miqësisë Kosovë – SHBA në Kuvendin e Republikës së Kosovës, deputeti Dimal Basha, organizoi një seancë jo formale me nxënës dhe studentë nga qyteti i Ferizajt.

Në këtë ceremoni morën pjesë edhe kryetari i Kuvendit, Glauk Konjufca, ish kongresmeni amerikan Jerry Ëeller, si dhe Jessica Gumucio, nga Ambasada Amerikane në Kosovë.

Duke i falënderuar të pranishmit për pjesëmarrjen, deputeti Dimal Basha tha se qytetarët e Kosovës janë gjithmonë borxhlinj ndaj ndihmës që Shtetet e Bashkuara kanë ofruar për të arritur deri te pavarësia.

Më pas, fjalën e mori kryetari i Kuvendit, Glauk Konjufca, i cili theksoi se 4 Korriku është ditë shumë e rëndësishme për gjithë botën, ashtu edhe për Kosovën.

Kreu i Kuvendit tha se SHBA-ja gjatë historisë gjithmonë e ka ndihmuar popullin tonë në aspiratat e tij për liri dhe pavarësi.

“Rrallë ndonjëherë në historinë e botës, liria dhe pavarësia e një populli ndodh të jetë kaq e rëndësishme edhe për popujt e tjerë. Ish-presidenti Wilson ka ndihmuar në pavarësinë e Shqipërisë dhe gjithashtu 80 vite më vonë SHBA-ja ka ndihmuar në pavarësinë e Kosovës”, theksoi kryetari Konjufca.

Për të ndarë eksperiencën e saj si qytetare e SHBA-së, Jessica Gumucio nga Ambasada Amerikane, shpalosi para nxënësve dhe studentëve historikun e pavarësisë së SHBA-së. Ajo tregoi sfidat që ka pasur Amerika deri tek arritja e pavarësisë, duke përmendur demokracinë si formën më të mirë të qeverisjes.

Ndërsa ish kongresmeni Jerry Weller, tha se historia amerikane dëshmon se pavarësia e një populli do të thotë pavarësi për shumë shtete të tjera. Ai përmendi edhe luftën e fundit në Kosovë, duke treguar miqësinë e palëkundur që populli amerikan ka me popullin dhe shtetin e Kosovës.​

Diskutim mbi çmimin e naftës…

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Dr. Klajdi Bregu/

Diskutimi mbi cmimin e naftes vazhdon te behet duke krahasuar cmimin e naftes per fuci me ate me pakice edhe pse kjo nuk qendron aspak me apo pa bordin e ashtuquajtur te transparences.

Cmimi i naftes me pakice ne terma ditore nuk mund te jete direkt i lidhur me cmimin e naftes per fuci per faktin qe njera eshte nafte e perpunuar dhe tjetra e paperpunuar. Pra nese dicka ndodh me perpunuesit (ulje e perpunimit ashtu sic ndodhi para rreth 1 muaji ne SHBA te pakten) cmimi i naftes me pakice dhe per fuci mund te ndyshojne ne terma ditore.

Po ashtu eshte edhe fakti qe shume karburante furnizohen rralle (100 karburante furnizohen 1 here ne 3 jave ne Shqiperi) ndikon ne uljen e ngadalte te cmimit.

Prandaj duhet hequr dore nga keto krahasime sepse krijojne shperqendrime te kota nga problemet kryesore qe ne kemi te cilat jane:

1. Perqendrim te larte te tregut te hidrokarbureve dhe me shume gjasa kontrabande e larte.

2. Problemi me taksat e larta qe deformojne ekonomine.

3. Nje bord komplet absurd dhe i panevojshem, pertej propagandes te paster politike dhe perdorimt qe atij mund ti behet nga importuesit kryesore ne vend.

Eight IRA Mistakes That Can Cost You a Fortune

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Jeff Brindley 

IRAs are a valuable way to save for retirement.  You can transfer money to and from employer retirement plans on a tax free basis.  You are listed and protected as the owner instead of your employer.  You can choose from a wide variety of products, custodians and individual investments.  And you get to defer taxes on your growth.  But IRAs are not without danger.  Here are eight mistakes that you can make that can cost you or your beneficiaries a fortune.

One of the first mistakes that I see is not understanding when and how you must take your Required Minimum distributions (RMD).  If not done properly there is an excise tax of 50% of the amount you were supposed to take for the year.  So if you were supposed to take a $15,000 distribution then you will be penalized $7500 if you do not take your RMD properly.

The first RMD is required in the year that you turn age 72.  You can take it as late as April 1st of the next year but I generally recommend that you take it in your 72nd year. That’s because if you wait until your 73rd year then you will need to take two distributions that year to avoid the excise tax and that could put you into a higher tax bracket for the year.

The second mistake is not knowing how to figure out your Required Minimum Distributions.  If your spouse is not more than 10 years younger or you are single, then you must use the Uniform Lifetime Table.  If your spouse is more than 10 years younger as of January 1st then you must use IRS Publication 590 Joint and Last Survivor Table.

Once you figure out which table to use then you can determine your account balance as of December 31st of the previous year.  Once you have that figure then you can follow this equation: Balance as of December 31st / Divisor from the Table = RMD.  Here is an example:  $100,000 / 25.6 = $3906.

Two words of warning.  You need to make sure that you are using the current year’s table.  The table factors change every year so this is important.  The other word of warning is that if your IRA is in a variable annuity then there are specific rules that you need to follow.  In this case I recommend that you contact your variable annuity company to determine the rules.

Another mistake I see over and over is taking the RMD from the wrong account(s).  Many people don’t understand the types of accounts they should be taking the RMD from.  Traditional IRAs, profit sharing plans, 401(k) accounts, 403(b) accounts and TSA accounts all represent accounts you need to take RMDs.  When deciding the appropriate accounts to take RMDs it is very important that you select the right accounts.  Here I recommend talking to a qualified financial advisor to ensure that you are taking your RMDs from the appropriate account(s).  Remember that there is a 50% excise tax if you do not withdraw from the proper accounts.

Now on to a mistake that doesn’t have anything to do with RMDs!  Moving from one retirement account to another can be tricky and can result in a taxable event.  If you are moving from a traditional IRA into another traditional IRA then you need to complete the transaction within 60 days or the transaction will become taxable.  What about rolling over from an employer retirement plan into an IRA?  Well, a rollover from an employer retirement plan into an IRA is subject to a mandatory 20% withholding for taxes. If you are moving from a Roth IRA to another Roth IRA then you have 60 days to move the money or you may face a 10% penalty.

So how can you avoid taxes, withholding and possible penalties?  Well a trustee-to-trustee transfer is the way to do that.  That is to say that the rollover or the transfer goes directly to the new trustee.  Since the money does not pass through the owner’s hands it is not subject to taxes, withholding or penalties.  They money still belongs to the owner but it transfers directly to the trustee.

Here is another potential mistake but this one is the responsibility of the beneficiary of an IRA.  Since the SECURE Act of 2019, most non-spousal beneficiaries are required to take the proceeds from their IRA over a 10 year period.  In many cases beneficiaries make the mistake of taking a lump sum distribution of the entire IRA.  Unfortunately that can put the beneficiary into a higher tax bracket for that year and they can pay more in taxes by taking a lump sum.  In most cases it makes more sense to take the inheritance over time (maximum 10 years) to limit the amount of taxes that the beneficiary will pay.

This next mistake involves taking a cash distribution instead of an “in-kind” distribution.  An in-kind distribution is a little know alternative strategy for taking withdrawals and should only be done in special circumstances.  An in-kind withdrawal is a distribution made in the form of unsold securities (investments) or other property, rather than in cash.  More simply put, it’s any distribution NOT made in cash.

A distribution in-kind can be made in several different situations, including a stock dividend, inheritance, or taking securities out of a tax-advantaged account. There are some cases when taking an in-kind distribution will result in more favorable tax treatment than taking the distribution in cash.  Since this is a more complicated strategy, I don’t have the space to explain it here, but feel free to contact me or another qualified professional advisor for a complete explanation.

Another potential mistake is for the spouse to take a lump sum death claim payout of an IRA instead of retitling their decedent spouse’s IRA into their own IRA.  By retitling into their own IRA they can continue to defer taxes and let the money grow into the future.  The same is true for a decedent’s employer retirement plan.  The spouse can roll the money into their own employer retirement plan or into an IRA or Roth IRA in their own name thus avoiding the taxes of taking a lump sum payout.

Roth IRAs are very often misunderstood as well.  This can lead to mistakes when planning for retirement.  Roth IRAs can create the possibility of tax-free income in retirement.  As long as the Roth account is held for 5 years the contribution and the growth will not be taxed when it comes out of the account in the future.  There will be no RMDs during the life of the participant or during the life of the spouse.  One thing of note about Roth IRAs is that the contributions into Roth IRAs are non-deductible.

IRAs are a valuable tool for investing in your retirement future.  However, they are subject to complicated rules.  Knowing those rules help you to be able to select the best options and avoid costly mistakes along the way.

Jeff Brindley is a financial advisor at RWS Financial Group.  He contributes his financial column Brindley’s Briefs to Gazeta Dielli every month.  You can reach him at 833.797.4636 X137 or via email at Jeff.B@RWSGroup.org.

Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. a broker-dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Jeffrey Brindley, Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. a Registered Investment Advisor. RWS Financial Group is not affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research.

Meet a NYCHA Construction Partner: STV  

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As part of a new series, we’re featuring the construction partners who work with NYCHA to ensure safe and decent homes for residents across the city. In this first installment of our series, STV Vice President and Senior Project Manager Sokol Bejleri discusses the firm’s longstanding partnership that has resulted in numerous project milestones at NYCHA over the years. 

Through a partnership spanning decades, STV and its predecessors have supported the design and construction of public housing in New York City since the first developments were built in the 1930s and 40s. According to STV, the formation of NYCHA in 1934 was a catalyst for a number of residential projects designed by Elwyn E. Seelye & Co., the company that is the foundation of STV.  

Seelye was involved with the structural engineering for a range of NYCHA properties, including the then-$13.5 million Queensbridge Houses, which opened in 1939 as the nation’s largest public housing development. A significant number of NYCHA’s developments were constructed between the mid-1940s and mid-1960s, during which SSV&K (another iteration of STV) provided structural design for sites such as Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn; Smith Houses in Manhattan; and Edenwald Houses, the Bronx’s largest housing development.    

In recent decades, STV has partnered with NYCHA in efforts to rehabilitate its buildings by providing construction management services for a number of complexes across the city. The firm works closely with NYCHA departments such as the Capital Projects Division.  

“Since 2000, STV has worked heavily with the New York City Housing Authority, starting with Johnson Houses in Harlem, where, after we completed the project ahead of time and under budget, it was nominated Project of the Year by CMAA (the Construction Management Association of America),” Mr. Bejleri noted.  

STV provided construction management services for exterior refurbishments and renovations at Kingsborough Houses.

Mr. Bejleri, who has more than 35 years of experience managing all aspects of construction projects, joined STV in 2007 and has worked with NYCHA since 1998. He has overseen the successful repair of more than 3,000 occupied NYCHA apartments, and is currently managing multiple major housing improvements, including Superstorm Sandy repairs, security upgrades, and exterior renovations.  

“We are proud to support NYCHA with our professional knowledge and consulting services,” he stated. “At STV, we are always thinking about how to enhance and how to make NYCHA residences a better place.” 

Among the efforts to enhance safety and security for NYCHA residents and employees, the firm has been involved in the installation of more than 7,400 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras across 250 properties, along with various exterior lighting projects. Other significant projects in the works for STV include boiler installations for improved heating services, new lobby door systems involving key fobs, and Recovery & Resilience restorations of buildings damaged by Superstorm Sandy.  

Mr. Bejleri noted that STV is focused on completing NYCHA projects within budget and is supportive of mandates such as Section 3, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirement that a portion of construction jobs be directed to public housing and other low-income residents.  

“STV has hired hundreds of NYCHA residents over the years, and together with the NYCHA support team, we are proud that almost all of them are still working in the construction industry,” he said. “Our mission has been to make all NYCHA residents working for STV stronger in the job market, to create a brighter future for themselves and their families.”   

Mr. Bejleri concluded: “At STV, our fundamental reason to exist is to serve the greater public good. Like NYCHA, our focus is to help our communities thrive, especially those who need it the most.”  

Photo caption: STV Vice President and Senior Project Manager Sokol Bejleri, pictured with STV Vice President Craig Collins (right) and Pomonok Houses Resident Association President Tamika Williams, is currently managing multiple major housing improvement projects across NYCHA.