Some retirees could be overtaxed

Some retirees could be overtaxed

For the past several years, the auditing department for Virginia Department of Taxation has been sending out collection letters to retired employees of the railroad. Its software does not recognize the railroad retirement Tier I and II deductions on the Virginia returns. The department tells taxpayers that they owe additional taxes, and some retired railroad taxpayers have sent the state a check, thinking they do owe the money.

Virginia railroad retirees do not pay taxes on any Railroad Tier I or Tier II funds received. If, before you understood that, you sent money to the state, you should immediately file an amended return to show the error and receive your tax dollars back.

This has happened over several years, going back to 2008. Please make sure you understand exactly what your letter says the state is disallowing. You need to do your homework.

E.W. NOELL
HARDY

Climate findings are more than opinion

I keep hearing that some people don’t believe in climate change. They obviously don’t know how scientists present their findings. A scientist (or group of scientists) performs research, then writes a report to present the data, conclusions and any recommendations.

The report is submitted to a group of experts in that field who review the findings and conclusions. If the committee agrees with the report, it is allowed to be published. Once published, if one disagrees with the findings he must write a report of his own, give his interpretation of the data and submit it to the same review board. If the review board thinks the findings are valid, it will allow the report to be published.

I know of no papers that the review board thinks have a valid complaint against the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report published in 2007.

You can’t just say you don’t agree with it. That is like saying you don’t agree with gravity. The Flat Earth Society has no scientific validity in the real world.

R.L. WHITE
CHRISTIANSBURG

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