Q: My grandmother recently died and didn't leave anything for burial expenses. She was receiving Social Security and on Medi-Cal when she passed away. Is there any financial help from either of those agencies with burial costs?
– Tom, Sacramento
A: My condolences on the loss of your grandmother. And I'm sure the costs are far more than you expected.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association Web site, the average cost of a funeral, whether for cremation or burial, is $6,500, not including cemetery costs.
There is no financial assistance for burial expenses through Medi-Cal.
Social Security has a very small, one-time "death benefit" that's designed to help pay for burial expenses. It's only $255 and usually available only to a spouse or dependent children of the deceased.
"It's intended to help the family pay the costs associated with the worker's last illness and death," said Lowell Kempke, a Social Security Administration spokesman in San Francisco. Kempke said the amount has remained unchanged for years.
If your grandmother was a military veteran, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers up to $600 for funeral and burial expenses, regardless of whether it's for cremation or casket interment. That amount is higher if the death was due to military service-related causes. For more information, call the federal Department of Veterans Affairs at (800) 827-1000 or visit the Web site, www.cem.va.gov.
Q: I'm hoping to get a stimulus check from the federal government, so I'm filling out a 1040A tax form. Where do I put the income from my reverse mortgage? I get about $875 a month and don't see anywhere on the tax form where I can list that income.
– Patricia B., Sacramento
A: You're right, there is no line on the tax form for your reverse mortgage. That's because it's not considered income. It's more akin to a home equity loan. So you don't need to report it, nor can it be counted toward the $3,000 minimum in income you'll need to be eligible for an economic stimulus payment.
Is the check in your mail?
And speaking of stimulus checks, our story on the front of Sunday's business section incorrectly states that individuals with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 (or $150,000 for couples filing jointly) won't get a payment.
Actually, those income limits are where the government begins phasing out stimulus payments. Internal Revenue Service spokesman Bill Steiner said every situation is different, but generally most taxpayers above those higher-income levels will get smaller payments or nothing at all.
But, he said, "The federal government is working to be sure that as many people get a check as possible."
For the best estimate of what you'll receive, use the online IRS calculator. You can find it at www.sacbee.com/links or at the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov. You'll need your 2007 tax return when filling it out.
CalFile in Spanish
On other tax fronts: The state Franchise Tax Board wants to remind all taxpayers that its free electronic tax-filing system – CalFile – is now available in Spanish.
CalFile is available to some 6.5 million Californians who have an adjusted gross income up to $155,000 for singles and $311,000 for couples who file jointly, with certain exceptions.
In addition to CalFile, the tax board provides a "Check Your Refund" online service in Spanish at www.ftb.ca.gov.
And regardless of how you file, you can get help with state taxes in a smorgasbord of more than two dozen languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese to Hungarian. "If Dracula has a tax return," jokes tax board spokesman John Barrett, "we can speak to him."
To get help, call the tax board's call center at (800) 852-5711, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. And be patient. With some 15 million taxpayers expected to file this year, waiting times can vary.
Have a personal finance question? The Bee's Claudia Buck can be reached at (916) 321-1968 or via The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852.
