More than 25 National Grid executives and employees assisted Tifft Nature Preserve ecological technicians and staff employees in the planting of more than 115 new trees at Tifft Nature Preserve in efforts to replace invasive trees with ecologically friendly species. The day of tree planting is just one example of the commitment National Grid has in Western New York to be an environmentally responsible and good corporate citizen.

National Grid’s tree planting volunteerism was in conjunction with Tifft Nature Preserve’s tree regeneration project which is being funded by a $300,000 grant from the Greenway Ecological Standing Committee (GESC).  The Committee is affiliated with the Niagara River Greenways Fund, established by the New York Power Authority as part of the re-licensing of the Niagara Power Project.

Each year, the IRS sends millions of letters and notices to taxpayers for a variety of reasons. Here are ten things you should know about IRS notices in case one shows up in your mailbox.

1. Don’t panic. Many of these letters require a simple response.

2. There are many reasons why the IRS sends correspondence. If you receive an IRS notice, it will typically cover a very specific issue about your account or tax return. Notices may require payment, notify you of changes to your account or ask you to provide more information.

3. Each notice offers specific instructions on what you need to do to satisfy the inquiry.

4. If you receive a notice advising you that the IRS has corrected your tax return, you should review the correspondence and compare it with the information on your return.

5. If you agree with the correction to your account, then usually no reply is necessary unless a payment is due or the notice directs otherwise.

Five Things to Know if You Need More Time to File

The April 15th tax-filing deadline is here. Some taxpayers may find that they need more time to file their tax returns. If you need extra time, you can get an automatic six-month extension from the IRS.

Here are five important things you need to know about filing an extension:

1. Extra time to file is not extra time to pay.  You may request an extension of time to file your federal tax return to get an extra six months to file, until Oct. 15. Although an extension will give you an extra six months to get your tax return to the IRS, it does not extend the time you have to pay any tax you owe. You will owe interest on any amount not paid by the April 15 deadline. You may also owe a penalty for failing to pay on time.