Ready for tax day? (Which won’t fall on April 15 this year, by the way). In anticipation of our beloved annual tradition, here are some numbers for your Wednesday.
While many residents are fleeing Puerto Rico due to the territory’s massive economic issues, there are some people who are staying put or even moving back. In the latest installment of our series on the commonwealth’s debt crisis, Marketplace’s Andy Uhler profiled a series of people living in San Juan who are seeing the chance to thrive financially. Willie Luca, who once had a high-paying job in the fashion industry in Miami, relocated back to San Juan last year. He runs a bar called La Cubanita, which is in a part of the city that bustles with tourists. Others returning to Puerto Rico include retirees. One man, Joe Aponte, retired to San Juan about 15 months ago, and now spends his time playing dominoes and chatting with neighbors. Check out the full story, including a series of photos, here.
Nigeria’s economy isn’t doing so well either, thanks to the decline in oil prices. It’s reliant on oil for more than 70 percent of its revenues, reported Marketplace’s Amy Scott. The Nigerian government is facing a budget deficit of more than $11 billion and to help solve the problem, it’s looking into selling Chinese bonds. That’s a possible short-term fix; longer term, it’ll have to cut services or raise taxes, according to one analyst.
Those of us in the U.S. are confronted with tax season. And to make matters worse, tax refund scams abound. One of the latest iterations: cyber criminals are impersonating corporate executives to gain access to those W-2 forms, reports Marketplace’s Annie Baxter. Those among the firms hit include Weight Watchers and Seagate Technology. The best way to avoid tax refund scams, according to one cybersecurity expert, is to “file your tax returns before the crooks do.”
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