The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians held its primary elections for Tribal Council yesterday, September 5, 2013. Here are the unofficial winners in each community, as reported by the Cherokee One Feather newspaper and the Tribe’s Board of Elections. Each community has two council members and they serve two-year terms. Several incumbents lost their seats, but representation in the majority of communities stays the same. Big Cove Tribal Council Teresa McCoy and Perry Shell Yellowhill Tribal Council David Wolfe and Alan “B” Ensley Birdtown Tribal Council Gene “Tunney” Crowe Jr. and Albert Rose Painttown Tribal Council Tommye Saunooke and Terri Henry Wolftown Tribal Council Bo Crowe and Dennis Edward (Bill) Taylor Cherokee Co./Snowbird Tribal Council Adam Wachacha and Brandon Jones SUMMARY
Innocent Spouse Relief from the IRS
If you are married, separated or divorced, you probably filed your federal income tax returns as “married, filing jointly”. This makes sense because filing jointly gives you certain tax benefits. However, it also makes you and your spouse jointly liable for all the taxes, interest and penalties that might be owed on the joint return, even if you later get divorced. Do I Owe the Money? Each spouse, independently of the other, can be made to pay the entire debt to the IRS. Also, one spouse may be held responsible for all the taxes even if all the income was earned by the other spouse. It doesn’t matter what your separation agreement or divorce judgment says. The IRS didn’t sign the agreement and it wasn’t a party to the judgment. It just wants