The tiny tax break for Mass. renters

Also: Meet Boston's first chief climate officer; the thing Mass. immigrants, leaders and businesses all want [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 17, 2024 🌤️ Partly cloudy, with a high near 58. Good Morning Boston, At last, Tax Day is here. Massachusetts (and Maine) got an extra two days to file our taxes this year, thanks to Patriots' Day and yesterday's Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C. If you already filed, you may have noticed a larger return this year, thanks to the tax cut package Gov. Maura Healey [recently signed into law](. Or, if you're a renter, you may not have noticed. Let's explain: - Rent deduction, what's your function: The tax cut package included [perks for almost everyone]( parents, seniors, low-income earners, day traders, dairy farmers, hard cider-makers, [the list]( goes on. But one of the broadest tax breaks was also the most minimal: the increased tax deduction for renters. All in all, the change equated to a difference of $50 a year, which is not much in the context of the regional housing crisis. (And looking back, the deduction hasn't nearly kept pace with rising rents since it was first implemented four decades ago.) Now some are wondering: [What was the point?]( - Smaller than it may seem: You likely have heard about the maximum deduction being increased from $3,000 to $4,000. (Those are the figures that officials mostly like to advertise.) But that's just the amount exempt from the state's 5% income tax, meaning the real value in your pocket went from $150 to $200. - View from the Corner Office: Healey's office says they were "focused on passing a tax cuts package that would give the most benefit to the most people" and that the rental deduction is "just one of many tools" they are using to address high housing costs. - Counterpoint: Some critics say the increased deduction served more as a "marketing strategy" for the larger tax bill, making it seem like it provided meaningful relief to renters. Some lawmakers argue it should have gone further, especially for lower-income renters. - Go deeper: Learn more about the history of this deduction and the current debate about it by [reading my full story here](. - PSA: Did you procrastinate your tax returns this year? You can [still file for a six-month extension](. But it's important to remember postponing your tax filing does not postpone potential tax bills. - If you think you owe money: Scott Kaplowitch, an accountant with Boston-based Edelstein and Company, says you should try to get a ballpark estimate of what you owe using an Excel spreadsheet or [online tool,]( and pay it today when you file your extension. - If you're due a refund: You can simply file an extension showing no payment for your federal taxes. And in Massachusetts, you'll [automatically get an extension]( until Oct. 15 for state taxes. - Heads up, Eastie and Revere: [A 12-day partial Blue Line shutdown]( has begun. From today through Friday, shuttles are replacing all subway service between Maverick and Wonderland stations. For the following nine days (April 20–28), the diversion will shorten by a stop to between Airport and Wonderland. - Coming soon: During the same April 20-28 stretch, the T is also closing big chunks of the Haverhill and Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail lines for safety upgrades. Shuttles will stop at most of the affected stations and [the 137 bus]( will be free. But it's still worth [checking out the T's website for the details and graphics]( if your commute is affected by the overlapping diversions. - In other MBTA news: The T is [running special train service to Foxborough's Gillette Stadium]( on April 27 for the New England Revolution's home match against Inter Miami and the legendary Lionel Messi. And the $10 roundtrip tickets from both Boston and Providence go on sale today at 11 a.m. on the T's mTicket app. - Pro-tip: Act fast if you want to avoid that Route 1 traffic; the Revs expect high demand for the train tickets (which makes sense, given [the record-breaking demand for tickets to the game itself]( - Boston's newest beer garden: Night Shift Brewing is adding to its handful of locations with [a beer garden on Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway this spring](. The Dewey Square spot — located across from South Station — is slated to open May 8 and run through October. - Yes, that's in addition to Trillium Brewing's long-standing Greenway beer garden, which officially returned yesterday. P.S.— Sporkful fans, you can still watch tonight's [sold-out CitySpace event with podcast host Dan Pashman]( (even if you'll miss out on the cascatelli with spicy broccoli rabe pesto). [Click here for livestream tickets]( so you can hear about Pashman's quest to create a new pasta shape. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Immigrants want faster permission to work. So do Mass. leaders and businesses]( "The people out on the floor are the heart of the operation; without them, we can't get our product out the door," Ahead's Tracy Silvia said. "They don't deserve the reputation or bad rap they get for being immigrants." [Read more.]( [Immigrants want faster permission to work. So do Mass. leaders and businesses]( "The people out on the floor are the heart of the operation; without them, we can't get our product out the door," Ahead's Tracy Silvia said. "They don't deserve the reputation or bad rap they get for being immigrants." [Read more.]( [For the first time, Boston has a chief climate officer]( Brian Swett will be Boston's first chief climate officer. The role will oversee address climate change efforts across city departments. [Read more.]( [For the first time, Boston has a chief climate officer]( Brian Swett will be Boston's first chief climate officer. The role will oversee address climate change efforts across city departments. [Read more.]( [Mass. saw a nearly 190% rise in antisemitic incidents last year, new report finds]( There were 440 antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts in 2023, a nearly 190% increase compared to 152 incidents in 2022, according to a new report by the the Anti-Defamation League. [Read more.]( [Mass. saw a nearly 190% rise in antisemitic incidents last year, new report finds]( There were 440 antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts in 2023, a nearly 190% increase compared to 152 incidents in 2022, according to a new report by the the Anti-Defamation League. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court gives skeptical eye to key statute used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters]( Conservatives on the court expressed varying degrees of skepticism about the charge of obstructing an official proceeding. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court gives skeptical eye to key statute used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters]( Conservatives on the court expressed varying degrees of skepticism about the charge of obstructing an official proceeding. [Read more.]( [New data show Mass. home prices keep rising as inventory remains low]( The median sale price for a single-family home in Massachusetts climbed to $609,900 last month, about 9% higher than the same time last year, according to new data from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Low housing stock and high interest rates remain a problem for prospective buyers. [Read more.]( [New data show Mass. home prices keep rising as inventory remains low]( The median sale price for a single-family home in Massachusetts climbed to $609,900 last month, about 9% higher than the same time last year, according to new data from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Low housing stock and high interest rates remain a problem for prospective buyers. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - After almost two decades as the Bruins' play-by-play announcer, Jack Edwards [plans to retire at the end of this season](. The New Hampshire native, who has struggled recently with slowed speech, will keep calling games through the end of the playoffs. - The inaugural New Bedford Film Festival kicks off this week with over 100 titles screening at venues throughout the port city. Film critic Erin Trahan has [a preview of the festival here](. - A new study [suggests New Englanders with a love of seafood may also be at higher risk for PFAS exposure](. But the author says that doesn't necessarily mean we should put down the clam chowder. - Every year since 2000, the Library of Congress has picked 25 "audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time." This year's list includes the album that brought The Cars fame outside Boston, along with ABBA, Biggie and Green Day. [Read the full list of recordings](.  What We're Reading 📚 - Lessons From a 20-Person Polycule ([The New York Times Magazine]( - A banana suit, a race pioneer, a mother running for a cure: 12 stories you may have missed from Marathon Monday ([The Boston Globe]( - How I Learned to Fall in Love With a Smaller Kitchen ([Eater](  Tell Me Something Good [After a rough start, Vermont ski resorts glide into the end of the season (Vermont Public)]( It was a rough winter for Vermont’s ski resorts, and then it wasn’t. A barren January and February was followed by a snowy March and April, given a boost by the eclipse. [Read more.]( [After a rough start, Vermont ski resorts glide into the end of the season (Vermont Public)]( It was a rough winter for Vermont’s ski resorts, and then it wasn’t. A barren January and February was followed by a snowy March and April, given a boost by the eclipse. 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