Q: Do you know if and when the checks will be coming out from [Rhode Island's statewide property-tax relief program]? We filed and mailed [the form] a long time back. As of today, we have not received it. I am wondering if it was sent out and went to the wrong place, or [if] they have not been sent out.

–– V.P., North Providence

A: There are no widespread delays in processing returns and issuing refunds or rebates this season, state tax officials said last week.

In fact, the Rhode Island Division of Taxation is ahead of the curve so far this season compared with the same point last filing season. For example:

-The state tax agency has received about 50,000 more returns than it did at this point last season, said state Tax Administrator David M. Sullivan.

Rebates nearly in the mail

CROWN POINT | Property tax rebate checks will blossom in Lake County mail boxes early next month, county officials said Monday.Lake County Auditor Peggy Holinga Katona said she expects to be sending out $28.1 million in rebate checks by early May."Within three weeks, checks will be in the mail," she said.She said the county will send out 133,380 checks.The rebate is a one-time, tax relief package the Indiana General Assembly enacted last year to offset property tax increases.State officials said last year the average rebate would be about $236.Katona said she expects rebates to average from 10 percent to 13 percent of the homestead's bill, which was paid late last year. The rebates will not go to those who failed to pay taxes last year or those already enjoying property tax caps.She said anyone who still owes property taxes will get a letter indicating their rebate was applied to the delinquency.The rebates also will be reduced for the nearly 30,000 homeowners -- primarily in Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, Whiting, Griffith, and Munster -- whose properties already are protected by the circuit breaker, which caps property taxes at 2 percent of gross assessed value of homes there.

Improved harvests from your QROPS

QROPS regulations were introduced with the ''A-Day'' changes to UK pension rights that took effect from April 6, 2006. These included provisions that allow expats to enjoy considerably more freedom of choice and relief from tax when transferring their UK pension rights overseas.

What are QROPS? Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes, or QROPS, are the only overseas pension schemes that are eligible to receive transfers of UK pension rights. QROPS are approved by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, and the approved list of overseas pension schemes is available at the HMRC website.

While there are no age restrictions for QROPS transfers, the rules under which these overseas pension schemes operate prevent the drawing of pension income from a QROPS before the UK ''normal minimum pension age''.

Special election candidates take on the issues

The four candidates in next week's special congressional election are split on whether President Bush's tax cuts should be extended, and each thinks that securing the border with Mexico is one way to deal with illegal immigration.

The candidates outlined their views in questionnaires from the Daily Journal asking about background, philosophies, the economy, national security and domestic issues. Southaven Mayor Greg Davis and Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers responded before the March 11 party primaries, which they won in runoffs.

Pang, Wages
Independent Wally Pang of Batesville and Green Party candidate John Wages Jr. of Tupelo were not involved in the party primaries and submitted their answers last week.

On the tax cuts, which are set to expire in 2010, the Republican Davis backs an extension.

Groups Press for More Housing Relief

Democrats crafting a broad government housing rescue are under pressure from liberal groups to push more aggressive measures that would force lenders to let homeowners facing foreclosure restructure their mortgages.A growing chorus of labor, civil rights and consumer advocates say Democrats' plans won't do enough to prod loan servicers to work with strapped borrowers rather than letting them slip into default. They are leaning on House Democratic leaders to resurrect a proposal _ dropped before the Senate passed a housing measure last week _ that would allow bankruptcy judges to lower mortgage rates or principal for bankrupt homeowners."It's going to be hard for us to support any housing bill that doesn't include a bankruptcy provision, because in the absence of that, I see no prospect for meaningful relief of those homeowners facing significant crisis," said Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.Proposals by Rep.