Recent news from The MOAA Newsletter. View previous editions of Council and Chapter News here. Send updates about your affiliate’s activities to blaird@moaa.org for possible inclusion in future editions.

Mail Your Letters to Congressional Leaders

Please sign, seal, stamp, and mail the letters in the April issue of Military Officer to the preaddressed key congressional leaders. Join MOAA members nationwide to ask lawmakers to restore Basic Allowance for Housing to 100% and reverse TRICARE pharmacy cuts. Learn more about these issues at MOAA.org/AiA.

Final Call for Levels of Excellence Award Entries

The deadline for this year’s program is May 1. Send in your nomination today!

Councils and chapters that want to be considered for a Levels of Excellence Award need to submit a nomination by May 1. MOAA now awards 3-, 4-, and 5-star Levels of Excellence Awards. The program recognizes excellence in program year 2022. Council and Chapter leaders are encouraged to download the Informational Guide (PDF) to review the criteria, which were newly implemented last year. Find the nomination form here.

2022 Col. Marvin J. Harris Communications Award Contest Winners

The results of the 2022 Harris Communications Awards will be released Friday, April 14. An email will be sent to all council and chapter presidents containing a link that will direct all to a list contained on the Council and Chapters webpage of MOAA.org. We appreciate the enthusiastic response in nominations and look forward to honoring our awardees. This same email will announce the opening and link to portals accepting nominations for the annual Surviving Spouse Liaison Excellence Award and Colonel Steve Strobridge Legislative Chair/Liaison Award.

Did You Know?

Stay up to date on key programs and resources.

Council and Chapter Visit Program: Council and Chapter Affairs maintains a robust council and chapter visit program. These visits provide us the opportunity to better understand our affiliates mission and priorities and where we can help. Chapters are eligible for a visit every two to three years, while councils are eligible for a visit every year. During these visits, national MOAA updates can be provided at any forum or venue. A dedicated leadership meeting provides a great opportunity for the exchange of information and awareness of resources.  These visits also generate a written trip report for judge’s consideration in the annual Levels of Excellence Award cycle. To request a visit, click here. Direct any questions to chapters@moaa.org or to Chapter Affairs Specialist Fahria Hossain at (800) 234-6622, ext. 120.

Committee Module Maintenance: All chapter presidents and membership chairs have access to their Committee Module (CM) roster. Each time you access your CM and make a roster change, such as placing an end date on a member’s record or adding a new chapter member, this change is immediately captured in MOAA’s database. Maintaining a disciplined CM roster gets us one step closer to accuracy and integrity in our shared databases.

New Presidents Packages: New council and chapter presidents receive a welcome package that includes a congratulatory email, a lapel pin, and access to the chapter’s Committee Module (CM) roster. Updating your CM with information regarding an incoming president will notify the MOAA Council and Chapters team to send out a new president’s package and ensure your chapter continues to receive important updates and information. If you have any questions, please email chapters@moaa.org or call Chapter Affairs Specialist Joey Elliott at (800) 234-6622, ext. 168.

Community Engagement Sponsorship Grants: Council and chapter leaders may apply annually  for financial grants to support community service programs, recruiting events, and MOAA branding products. Councils are eligible for up to $800, and chapters are eligible for up to $300. This is a popular program, and we have already distributed more than half of our allotted funding for calendar year 2023. Interested leaders are encouraged to apply here. If you have any questions, please email chapters@moaa.org or call Chapter Affairs Specialist Joey Elliott at (800) 234-6622, ext. 168.

Surviving Spouse Corner: Tax Time Considerations

If you haven’t filed yet, here are some issues to keep in mind.

By Pat Green, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council member

Note: Always consult a tax professional for your specific financial situation.

If you have already filed your 2022 taxes, bravo! Some have not. Some are procrastinating. Others might have been receiving documents through mid-March, depending on investments held, and are just beginning the process. Please review your documents carefully, and make sure that information is correct. If not, ask for a correction before you file.

The deadline for filing 2022 taxes is April 18, 2023. You may file an automatic extension, but taxes are due on the April date. Don’t wait to file until the extended due date; file as quickly as you can. A relocation, an illness, or a family death could happen to you or your preparer (consultant) in that time frame and create more complications.

[RELATED: More Financial Resources From MOAA]

Here are some issues and information for your consideration:

• Look for changes in the first few pages of instruction publications of the IRS forms and schedules that have been used in other years to report your income. Find them at www.irs.gov/forms-instructions. For example, some of the changes mentioned in the Form 1040 2022 include Clean Vehicle Tax Credits, Residential Home Improvement Energy Credits, and Increases in Standard Deductions.
  
  
• If you changed jobs in 2022, make sure you have not overpaid the FICA withholding.
  
  
• If your spouse died in 2022, you can still file 2022 taxes as married as long as you have not remarried in 2022. But next year, 2023, you must file as single if you have not remarried or have no dependents. This can cause tax consequences you should consider and prepare for. For example, a lower single income is taxed at a higher rate than married income. If your spouse was the higher income earner, there will be a change in tax owed, but it might be a manageable increase, or it could be less. If you are the higher income earner, you will have a lower standard deduction, and you might pay taxes at a higher rate.

Investigate the above changes or discuss them with your tax preparer. Be prepared.

[RELATED: 5 Tax Tips for the Filing Season]

If you have overpaid taxes this year, you may apply the refund to 2023 taxes. If you are required to make estimated payments, the overage might save a quarter filing of the estimated tax for 2023. You can also ask for a refund to place in savings until next year. Also, if you need to convert an investment to cash, be aware of the tax consequences.

Possibly your spouse always did the tax filings, and this is new to you. If you are overwhelmed, get help. If a mistake is made or some income or deduction is overlooked, you can always file an amended return. Try to file by April 18.

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Upcoming Events

Monthly Chapter Leader Virtual Roundtable: Join us April 20 at 7 p.m. Eastern for a discussion with our Marketing Department to include the MOAA Store, affinity partnerships, member consumer benefits, and much more. about the Committee Module. Join here at the time of the meeting (ID: 285 450 060 322; Passcode: 9Ww4PG). Find a complete list of council and chapter Affairs events online.

MOAA Membership Eligibility for Junior and Senior ROTC Cadets

We recognize that many chapters and councils have strong relationships with local ROTC units, and we thank you for spreading the word about MOAA in these communities. Your engagement provides a great opportunity to expose cadets to MOAA and to reinforce the value of MOAA membership with ROTC instructors who are eligible for membership.

Please encourage them to join! At this stage in their military career, cadets may find MOAA’s BASIC membership most appealing — it’s a no-cost, introductory membership that allows them to learn about MOAA’s mission and all that we have to offer. However, they might also consider our PREMIUM and LIFE membership levels. Our goal is to introduce them to MOAA early in their career and cultivate them into lifelong members.

From the Field

MOAA chapters give back to their communities through fundraising efforts, community-service projects, scholarship programs, and other initiatives. Here are some recent activities. 

Piedmont (N.C.) Chapter members recently donated six boxes of clothes and other items to the Servant Center in Greensboro. The center empowers the homeless and disabled, particularly veterans, to become independent, contributing members of the community through housing, health care, and restorative services.

Members of the Star Fort (S.C.) Chapter recently participated in a Veteran's Last Patrol ceremony for an Army veteran. The honored veteran was drafted into the Army on Jan. 21, 1959, was sent to Fort Knox, Ky., for training, and then sent to Korea until Jan. 12, 1961. He was then discharged from the Army but voluntarily reenlisted July 19, 1963. He was then stationed in Vietnam and Germany. Chapter members Lt. Col. Joe Roberts and Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Turner assisted in conducting the ceremony at the veteran’s home. Founded in 2018, Veteran's Last Patrol serves veterans by bringing new friendships, honor ceremonies, and emergency assistance while in hospice care.

Get Newsletter Content From National MOAA

Need some content to supplement your chapter’s newsletter? The White Label Newsletter Template includes information, articles, and helpful tips from national MOAA that already are formatted for inclusion in your newsletter. The content is updated every month to ensure you are receiving timely, relevant information.   

National MOAA Travel Schedule

Here are the councils and chapters MOAA leaders will be visiting over the next few months.

Contact the associated chapter if you would like to attend any of the following scheduled visits:

• April 5, Northern Arizona Chapter, Prescott, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA)
• April 5, West Volusia (Fla.) MOAA Chapter, DeBary, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• April 6, Alameda County (Calif.) Chapter, Alameda, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 6, Charlotte-Metrolina (N.C.) Chapter, Charlotte, Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), MOAA president and CEO
• April 8, Upper Potomac Chapter (Md.), Thurmont, CWO4 Leila P. Jackson, USMC (Ret), MOAA board of directors (BoD)
• April 12, North DFW (Texas) Chapter, Lewisville, Gen. Gary L. North, USAF (Ret), MOAA BoD chairman
• April 12, Virginia Council of Chapters, virtual, Col. Dan Merry, USAF (Ret), vice president, Government Relations
• April 15, Triangle (N.C.) Chapter, Wake Forest, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 16, Kaw Valley (Kan.) Chapter, Topeka, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 18, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) Chapter, Flagstaff, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 19, Treasure Coast (Fla.) Chapter, Port Saint Lucie, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 20, Advocacy for Servicewomen and Military Families, virtual, Karen Ruedisueli, Government Relations 
• April 20, Greater Cleveland Chapter, Brecksville, Vice Adm. Fred M. Midgette, USCG (Ret), BoD, and Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 20, Montgomery County (Md.) Chapter, Rockville, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 20, Old Capitol Area (Ga.) Chapter, Milledgeville, Col. Donald F. Thompson, USAF (Ret), BoD
• April 21, Sarasota (Fla.) Chapter, Rear Adm. Richard A. Buchanan USN (Ret), BoD
• April 22, Piedmont (N.C.) Chapter, Jamestown, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• May 12, Arizona Council of Chapters, Sun City West, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• May 17, Northern New Jersey Chapter, Dover, Renee Matthews, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council
• May 17, Public Health Service Virtual Chapter, virtual, Rachel Barth, magazine and creative director
• May 18-20, Florida Council of Chapters Convention, Augustine, Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), MOAA president and CEO, and Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA