Tag: Tax Season 2022

Signs are emerging that the surge driven by highly transmissible Omicron variant is fading. Across the country, cases and hospitalizations are falling from record peaks. According to data from Johns Hopkins, the seven-day average for new cases was 129,000 on February 16, drastically down from 800,000 at the peak in mid-January. Data from the CDC shows a 9% drop in deaths over the last week. While mortality rates lag behind case…  Read more

It feels like prices are increasing faster than the inflation index shows; we are experiencing “sticker shock” daily as we shop for personal and business needs.  Some businesses increase their prices in ways that may not seem so obvious; have you noticed those ice cream containers are shrinking or that services are reduced?  The Labor Department’s consumer-price index measures how much consumers pay for goods and services and includes some of…  Read more

How sad when we consider that more people in the world are now sick with the same illness than at any time since the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. By mid-January, about one in five Americans had contracted the Omicron variant, a number which could double by mid-February. While an estimated 80-90% of those infected with the highly contagious Omicron variant are asymptomatic, the widespread of the virus means that many millions of people…  Read more

It is being reported that the rapidly spreading Omicron variant is causing worker shortages across the entire economy as employees are out sick or quarantining. At Delta Airlines, 8,000 employees contracted COVID-19 recently, contributing to more than 2,200 cancelled flights. Grocery stores and many other businesses are cutting back on their product lines. A shortage of truck drivers means shipments are delayed, so store shelves are empty. Children are taking public buses…  Read more