Q: When Paul Ryan was declared the new Speaker of the House, I noticed many congressmen wore a gold colored lapel button that had some type of insignia on it. What does that button represent? Also, is that lapel button available to the general public?
—William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: Special lapel pins are made for each member of the U.S. House of Representative for every session of Congress.
They are only available to the 435 members of the House and the design changes every year.
Representatives aren’t required to wear their pins, but they can help Capitol Police identify them, a 2005 RollCall.com article stated.
“When you think of what some of your memories are, your physical evidence of being a member is that pin — something that can be displayed,” Rep. Sam Farr (D, Calif.) was quoted in the article. “It’s a token symbolic of their public service. Whether they wear them or not, they’re proud to be entitled to have one.”
Q: When people donate to a GoFundMe account, does the recipient have to pay state and federal income tax on the money received?
—Carol Murphy, Woodstock
A: Donations to GoFundMe accounts are considered "personal gifts," which generally aren't taxed in the United States, but "there may be particular, case-specific instances where the income is taxable," GoFundMe.com states.
The website will send a 1099-K form if a person or organization has collected “at least $20,000 and over 200 donations in the calendar year.”
Donations also aren’t tax deductible unless they are made to a GoFundMe Certified Charity campaign, the website states.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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