Tax Time Freakie-doos. (five stories)

[ditchdj]

Yeah the dumb asses at Addeco have STILL not sent out their W2's and I got fed up with waiting so I just filed electronically without it. I just used info from a pay stub and from last year's filing.

[Jpurple]

I have done my own taxes exactly once, and that was back when I was single, owned nothing, and the only complication was my student loans. (which didn't count at that point since I was still a student)
My mom once worked for H&R Block- you should hear some of her stories. She sat me down and made me do my taxes the one time I did it, then took over the next year when it got complicated.
Then I moved overseas, and even Mom gave up- she takes my taxes, my husband's, and my sister's to an accounting firm she knows because apparently working overseas really makes filing Canadian taxes unbelieveably complicated.

One of my goals is to someday be able to do my own taxes again!

[air914]

Same here..and to top that I'm terrible at math.

With my husband and I each having 3 jobs last year.... I think our taxes are going to be fairly complicated. Plus, I took $1000 out of my Money Market Account for clothes for work...... and he had to buy clothes for work but I'm sure he didn't save receipts...

I'm always perplexed though by those commercials with "They found all these deductions and saved me so much money!" - the last two times we've gone to Jackson Hewitt, no one asked us any questions like "Do you know what you spent on medical care last year, or on clothes for work, or on such and such" - they just take what we hand them, put it together, and then have us sign some stuff.... I've never seen then save us a boat load of money. Maybe we're going about it wrong.... maybe we're supposed to ask more questions or something.... I dunno.

[MyEccentricHell]

I went to the local H&R Block to do my taxes. Had some lovelies in there, as I was waiting.


Rude Wannabe

This winner sat in Poor Guy's old chair (GROSS-THERE WERE BODILY FUNCTIONS THERE). I was tapping away at my texting thingie so I wouldn't have to make eye contact with anyone, and this guy was doing the same. He stretched his dirtyy Sketchers aaaalll the way beside my work-combat-boots and tapped them. He did stop after he heard the metal *clank* at least.

What really did it was when he got up to take a call (polite of him to leave the room) and I looked up to see his FUBU pants stained a yellow tint.

What made him rude after all that? The outburst. (MOTHA FFFF... DAMN IS SHEET, etc.) Plus, blaming the staff for not warning him.


Telling others how to do their job

No, you are not a lawyer. I know because the tax lady said you're a dishwasher. You should stop telling her how to press keys on her keyboard.

You can't see my W2, and no.

When I said I'd rip your throat out if you tried to touch me again, it was no legal threat. IT WAS A PROMISE.

(he kept trying to rub my shoulders)

*Shudders*

I am so glad I do my taxes online.

[Gurndigarn]

I'm always perplexed though by those commercials with "They found all these deductions and saved me so much money!" - the last two times we've gone to Jackson Hewitt, no one asked us any questions like "Do you know what you spent on medical care last year, or on clothes for work, or on such and such" - they just take what we hand them, put it together, and then have us sign some stuff.... I've never seen then save us a boat load of money. Maybe we're going about it wrong.... maybe we're supposed to ask more questions or something.... I dunno.

That's called advertising, of course. Finding deductions only helps if you have more money spent on deductable items than the standard deduction allows.

Maybe I became cynical about the process and its difficulty because I don't pay federal taxes, and find it quick and easy just to slap down all the basic deductions without worrying about anything else.

[Primer]

I'm actually dreading doing our taxes this year. Turbo Tax does make it a LOT easier, but rounding up all those receipts....

We have 2 mortgages, tons of medical deductions, plus all the stuff we can apply to a 501(c)3 due to re-enacting/living history events, including an in-home office.

Actually, I'd almost be surprised if we do not get back more than we paid in this last year!
I just need to get off my duff and do it.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Why do some people bake bread at home instead of buying it at the store?

Because no one can make a beer-batch bread like my bread machine can, that's why.

First time I had to pay taxes, I did it myself. Couldn't come up with the same two numbers in a row. For two weeks straight. I finally just picked a number and sent it in.

I have since used a CPA friend of my father's. No mess, no stress, and no migraines caused by stupid numbers~! I just take it in and a week later I go in and pay them. They send it in for me and I get my state and federal returns in the mail (Live in TN, worked in NC).

This year I have two W-2s and two medical claims I have to file with them, so I have to head back to NC to get a copy of the receipts so I don't cock it all up.

[rerant]

Ah...the joys of the public. Makes me glad I have my tax/money/financial genius mom to help me with my taxes...

Ditto.
If I had to worry about doing my taxes I think my head would implode.
Thank goodness for smart mothers.

[myswtghst]

Ditto.
If I had to worry about doing my taxes I think my head would implode.
Thank goodness for smart mothers.

I agree. My brother and I "pay" my mom to do our taxes - we buy her pretty things when she does them, like Peggy Karr glass plates, and jewelry, and such.

[ArenaBoy]

Suck at math. Big time. My dad usually helps me but I'm thinking of getting Turbo Tax.

[wagegoth]

Why I Started Using TurboTax

I've been using TurboTax for several years now. It's gotten easier and easier every year. Unless you've got a lot of really complicated stuff, it's really the best way to go.

I started using it a few years ago when I was doing some contracted work for a friend's business, along with my job. It was a lot easier than figuring out all the additional forms I'd need and filling them out. That's really the best part. You fill in the information, then it figures out all the forms you need, populates and prints them for you. Or you can efile.

I've gone to accountants; I've done it myself when I had my own business (while also working); and I've used TurboTax. TurboTax was the easiest and fastest.

It's a commercial, but it's also true, most of those tax preparers just use software like TurboTax (H&R Block's TaxCut), and if they don't ask the questions, you aren't going to get the deductions.

That's the other thing I like about TurboTax. It walks you through possible deductions you might have. And I buy it every year at CostCo for about 40% off.