~~I hate doing my income taxes. I used to prepare the forms myself and that’s hard to do with your fingers crossed hoping you’re not taking one of those deductions that invites audits or that you’ll miss an allowed deduction that might have saved you big time bucks. I mean I diligently tried to fill the tax forms out correctly and pay what we owed but the directions on some of those forms can make a person’s head spin. If you subtract A from B and divide by C and then if that’s no more than D on page 56 or F on page 13, then perhaps, just perhaps you m ight qualify for tax break 2256. That’s about how many pages – 2256 – of instructions you have to read to understand tax break 2256.
~~Actually I made up tax break 2256. So any of you heading off to flip through your instruction manuels for that tax break info, don’t bother. It’s not there. You get tax breaks if you have underage kids. My kids are grown with their own little deductions and the IRS doesn’t consider dogs dependents. Guess they never paid vet bills. You get tax breaks if you give away a lot of money. And no, they don’t mean the money you give them. You get tax breaks if you’re really sick and spending all your money on doctors. Who wants to quality for that kind of tax break? Not me.
~~So I’ll just pay my taxes and try to smile while I’m signing that check. It is a privilege to be a citizen of the United States of America and earn money enough to have to pay taxes. But that doesn’t mean I – along with a lot of the rest of you – don’t groan and moan about it a little this time of the year. Okay maybe a lot. Especially when we’re gathering all our information together and trying to figure out the process. When I finally gave up doing my own taxes a few years back, I discovered the sun shines in the springtime. Flowers bloom. Birds sing. AndCPAs make money and earn every penny.
~~ Just in case you are knee deep in tax forms, here’s a few quotes that might bring a moment of relief.
- Certainty? In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. -Benjamin Franklin
- I’m proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is – I could be just as proud for half the money. – Arthur Godfrey
- The only imaginative fiction being written today is income tax returns. – Herman Wouk
- Isn’t it appropriate that the month of the tax begins with April Fool’s Day and ends with cries of ‘May Day?’ – Rob Knauerhase
~~What do you dread most about tax season? Or are you one of those who pay ahead every year and then rejoice in a big refund? If so you probably sent your forms in back in February and have no idea what the groaning and moaning is all about as April 15 draws nigh. Hope you have refunds and sunshine in your future.