Fear of Taxes? You're not alone!

[ellenkushner]

I used to be this person:

It afflicts normal-looking people who function well in other facets of their lives. The symptoms include failing to file tax returns for years on end and squirreling away unopened letters that carry the return address of the Internal Revenue Service. Take a taxpayer (using the word loosely) whom we’ll call Mr. V. . . . . (NYTimes, 4/12/09)

In fear of penalties, I would send a ridiculous check to the IRS every year, hoping to have heard the last of it. But those scary letters kept coming (and remaining unopened) . . . . Eventually, I put every piece of paper I had in a big box, and took it to a woman in Boston who did a lot of taxes for artists, especially members of the Boston Ballet. "You can't imagine," she said. "They tour, they stuff things in envelopes, they lose them.... You're not so bad."

I've been a reformed character ever since.

If you've gotten your taxes in already, Yay, you! If you're working on it til midnight tonight, good luck, good coffee, and don't forget the chocolate!

Comments

[ken-schneyer.livejournal.com]

Goodness gracious.

For me, the compulsive record-keeping associated with writing (logging postage sent for stories, checks received, etc.) is a sort of reassuring rhythm. It's like touching a rabbit's foot. Also I really enjoy the sense of empowerment that comes from calculating all the tax numbers every year.

I'm curious. Did you ever wind up with a refund for overpayment from all those years of sending big checks?

[mneme]

Good god. I used to run out of time and defer every April, claiming I didn't owe anything, then run though the form in August and send it in (with a small penalty if it turned out that I actually did owe something).

More recently, I've gone with the path of least resistance and just hired Lisa's accountant, which at least means it gets done.

[saralinda.livejournal.com]

Ours are done, but for some reason I'm still feeling anxiety today. Stupid taxes.

[hyrkanian.livejournal.com]

Almost finished here but not stressing it since we're getting a refund. Uncle Sam doesn't mind you letting him earn interest on your money for as long as possible.

[gows.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank god it's not just me. My ex-husband never understood it, though.

. . . which reminds me, I've a filled-out form from 2006 I need to send in, especially as I'll be getting a refund . . .

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

Ours are done and refunds spent. We discovered some years ago that Turbo-Tax feels like a computer game, so we play it as soon as we have all the necessary paper in hand.

[mouseworks.livejournal.com]

Mum, Turbo-Tax, yes. I wouldn't do taxes for years if I didn't have Turbo-Tax.

[kiri-moth.livejournal.com]

Have you ever opened those scary letters? I've gotten a couple and they all turned out to be something like, "We didn't get a copy of your W2 from such and such year, please send a new one by such and such date." Or something equally innocuous. One that looked really scary was simply stating that I won't owe property taxes on my business (the filing of said property statement was hilarious - I only own a computer and scanner and the desk they sit on.)

Anyway, they probably aren't out to get you unless you're holding out on hundreds of thousands of dollars. ;)

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

Who illustrated your icon? It's beautiful. :)

Also, two years ago I e-filed and didn't sign, and got a terrifying letter that was mostly terrifying because it was my first time doing taxes and I DID IT WRONG.

In the end, though, it wasn't actually scary. It just felt that way.

[kiri-moth.livejournal.com]

Thanks, it's my own artwork. :)

The outside of the envelopes always look so terrifying with all the official statements! And then the letter inside is like "Whatever. Fix this please."

As if our government has the money to come after everyone who stiffs them $5 because of a minor error on their taxes. ;)
Apparently they are already sitting on a couple million (or was it billion?) in unclaimed refunds - that the rightful owners have waited too long to claim!

[tylik.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

Once upon a time I was always very good about these things. Then I was married, which imposed it's own freneticism.

Then I left the ex, who promptly proceeded to passively dick me around about finances. But I think I've figured out how to clean up that mess, though I will need some professional help for a couple of pieces of it.

So... not exactly done, but it will be a bigger done when I am.

[nohwhere-man.livejournal.com]

Picked mine up from the accountant yesterday and mailed them immediately. 'course that was 08 -and- 07, which had somehow slipped through the cracks... I'm terrible about it, I collect all the receipts and other detritus in January but don't actually do anything with it until late March. Or early April.

With all the scaryness of the IRS, the friends who used to work there all say that as long as you file -something- by the 15th and aren't trying obvious fraud, they're pretty flexible.

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

I am terrified of taxes, which is why I put every envelope that comes in throughout the spring with IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION on the outside and put it in one place. Then I bring all those unopened envelopes to my nice tax lady and she makes me feel all better about it.

I just filed my taxes today, and apparently at this point, writing plays is a hobby, since I haven't gotten paid for doing it. But someday...

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Our 05 06 and 07 taxes were all late files - October. This year we determined to do better, and in fact we sent in our taxes LAST WEEK. So weird to be done so soon.

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

Taxes in! \o/

...and they were actually done weeks ago. It's not so tough when you make less than $3000 a year... :(

[mildmannered.livejournal.com]

Ellen, my dear, I just filed an extension because in my first year as a self-employed writer I have no idea what I'm doing tax-wise. Would you be so kind as to pass on your Boston tax lady's name and info? You can reach me at si AT arrr DOT net.