Well, unless I die sometime today, I’m going to e~file my 2007 Federal Return tonight. I use TurboTax because my brokerage recommends it.
It’s not so bad, really. TurboTax has a scoreboard at the top of the screen that shows your progress. It’s kind of like a text adventure game where you’re trying to get your money back from the pirates.
When I go to one of the local tax services I always feel rushed. The guy works on a schedule and I can’t stop in the middle of the return to get a cup of tea or start a load of laundry. With TurboTax, you can walk away for an entire day, or even until the next weekend. (Oops.)
If the guy comes up with additional deductions and I didn’t happen to bring the documentation, too bad. It means rescheduling and another trip. Working at home with TurboTax means my file cabinet is right behind me. I can stop and go online to bank or credit card sites to look up the numbers for a new deduction I hadn’t prepared for.
Maybe the guy made a snap judgement based on my clothing and skipped one question that could have brought up a whole new set of deductions. The software is objective.
Using the on-line software has the additional benefit that you can log on from anywhere and make changes. I needed to get some paperwork at work to finish up this time, so I logged in from there, changed a couple of numbers, and let TurboTax recompute my return.
There’s even a free TurboTax version for folks with simpler returns.
And don’t forget – you have to file to get your economic stimulus check, even if you had ZERO income.
Perhaps you’ll feel much better about tithing the government if you read about the Good Works they do with your money. Farm subsidies for landowners who never ever got dirt on their hands. Faith-based initiatives to help churches build wedding facilities for their parishioners. Highways to nowhere, also known as “pork.” Defense spending. Homeland Stupidity! I’m going to order the Death and Taxes 2008 Poster
Death and Taxes is a representational graph of the federal discretionary budget. The amount of money that is spent at the discretion of your elected representatives in Congress. Basically, your federal income taxes.
Here are some quotes on Death and Taxes to get you through the ordeal.
- Benjamin Franklin
- Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
- Daniel Defoe
- “Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed.”
The Political History of the Devil, 1726< /dd> - Margaret Mitchell
- “Death, taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them.”
Gone With the Wind, 1936 - George H. W. Bush quote:
- “Read my lips: no new taxes” spoken at the 1988 Republican National Convention
- Paul McCartney
- “Now my advice for those who die, (taxman)
Declare the pennies on your eyes. (taxman)”
“Taxman”, from the Revolver album
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