Births and Taxes (Long and borderline MPSIMS)

The BBQ Pit
1

Top Two dumb-ass things I’ve done this tax season. (Sorry, I don’t know this OpalCat you speak of)

  1. Following the instructions on a schedule or a form or a worksheet or some shit:

Me (* actually checking line 37*): Hmm, let’s see. Did I gross more than $140,117. Nope.
Did I miss any W-2’s for $140,000? Nope. (Back to schedule or form or worksheet or whatever.)

**Warning: may not be humorous to those making anywhere close to $140,000/yr **

  1. Setting aside enough money to compensate for the relatively large payment I have to make to the fed today.

This made a lot of sense until shortly after the phone rang at about 4:40 pm last night.

ME: Yellow? [Very hip, what?]

Mother of my child; how I lacked discretion: Hey, I have a couple of questions for you.

ME: (With unsuspecting obliviousness) Shoot!

Momchild: Do you know where his lunch box is?

Me: Yes, I have it.

Momchild: Is he going to have a summer program on Saturdays?

Me: Yes.

Momchild: When does that start?

ME: April 30th at two thirty.

Momchild: If I don’t get a thousand dollars by the end of the day, I’m going to be evicted!

ME: (Not detecting an actual question) …

Momchild: I’ve tried everyone I can think of…

ME: (Still not hearing a question) …

Momchild: I get paid next Friday…

ME: (sensing a faint tingling in my wallet) uh… I don’t have a thousand dollars. [See dumb-ass #1]

Momchild: (Using silence to better effect than I) …

ME: I mean, I have some money saved for taxes…

Momchild: Well, can I park my car in your driveway and borrow an extra blanket for my infant child?
[Not my child BTW]

ME: I hadsome money saved for taxes. (Crossing off all entries on things-to-do-this-month list requiring more than $0.25 cash.)
Og, help me, I’m just not that bright!

If I don’t post again before April, 17th, happy tax freedom day!

2

I suppose it’s too late now, but isn’t there anyone else she could have called?

3

Lovely. Nice how she put everything off until the very last minute, so you couldn’t send the money through your local CSEA and get credit for it.

4

Maybe it’s the lack of caffeine, but what is this thread about?

Are these 2 different pittings? Are points 1 and 2 related?

Seriously, I’ve read it 3 times now and just don’t get it. :confused:

5

Apparently, everyone else was tapped.

While I am feeling less bitter about this after the passage of a few days I would like to include one more comment.

Although she has “guaranteed” she will pay me back on Friday, I have determined from previous experience that giving her money is exactly like throwing it in the toilet. I’m out the money and I have to get someone to help me clean up the mess.

6

Tapped: brighter, more intellegent; less gullible, savvy.

7

Something you may not be aware of that at least used to be true: If you owe on your taxes but don’t have the money to send in when you file, in about a month the IRS will send you a notice of how much you owe and an offer to set up a payment plan, at non-usurious interest rates. And as long as you make the payments timely, you’ll pay a small penalty for being late but won’t end up being hauled off to the slammer or anything.

This happened to me once a number of years ago, when I was a single mom living (barely) from paycheck to paycheck; I couldn’t pay but filed on time to avoid yet more penalties, got the notice a month later, made my payments on time, and everybody was happy. This is what they call the newer, nicer IRS. Which, rarely, it actually is. But paying on 4/15 is still obviously preferable, just to avoid the aggravation – and in case in the ensuing years, they’ve changed that policy, which is always a possibility. I have no idea whatsoever whether they’ve changed it, but I suspect they haven’t since there are often people who can’t pay even though they file timely.

The IRS also does have people you can call and work out a payment plan with. They even have problem resolution people who are actually paid to be nice; I know because I used to have a friend who was one of that group. They don’t publicize it, obviously; they want everyone to be afraid of them, I guess.

8

That does help. Thank you.
Like I said, I’m feeling less bitter after a little reflection.

9

Mama Tiger is right. I had to do this last year (thanks to Jaade’s mom!). I filed on time, sent no money whatsoever and a few months later they sent me a remarkably nice (especially for the IRS!) letter telling me that I owed the money and I should call the number provided. They happily worked with me and even let me file an extension on the money owed when an unrelated problem emerged and I couldn’t pay by the original deadline.
On a happier (for me) note, this year I almost broke even. Got $40 back federal, owed $44 in state taxes. MUCH better than last year.

10

I see.