People, people, people . . . it’s that time of year again. Please, let’s maintain this distinction. You are not waiting for your tax return, or planning to spend your return on a new TV. And stop hoping that you get a big tax return this year. It’s going to be about 8-1/2" by 11", the same size as everyone else’s.
[ul][li]Your tax RETURN is the form that you fill out and file. You have one regardless of whether you owe Uncle Sam or he owes you.[/li]
[li]Your tax REFUND (if you should be so lucky) is the money you overpaid that you are now getting back. Yes, it’s being “returned” to you, but it’s not your “return.”[/ul][/li]
(Yes, I know that in a roundabout abstract way, one refers generally to something coming to one as a “return,” as in “many happy returns of the day” or “return on investment,” but this is a case of people hearing the term “tax return” and misapplying it to something to which it does not refer. I have a friend who continues to say this, even though I’ve politely explained the difference. Drives me stark raving bonkers.)
My rage doesn’t burn with the heat of a thousand suns over this or anything like that, but it’s a peeve that gets prickled every tax season. Hence this is in MPSIMS and not the Pit.
And if you don’t pay, you will be summoned to appear in court. You will NOT be summonsed even though you would have received a summons. I wish the local papers would understand this.
Wanna really mess with their heads? Explain that if they misreport (that may or may not be the way to spell it, please don’t hurt me) their earnings on their tax return so that they receive a tax refund, they will have to return the refund and lots of other nasty stuff.
Says who? I don’t see any reason why “return” and “refund” can’t be used interchangeably. In fact, if you want to get technical, the form you fill out and file is called a 1040 (or some variant thereof). Yes the full name of the 1040 is “U.S. Individual Income Tax Return”, but that doesn’t mean your refund can’t be called as such as well.
Well heck then, why don’t I just call my tax refund my “1040” and make things really confusing?
Why should we bother to maintain the distinction between imply and infer? Comprise and compose? Because they’re useful distinctions. Misusing the terms can lead to confusion, and in the minds of people who understand the difference, it doesn’t make the speaker look so smart. Just because two words sound similar doesn’t mean that every ill-informed sloppy use of them should automatically be made legitimate.
I work with words every day and I understand that language changes. But I don’t think we’re even close to putting this one in the dictionary, and I hope we never are.
Which of these definitions would you say applies specifically to a refund of overpayment of taxes? 5b is the one I was referring to as being sort of in the ballpark, but only very generically and not proper usage in this context, because it can cause confusion with the term for the form. Were I to run across this usage while copyediting, I would most definitely correct it.
Also, I don’t see anywhere on my tax RETURN forms where the REFUND is called anything but exactly that. As I said in the OP, it can be explained in the “ain’t is a word because it’s in the dictionary” kind of way, but it’s sloppy usage. Go ahead and talk that way if you want, but you’ll get no respect from me for it.
Why such a strong reaction to keeping the terms separate and clear? Why use “return” for both, when “return” is the proper name for the form, and a “refund” can be nothing but, and never confusing?
If you don’t pay, you get a fine which is not really fine. Once you are fined, you are still not fine. If you find the money for your fine, it is found - not finded. Are we all fine with this?
As long as we’re ranting about taxes, why do people look at me as if I’m crazy when I tell them I’m disappointed that this year I didn’t manage to pay the maximum amount (avoiding penalties) due by April 15? Happily I didn’t get a refund.
Scarlett67
Thank You! You just hit one of my *big * pet peeves.
I know language changes, but sloppiness apparently doesn’t. If the main purpose of language is communication, this kind of confusion doesn’t help. If we’re just going to make words mean any dang thing we want them to mean, nobody will understand anyone else.
I agree. I’d prefer not to get a refund (or a return of my money, if you prefer) because that means I received it proportionally throughout the year, and it’s been earning interest that goes- you guessed it- to me, not to the gub’mint. If I get a refund (see above), I screwed up because the federales have been sitting pretty on my cashola. Bastiges.
“Sox” is a word too. “Summons” is a verb in that it’s gaining currency, and it’s probably in the dictionary now as a verb, and language is a matter of consensus, yadda yadda…
I’ll get used to it one day. In the interim, hey, just call me a curmudgeon.
I’m not disagreeing with you on principle, but news headlines consistently emply about the worst grammar I’ve ever seen. I don’t think they help your case.
I’m sorry for my bluntness, but,** the New York Times tells YOU how to use words**. They write books on style and usage. If they’re using “summons” as a verb from 1860 to the present day, then summons is a fucking verb. I don’t care what the “Duluth Bee” fucks up on a daily basis.
There is no “case” to be made or argued. At this point, anyone who didn’t think “summons” is a verb should just go, “oh, that’s interesting. I learned something today.”
