# Who still hasn't filed their US tax return? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274 "2016-04-15T15:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/21 "2016-04-16T01:05:59Z")
I expect to get a small refund and so will probably just file an extension and finish things off sometime before October. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/22 "2016-04-16T01:06:45Z")
I still have 70+ hours left - plenty of time. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/23 "2016-04-16T01:11:35Z")
My CPA e-filed mine today, I’ll mail the fucking check on Monday. Fucking ACA got me again. Damn it. There goes my trip to Disneyland. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/24 "2016-04-16T03:44:28Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > Filed today. Decent fed refund. I was a bit ticked that my employer missed the state. Owed nearly $100 to Indiana, and H&R Block claimed I couldn’t pay online. Just went to the state site, perfectly able to do so. Hopefully, I’m done. Filed today, mostly due to lethargy. I used TurboTax since we didn’t have a lot of paperwork (also due to lethargy–note to self, figure out how to get receipts for medical bills). Had no problem e-filing Indiana, though TurboTax charges an extra…I dunno, $30? to do so. If I did everything right, we’re getting back around $10,000. 🆒 And before anyone says anything, we had the exact same tax scenario last year AFAIK (employer deductions, salary, # of dependents) and owed a few hundred, so I’m just happy that we don’t owe. I was worried. Oddly enough, we also owed some AMT last year, but not this year. I hope everything was correct! We used a tax preparer last year who was a bit dippy. We tend to alternate about every other year between me doing the taxes, or a tax preparer of various credentials. Honestly, every time we use a “pro”, we get a notice 6 months later saying we owe another $600 or so, with little to no explanation… :mad: ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/25 "2016-04-16T04:22:56Z")
Past 10 years. H&R Block. We do it in March. We have a simple return nowadays. We even get a discount because it’s so simple now. Either my Wife or I could do it. We are math people. She is an appraiser, and I’m a programmer. But for the money, it’s nice to not have to worry about it. It’s really not my gig. 9am appointment. Thirty minutes. And then out for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/26 "2016-04-16T06:32:15Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I did mine last week, but that’s extraordinarily late for us - normally we file at the end of February just to get it out of the way. > > The reason wasn’t anything exciting - my wife and I had a miscommunication about whether we had all the forms and whether we were using an accountant or one of those online filing things. Turns out we’d had all the forms since early march and my wife had dropped her objection to using the much cheaper online filing a while back but I didn’t pick up on that. No guess as to whose fault that is 🙂 At the risk of hijacking the thread, could I ask you how you decide between an accountant or an online service? (Actually this question is for anyone who wants to answer). I’ve used an online service (TurboTax) for many years. It certainly asks for all the details needed, but I’ve always wondered if a human professional would be able to find things that these sites could not. Our taxes get more complicated every year and I wonder if we’re past the point where an actual accountant could justify their expense. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/27 "2016-04-16T09:42:35Z")
Filed mine in February, as usual. Every year’s the same – the wife does our Thai taxes (which are always due by March 31), then my accountant uses that form in filing my US taxes. Of course, it’s painless for me since the accountant does the US taxes and I always owe exactly zero. No bother whatsoever, although I’m sure that will change once we move back to the US. Oddly, a couple of years ago Thailand did away with joint returns. You still get a married credit, but we can’t file Thai taxes jointly anymore. So the wife now does mine before hers since I have to send it to the accountant. (She does not have to file US returns at all, being a Thai citizen and having no US income.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/28 "2016-04-16T10:11:08Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I have done the Canadian and Quebec returns. Still have US to do, but not due till June 15. I had mine donelast week, with the usual resentment of paying the accountant to tell the IRS in excruciating detail that, just like every year, I owe them nothing. (As a freelancer with income from two countries as well as two regular employers, it’s way too complicated for me.) I never take the extension, because I never quite trust it. Plus I’d rather have it all done and out of the way at once. US requires paper filing for me, which is annoying, but very easy to file & pay online in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/29 "2016-04-16T10:26:34Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I never take the extension, because I never quite trust it. Plus I’d rather have it all done and out of the way at once. US requires paper filing for me, which is annoying, but very easy to file & pay online in Canada. My US taxes are filed online. Are there special circumstances where one would still have to file paper only? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/30 "2016-04-16T12:36:39Z")
I haven’t filed in 25 years. When I did file, I did it the minute I had all the withholding slips. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/31 "2016-04-16T13:34:03Z")
#13-Why does SS mean you don’t file taxes? Do you mean you don’t owe any? I don’t owe but still file - the directions are unclear about the criteria for not filing. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/32 "2016-04-16T14:47:33Z")
Family health issues at the last minute have delayed me. I’m looking at Monday filings for us and my mother. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/33 "2016-04-16T16:31:34Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > My US taxes are filed online. Are there special circumstances where one would still have to file paper only? Yes. You can file online if you can use the 1040 EZ. I don’t recall why mine can’t, specifically, but it has to do with the level of complexity. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/34 "2016-04-16T20:15:33Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > My US taxes are filed online. Are there special circumstances where one would still have to file paper only? Oh yeah, there are tons of reasons why a return might have to filed on paper. The first example that comes to my mind is form 2441 (child care) must be paper filed if you don’t have the EIN/SSN of the care provider. This information isn’t strictly required under the law/regulations, but the e-file specification requires it. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/35 "2016-04-16T20:29:06Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Filed an extension. Spouse was in the hospital so I’m at least a week behind in everything and I filed the extension to take the pressure off. If I get them done by Monday that’s great, if not, no big deal I’ll get to them a few days later. Extension here as well. We finally got our last form, a K-1 form, just a few days ago, and we can’t do our taxes ourselves anymore with that form. Well, we could, we did it last year and messed up, so we’re going back to H&R Block this year and let them handle it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/36 "2016-04-16T21:52:58Z")
Done! Paid the Feds $3,000.00 but broke even everywhere else. The reason for the 3k was blah, blah, blah accountant talk. I seriously have not a clue what she said, nor do I care. Done! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/37 "2016-04-17T00:29:41Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Yes. You can file online if you can use the 1040 EZ. I don’t recall why mine can’t, specifically, but it has to do with the level of complexity. I don’t use the 1040EZ. It’s the regular 1040 plus a host of other forms since I’m filing from abroad, am exempted from Obamacare etc. But I see now there are instances where you must file the paper forms. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/38 "2016-04-17T01:39:31Z")
I’m finishing ours up tonight or tomorrow. Stupid of me to wait this long, as we’re due an insane refund, it’s just been kind of crazy at work. The hard stuff, we already had (e.g. the Lending Club earnings), I just had to check for all the little penny-ante interest on several savings accounts. We got my daughter’s done a few weeks back - she’s getting all her withholding back as she had very little income. I made her create an IRA before we filed (our rule for the kids has been 10% **or more** goes into a Roth). My son earned more than her, and also had tuition (that we paid), so he’s actually going to get back MORE than his withholdings due to a tax credit. I told him that since we were the ones who paid that tuition, the overage either went into his retirement account or our pocket. I’ll help him finish the filing once ours is done. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/39 "2016-04-17T01:49:36Z")
I filed for an extension, yet again. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274/40 "2016-04-18T05:28:12Z")
I just filed my taxes. I’m getting back three lousy bucks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-still-hasnt-filed-their-us-tax-return/752274.md?page=3)