Time is getting away from me. I've been meaning to work on our taxes for weeks now. I was waiting to make sure we got all our documents first. You know you're supposed to have them by February 1st. Heh, heh. Like speed limits and center lines these days, that seems to be merely a suggestion. I got one mid-March. Which reminded me that I really needed to get to work on those taxes.
I DID get my TurboTax software. I have an external DVD thingy, since HIPPIE did not come equipped with bells nor whistles. I even knew where it was! For a few days I've been meaning to go through my checkbook register and sort out specific expenses so my info would be ready to plug in when prompted.
With Hick having his surgery, and me feeling the need to tend to him rather then let him fend, I kept putting off my tax prep. However... now I am eager to separate myself from Hick and his recliner and his groans. So when he forced our togetherness around 7:30 a.m., I remembered that the taxes were calling me.
Panic ensued when I plugged in my DVD thingy, and it kept making chirping noises on HIPPIE. Like the connection was being disrupted. I tried another port. Same thing. I got it to open, and found a HOYLE CASINO CD inside. Can you imagine that? I'm sure you can.
Anyhoo... I put in my TurboTax CD. Don't bother to ask why I don't download it. Even The Pony had a chuckle at the thought of our internet speed providing me a successful filing. Of course updates were needed. Good thing I was dragging my feet. The Missouri update only became available on March 23.
Anyhoo... I had to restart the process twice, because apparently the DVD thingy just stopped. Jiggling the wire made the light come on again. I was about to panic. Time is running out! I held my breath. Didn't touch the kitchen table. Chastised Hick when he waltzing-bear-ed his way through the kitchen to go to town, and leaned on the pedestal table that was once my mom's. The swaying didn't break my connection, so Hick escaped without visible scars.
Somehow, TurboTax found last year's return which HIPPIE had told me was damaged when he went into a coma and had to life-support himself back from the blue screen of death. So there's that. Much info auto-filled.
I worked on the sections that I knew the info. Fourth cat out of the bag, I was prompted for a 1099-INT that I did not possess! How can that be? It's freakin' March-end! All my forms should have arrived! I called Hick, who agreed to drive down to Bill-Paying town to our financial institution, and ask for a copy. Welp! Seems that since we earned less that $10 interest on that account (ain't THAT a cryin' shame!), they were not required to mail us a 1099-INT, so did not. Try explaining that to TurboTax, who demanded the amounts from Lines 1, 3, and 5. I just put in $0. It worked!
Of course I got to the point where I needed to compile the totals from my checkbook register. Like for assorted medical payments, and real estate taxes, and charity and such. Do you think I was going to take a break and close out my TurboTax? No siree, Bob! I wasn't about to take a chance on not getting it running again!
After all that, and sorting those payments into the proper categories, and adding up mileage... TurboTax told me that it was more profitable for me to take the standard deduction! All that work for nothing! All those payments from my health insurance premiums, and my Unfortunate HospitVALzation, and Hick's medical treatments and sky-high prescriptions. Some people must really be making a fortune by taking that standard deduction without having such expenses!
Then it was time to enter Hick's business info. Lucky for me, he came home right then after a lunch of Meat Loaf at the Senior Center. He had compiled his profits/expenses a couple days ago, because he's eager to get our refund, part of it being owed to him for cash he spent on Pony House improvements.
I was getting pretty tired of all this taxing tax preparation, but I figured it was just a hop, skip, and a jump into my state return. So I powered through. Got it all done! Six hours from start to finish, part of that being the compilation of info I should have done ahead of time.
Anyhoo... I never would have thought when I got up (from the short couch to avoid Hick) on Wednesday morning that I would have the taxes filed by 2:30 p.m.
Nothing like fear and faulty equipment to light a fire under Val's rumpus...
If only I could make HeWho work at half speed to get ours together. The profits from the sale of our business will make us pay a hefty sum, unless we can prove we sold at a loss and so far HeWho has not found the necessary documents he supposedly had to do so. Tiring of listening to him wonder where he put them, I simply walk outside and work awhile. He is always asleep or engrossed in his phone when I come back in. I AM NOT GOING TO SEARCH FOR SOMETHING HE LOST. Am I annoyed, yes, I am!
ReplyDeletePerhaps HeWho has a false sense of no-hurry, since the deadline this year is April 18...
DeleteHi Val, I too use Turbo Tax and wonder why I kept doing my taxes on the paper forms for years after Turbo Tax was available.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember exactly when I switched, but it was when it got harder to find the forms I needed, and I'd have to send off to have them mailed, since the post office didn't have some of them that were not included in my packet.
DeleteI used to buy my TurboTax CD at Walmart, but then they switched to H&R Block, so I have to order from Amazon. It's so simple even a Pony can do it! Though Genius takes his to a regular tax preparer. Can't imagine his taxes are more complicated than mine, unless it's his investments.
Your tax system seems so much more complicated than ours, although I don't have any businesses or properties to account for, so there's that. Plus I'm retired now and living on the age pension, so I don't pay taxes and don't need to fill out any forms.
ReplyDeleteDang! That's a sweet deal. We have to file, even if we end up not owing anything. Hick and I have our withholding set so that we usually get a refund. Better than a surprise tax bill, even though it means we're letting the government have use of our money until refund time.
DeleteI think you had quite an ordeal doing your taxes. I gather the info and take it to the CPA who does my taxes, that alone is work, but I would not want to do my own taxes. When my hubby was alive we did use TurboTax but I don't want to cope with that on my own. Congrats on you doing your taxes.
ReplyDeleteI would be more nervous dropping it off at a CPA, and then playing phone tag when he/she found out I was lacking that 1099-INT, and rushing to supply it, and finding out it didn't exist. At least I'm controlling my own destiny!
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