Thursday, March 26, 2009

Melodramatic!



I'M BACK!
MY TAXES ARE DONE! HOORAY!

And, I feel like kicking up my heels and celebrating with a contest! (More on that below.)

Some of my local friends (who read my blog) suggested that my temporary 'goodbye post' last week was leaning a bit toward the melodramatic. So, I'm sorry! Okay?

But, I HATE doing taxes! And last year was a real doozy because of losing my job, going back to school to retrain for a new career, breaking my wrist, having surgery to restore that wrist, having to repair the leaking/molding shower in the bathroom downstairs and finally deciding to quit looking for work and signing up for social security, instead! All of these incidents had to be figured into the equation because every single one of them affected my taxes. So, I was dreading taxes 'worser' (yeah, I know! ) than if I were facing a root canal! So, I hope you can forgive me for succumbing to a little melodrama (and bad English) just this once. OK?

BTW, all that 'grief' from last year added up to a refund from the IRS! So, I'll say it again, "HOORAY, HOORAY, HOORAY!"

So now, because all of you were so patient with me while I ventured into that little melodrama last week, and because I'm feeling so happy right now, here are the rules for the contest:

Just leave me a short comment (or a long one if you'd rather) and tell me whether or not you figure your own taxes, or take them to a tax preparer, or any other comment you'd rather leave.

If you do not live in the USA, you can still enter the contest. Just tell me something about the taxes in your country, or any other comment you'd rather leave.

Then on April 15th (that's tax-reckoning day here in the USA), I'll put all your names into a basket and have one of my homestay students draw out a winning name. I'll announce the winner by 10:00 p.m. PDST (Pacific Daylight Savings Time). The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Office Depot, or Office Max, or Staples, or Amazon--the choice is theirs.

HOORAY! Let the celebration begin!


13 comments:

  1. Oh goodie...I'm first!

    We started using a CPA several years back, when hubby had his own business. She is worth 20 times what we pay her.

    Just got our info sent in to her, about a week ago. We are praying to "break even" this year...

    But oh, it would be so wonderful to get something back, as we have a wedding to pay for, in June!

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  2. I am one of those slack people that leave it to the account to do the taxes......Owning our own bussiness it is much easier to do it this way....I havn't had a tax return in 10 years just pay.pay.pay.
    Glad you've got it all finnished.
    Have a great weekend.

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  3. You're BAACCKKK!!! I'm GLAAADDD!! Melodrama or not. :)

    And THANK YOU for this post because I have been after and after my husband to get an appt. with the CPA. I do the books and have paid all the bills our whole married life. He looks at nothing. This is his nod toward something financial. I HATE the taxes even though we always get a refund.

    So, naturally, he hasn't called and when I read your post today I thought, "OMGOSH! I have to call Calvin!" because Grizzly still hasn't. Okay. I just called and now they have no appts. and have to file an extension for us. Which means even longer until we get our money. GRRRRRRRR. (Insert Serenity Prayer here.)

    Nice to see you. :)

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  4. Ok, I want to win. I deserve to win you know, I got you started on this addiction. Maybe then I do not deserve to win. I guess it depends on how you look at it.
    I DO NOT do my own taxes. You know I am a kept woman and proud of it. He does them, all of them, everything, even pays the bills. Okay, okay, I am not rubbing it in. I know I am blessed and I do not take it for granted. I could do it if I had to.........I just choose not to right at the present moment.
    Glad you are back.

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  5. Taxes? I don't even WANT to talk taxes! One of the benefits (sarcastic snort) of living in Australia is that I get to pay both US taxes AND Aussie taxes... and here in Oz, we're one of the highest taxing countries in the WORLD! I think we're #3 on the list, at approx. 49% !!
    So, at approx 25% for Uncle Sam and 49% for Oz, it makes it hard, hard, hard to get ahead!

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  6. Oh how I hate doing my taxes and they are on my to-do list as well. My father (an accountant) has always done them for us. HIs life has changed and now cannot. So I said I'd get them done - that was in December. I didn't realise how much little time I'd still have even though my first just started school and I have an 18 month old.

    Have enjoyed reading your posts after popping over from The Old Dairy.

    I too am having a little giveaway for Easter. Feel free to visit me if you'd like. It simply involves doing something kind for another.

    Cheers
    Cee

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  7. TAXES??? Oh my, you are ahead of me! I still haven't sent mine in. Oh well. Keep up the good work, I love reading your posts.

    Jenny Moon
    http://jennypilgrim.blogspot.com

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  8. Just got the last of my missing paperwork to my CPA.... was audited for 2006 taxes, so hope that all goes well this year..... what a experience and a seasoned CPA made it all work. Jane

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  9. I have always done our taxes myself, but I may not be able to do them anymore since our house is now a rental that we rent at a loss.
    We'll see though. The great news is that here in AK there is no state income tax and no state sales tax! Our village does have a sales tax though. And after one calendar year here we will all get the PFD (permanent fund dividend). Money just for living in AK.

    Amazon is my new best friend..........

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  10. I have used Turbo Tax for the last 8 years or so. With my husband being laid of 7 months last year, taxes were very easy! and we acutally got some moolah back :)

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  11. Glad that you got those miserable Income Taxes out of the way. A great relief, I am sure. Fred does mine for me. We did them a couple weeks ago.

    Aunt Clyo

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  12. Howdy Aunt Sue!
    Hope your arm is healing and your wallet is recovering from Tax time! Ours was way more than usual..the draw back to winning that trip to California last December! Oh well..it was fun anyway. But Warren did mention that we can not afford to win anymore trips!
    Hope you are having a great weekend!
    Love you lots,
    Joanna

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