The Ides Of Taxes Are Upon You

[filkertom]

In other words, open thread. :)

Comments

[jss]

And for half the residents of my street it's doubly-unpleasant: Today is the first streetcleaning of the spring season (third Wed/Thu of the month, odd/even sides get cleaned). If your car's on the wrong side of the street it gets towed today. If you'd forgotten since you haven't had to deal with street cleanings since November (we had feet of snow in December so it didn't happen, and we don't do it in the winter quarter), you're screwed.

Luckily, I'm parked on the odd side today. I just have to move the car before Saturday morning since it's a temporary no-parking zone for a big moving van.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I hate parking rules. But then, I live near U-M Stadium, and have been ticketed for parking in the wrong spot on my own street.

[jss]

I remember. I used to live down that way too.

But hey, so I have to move my car twice per month nine months of the year. Big whoop. (Why, yes, I do have my computer set up to remind me about it when relevant.)

Words of Wisdom

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I don't have a direct link to today's Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet, but the quote is fabulous:

It really depresses me, what's happened to the Internet.

All these people got on it.

Re: Words of Wisdom

[netpositive.livejournal.com]

Well, yes.

But at least some of us are smart, funny, and talented. ;)

[vulpine137.livejournal.com]

Amazing the crowd of people at the post office. Then again, I can't be the only slacker around ;)

[almeda.livejournal.com]

We got ours mailed last night, whew. Married filing jointly, for the first time.

I have to rejigger my withholdings, though; I make about 11K more than my husband, per year, but they only withhold $100 more than his work did for him, meaning MY net tax-check bill was about $700. Luckily, John's was going to be a $200 refund, so I only had to write a $500 check, but still. Something's gotta change over here.

I'm the sort who'd rather write a $100 tax check than get a $100 refund (though this year's take on it was excessive). Mainly 'cause I'd rather have the interest, instead of letting the govt. keep it.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Redo your W-4 and add an extra $10 withholding. That keeps you from owing anything and gets you a refund at tax time.

[almeda.livejournal.com]

Can't. I can only add to my withholding with 'exemptions,' or whatever those are called, and it's a deep dark black magic how that actually relates to *anything* numeric in dollars. Sigh.

[jss]

Nonsense. Line 6 of the (2004) US IRS form W-4 provides space for a per-paycheck dollar deduction. While most people leave it blank ($0), you can indeed have per-paycheck deductions taken out.

[eleri.livejournal.com]

what he said. Always take one less deduction on your w-4 than the IRS says you can. You get less per paycheck, but you're almost guarnateed to get a refund at taxtime. And that's mucho better than finding out you owe $$$

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Then there are those of us who count... us. Me. Can't declare Da Bear.

[barbarakitten-t.livejournal.com]

here it is

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Thanks, kitten! See you this weekend!

[popefelix.livejournal.com]

It's not KittenCon already, is it?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

PenguiCon, in Novi, MI. Kitten said something in an earlier thread about being there....

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

One of the younger people I work with was mopping around the store last night. Seems she hadn't done her taxes yet, and wanted to pay someone to do them for her.

She made $11,000 last year.
She has no dependants.
She has no investments, no capital gains, all her taxable income came from her wages.

Her situation is why the form 1040EZ was born. It takes 15 minutes to fill out, and requires nothing but 3rd grade arithmetic to understand. I told her to head over to the Post Office near our store and grab one, and I'd fill out her taxes on my 15 minute break, but she would rather wait to have her stoner boyfriend, how hasn't filed in the last two years, do it today.

Damn, was I ever that young and stupid? (Looks at misspelled Grateful Dead tattoo on arm) I guess I was, but at least I always filed on time!

[janet-coburn.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiosity, where did you get that curious Japanese logo? I have fond memories of people who shared its meaning with me, long ago. (Once upon a time I studied with Shidoshi Hayes and his group.)

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

From a "What aspect of Bushido are you" quiz. It's Chugo, which is the determination to do one's duty no matter the cost. That's me to a t.

[janet-coburn.livejournal.com]

It's most commonly associated with the ninja. The character is made up of two others that mean "blade" and "heart," which could either mean a heart as strong and powerful as a blade or the likelihood of getting a knife in your heart, depending on how you feel about ninjas.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I find it interesting, because the portion of the Ranger Creed that always meant the most to me were these lines:

Surrender is not a Ranger word.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.

You can read the whole thing here:

http://www.ranger.org/rangerCreed.html

It's something I still strive to live by today.

[janet-coburn.livejournal.com]

After further study and reflection, it occurs to me that the kanji is not the exact one I remember from the ninja, though it is clearly related. The lower part of it is definitely "heart," but I was mistaken about the upper part being "blade." Still, the character is obviously a comment on the heart of a warrior, and perhaps the lines you quote from the ranger code capture it well.

[sdavido.livejournal.com]

My sister, thankfully, helped me with mine last night. I got some free advice at H+R Block which was worth everthing I paid for it . . .

[ororo.livejournal.com]

I did mine in February. TurboTax is my friend.

Interesting piece on NPR the other day about the IRS. Like why can't it do what most banks can do over the internet?

Answer: some of the info is in databases so old in a language so archaic, nobody can get to it.

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

Bah. Taxes. My dad does mine for me, but he's teaching me to learn to do them m'self. However, they're done for this year, already got my state refund, and promptly blew it on Anime Boston. Whee!

How Many Presidential Candidates...

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

... does it take to change a light bulb? (http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/04/Mar/preslb.html)