The IRS and Me

It's getting near Tax time again, and here I go with my IRS dance. You see for the past - oh - maybe 7 years, I have owed the IRS some money. Long story, but it happened when I lost my job the same year the company I worked for piled some extra money on my income. They screwed up and it was supposed to go on a previous year (a year I made less money and wouldn't be taxed so high) but their accountant was a putz and didn't know how to handle the mistake.

So I owed the IRS a considerable amount when I had no money. I also didn't know you could call them and make arrangements with them. I thought they just piped out your bank account (like they did) and made you loose everything (like they did). But what I had in my account, wasn't what I owed. So I contacted my state representative (did you know you could do that?) and they connected me with a specialist to help. My taxes have been deferred until my income is enough that I can pay back.

The dancing issue is that the IRS forgets every year. It seems that each year has a different department and they don't work well with each other (talk about efficiency) . So every year I have to write them a letter, reminding them that I have very little income (like they can't just see that) and I can't pay what I owe. Basically, it's not tax, it's self employment tax that my earned income doesn't cover. That's what I owe every year since I've been self employed.

So last year I wrote and they missed my note and sent a letter out mid year. I explained again and they wrote back to tell me they will look into it. Finally at the end of October I got a letter, saying they were very busy, but they are still looking into it. And then I got another letter, and another letter, and another letter, every week until December 26th when they finally came to a conclusion. I was right.

Now I know where a good portion of the fiscal shortage is coming from, not from tax shortages, but government waste. Why did they have to send me 8 letters telling me they haven't made a decision yet?

And now it's tax time again, and I'm guessing I'll have to pay again and the dance will continue. At least next year I should have enough income to start paying down my debt. I hope the IRS and Me will continue to be friends after the dance is over :)

The Cost of Freedom

My ancestors were immigrants to the United States of America. They were from Ireland, Germany and Hungary. They left their countries to find a better life in America. I bet most of you living in the US have a similar story. Some of my ancestors even came to the US to be servants to wealthy Americans. It was a way to escape poverty or famine in their country.

I've been hearing so much hate against, well, just about everything lately. Hate against Muslims, Jews, Chinese, Mexicans, the poor (how does one hate the poor?), the wealthy, the educated, the uneducated, gays, lawyers (I get that), taxes, the guy at the quickie mart. and so much more.

People claiming to be Christian, who forget that they are to love, forgive and be charitable. People who forget that they are not just like their neighbor and their neighbor has a right to his own beliefs.

It doesn't hurt you that your neighbor is gay, or black, or Muslim, or even a Republican. It hurts you to think that your way is the only way, and it hurts you to hate. Your hate is eating away at you, and killing you.

I have also, always felt it was my duty as a citizen to pay my fair share to help this great country. That's why it is so great. You want schools, roads, police, and an army to protect us and help the world, you pay taxes. You want a safe and comfortable place for your children to grow up and learn, you pay taxes.

image via http://mtxtremist.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

Those of you who have not been to poorer countries have no clue. In Bangkok, Thailand, people have sheds in the big city against corporate buildings. In Manila, (Philippines) people have sheds, by the railroad tracks and under bridges for shelter. In Mexico, crime is so bad that the police stand by banks with assault riffles to protect them. Children perform in the middle of busy streets for a few pennies. People are so poor in those countries, that there is much crime, theft, drug trafficking, and murder, just so people can survive and feed their families.

You should all be grateful that you earn enough to be able to pay 25% and still have enough to pay for your food, your cars and your nice homes. And a retirement program that will provide for you in your senior years.

Maybe I'm just a bleeding heart liberal, maybe I understand the meaning of freedom, maybe I've seen the bigger picture or maybe, just maybe, I've looked in the mirror and have seen where I came from and who I really am.

Life on Mars - Another Quiet Week?

Ha, I fooled you. No it was not quiet. My DD had a horrible sinus infection and was moaning in pain for days before she gave up and went to the DR. On Valentines Day we were invited next door for dinner by her MIL who felt that us eating Lasagna there was better than the steak dinner that DD's DH had to make for her. Of course she would rather have Lasagna with her MIL.

So early in the am,  both of us in pain get a call from MIL. Can she use our stove to cook the cake, because hers doesn't work? Great, we get one pan of batter. We bake and she comes over, "that's good I'll send over the next one in a few minutes". She only had one pan so she baked half at a time. Then she was going to make the lasagna later. We always save energy by planning what we need to bake at the same time. The freaking oven was on all day, and we really didn't feel like dealing with the nonsense that day.

Wednesday we got DD to the DR and got some meds. I did grocery shopping with a whopper of a neck ache and sinus headache. Later that day I heard from my DS who is at the Mayo Clinic, trying to find out if and when he's getting surgery. He was sent there by medicaid for 2 days of testing.

The second day my DS was at Mayo I got more updates. They really weren't sure, because they needed more tests that couldn't get approved by Medicaid. They are thinking that maybe he can hold of on surgery for a while, but that he needs a defibrillator to regulate his heart and start it if it should stop. Apparently because surgery is so difficult and the replacement valves only last so long, they like to hold off as long as possible.

Later that day I was writhing in pain with the worst headache I think I ever had. It wasn't sinus, it had to do with the neck ache and it was in the back of my head. DD and I passed the poor baby back and forth as we each had our moments of misery. After nearly 2 weeks of this, we were getting pretty weak too, and so behind on work.

Finally catching up on work. Car still not mobile, but it does start up. We are thinking the emergency brake cable is hung up. We are praying for a decent tax return. I won't have one, but DD might. I start work on it next week.