The Taxes are Done!

Glory, Hallelujah!  The last several years have presented such a burdensome chore in the form of taxes.  The burden is financial, of course, but it so easily translates to a burden of time and emotion, as well. 

It hasn’t always been this way.  I used to relish the idea of doing taxes—well, the return if not the process.  But our financial condition has changed, making it so that we now regularly owe the government, and I can’t ever figure out how to pay.

Last year we went to a tax preparation company.  I was a basket case at the prospect of doing the taxes, so my darling husband made the appointment.  But the company didn’t do anything I couldn’t do.  I still had to bring all the information together and run the numbers to turn in total for each category.  As I was digging through files, I kept wondering what we were paying these people for.  Then when the damage was announced—not our debt to the government, but their own exorbitant fees—I had had enough.  With a $200 off coupon, their fee was still more than double that—not at all what we were quoted at the beginning.

I went home and got on the computer myself.  Not only was I able to find more deductions, but the cost of the computer program was about a third of their fees.  Whoo hoo for us!

So, this year, we didn’t even consider going outside the home for the processing.  I have known that I need to get on it, knowing we would owe again.  Sometimes I can convince myself that ignorance is bliss.  But it really isn’t.

So, before before February is out, I finished.  I know the numbers—which aren’t as bad as numbers past.  The load is mostly off now.  We just need to come up with the money for the stinking state!