Tax Time Freakie-doos. (five stories)

[WanderingSaint]

I only started doing my taxes last year. The year before that my dad did them, and he honestly forgot to do them until the last minute, and forgot some things (he admitted that to me later when I asked. I was going through finals so just didn't have the time, he offered... but meh.).

I'm slightly confused when it says I have 'Such and such' unclaimed student loans (Canadian). So what? I'm not in college anymore.. does that mean that I"m jsut approved for that amount? Or is that amount already taken out in my name and I'm being charged for it as I pay back my loans? What?

... My family has no clue since none of them had student loans back when they went to school (When it was quite a mite more AFFORDABLE).

Can someone answere that for me?

[Bright_Star]

Why can't people who go to tax preparers learn how to do their own taxes? It's not that hard to learn & it saves you moolah.

[Broomjockey]

Why can't people who go to tax preparers learn how to do their own taxes? It's not that hard to learn & it saves you moolah.

Because some people don't have the time, some people are afraid, as they hear about all the bad things that can happen if you screw up, some people have special circumstances that require intricate knowledge of tax code. Why do some people bake bread at home instead of buying it at the store?

[ArcticChicken]

I'm so glad I don't have complicated tax stuff happening yet. According to the IRS web site I don't even have to file this year, unless I want that $2 back.

[tropicsgoddess]

I could never bring myself to do it on my own, and risk the penalties from doing something wrong, whereas HR has that nice risk thing for me.

Same here..and to top that I'm terrible at math.

[bainsidhe]

Regarding the bodily fluids on the chair, if people were aware of it, for goodness sake why wasn't it brought to the attention of an employee so the soiled furniture could be removed/cleaned/something. There aren't words to describe how upset I'd be if I was the one unfortunate enough to sit there IN IT. That and I would probably become violently ill on the spot. Yuck.

[Bella_Vixen]

For what it's worth, I have H&R Block do my taxes for me. I may be broke, but they are worth it, to me. I canNOT do my own taxes without getting so frustrated that I cry...and that's when I only had one job to fill it out for.

[Retail Associate]

..and to top that I'm terrible at math.

Turbo Tax does all the math for you. I use Turbo Tax Free Edition for both State & Federal. It's really convenient too because you don't have to leave home and you get your refund in about 10 days.

The biggest problem I have is still being stuck with dial-up. It takes a bit longer just because my connection is so slow but it's still better than the old way...collecting/mailing all the forms...or paying someone to do them.

I usually have mine done by the end of January but for some reason I haven't received my W-2s from my second employer. If I'm not mistaken, aren't you supposed to receive them by January 31st?

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[Geek King]

I usually have mine done by the end of January but for some reason I haven't received my W-2s from my second employer. If I'm not mistaken, aren't you supposed to receive them by January 31st?

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They just have to be mailed by then. As long as the post mark is 1-31, the company's still legal.

[trunks2k]

If you don't own a house or have anything additional that you can deduct from your taxes (i.e. student loan interest), then just fill out a 1040EZ. It's really, really simple. You basically just copy what's on your W2 and make the standard deduction. Viola, you're done in a couple minutes.

[MadMike]

I used to do my own taxes when I was single, no kids, and not a homeowner. It's actually pretty simple in that case, even if you've had three jobs like I did one year.

But once I became a parent, and especially once I became a homeowner, I was afraid that I'd screw myself out of some money, and started having someone do them.

[BlaqueKatt]

I use H&R Block's web services-mainly because it's easy and they store my information for me, and I still get the benefit of having them back me if something's wrong.

[powerboy]

I have gotten 2 W-2's but I need one for my last job. But I know that they are not going to send it. They are way to damn stupid to do anything. How do I go about collecting it? I don't have an email for the owners or their number

[ditchdj]

Unholy pet you sound like you're competing with blas for the title of encountering the most number of idiotic nut jobs that MUST be missing a chromosome. I've been through TN where you say you're from, and it sounds like the behavior of the people there you describe accurately reflects their driving habits.

BTW You should try filing through H&R block.com online. Only costs around $20 to get your money back in a few days. If you make a small error the IRS usually wont care and will just correct it for you. They usually dont go after you unless you're trying to claim something in the four or five figures.

[Geek King]

I have gotten 2 W-2's but I need one for my last job. But I know that they are not going to send it. They are way to damn stupid to do anything. How do I go about collecting it? I don't have an email for the owners or their number

Either go to the place of business itself, or contact the IRS with the EXACT business name if you don't have them by the end of next week (1-8-08). They will (well, should) help you figure out what to do. Be nice, the person on the line will be a little harried this time of year.