Wel don, Jef. After breezing through a high-school bookkeeping class and pondering the merits and a career as an accountant — including a year of Junior Achievement where I represented GR at the National J.A. Conference at Indiana University — I veered to a career in journalism and, eventually, teaching Special Education. Even with all of that activity, I’ve battled the belly bulge familiar to many members of my family; I can’t imagine how much I would weigh if I spent my life sitting behind a desk, crunching numbers. (OK, that may be a misconception, so now all of you accountants and tax people can take a shot at my stereotype of y’all.)
My mother did tax returns for businesses and had me helping here when I was old enough to use the calculator that produced a printout. I learned a lot from her, especially the deduction sections of the tax laws and what to pay attention to. I do my own taxes and file them as early as possible. I got my $$’s from state and federal in week 3 of Feb. I would have gotten them sooner if the companies that owe tax statements to people would get them out the 1st workday of Jan. With everything computerized in the business world, there is no reason for the delay. And going paperless, like the businesses want, I would have had my documents the 2nd workday and my taxes filed by the 3rd workday. I had 99% of my taxes completed in Dec thanks to computers and software.
I have always done my own taxes. Before I had a computer, I used a variety of adding machines and calculators. Then I found a spreadsheet, with all the tax forms I needed with all the computations and tables built in. After a very few years, the author of that quit updating it, because others made better ones. I kept updating that spreadsheet for many years, moving it to an emulator on a Mac. When Apple converted to 64-bit, and kicked all lesser software out, the guy who maintained the emulator dropped out, and I had to switch to actual Mac software. Doing my taxes online with Free File was fine, but I still miss my spreadsheet.
Chrisdiaz801 7 months ago
Right joke for the time!
Concretionist 7 months ago
Was that a deduction or an inference?
Rhetorical_Question 7 months ago
Timing?
cdward 7 months ago
We all do from time to time. The important thing is to recognize it and fix what you can.
sandpiper 7 months ago
Frazz’s deduction is simply a normal reaction to the kid’s comment, modern life being as it is.
gawaintheknight 7 months ago
The important thing is that he took an interest.
Carl Premium Member 7 months ago
Sorry, this week is just for filing extensions, then the real work starts.
Skeptical Meg 7 months ago
I feel her pain. My SO works in a small tax office and works from 7am ’til midnight, every day, this time of year.
rshive 7 months ago
Follow that rule! Not that one — that’s not right this year.
Lambutts 7 months ago
Wel don, Jef. After breezing through a high-school bookkeeping class and pondering the merits and a career as an accountant — including a year of Junior Achievement where I represented GR at the National J.A. Conference at Indiana University — I veered to a career in journalism and, eventually, teaching Special Education. Even with all of that activity, I’ve battled the belly bulge familiar to many members of my family; I can’t imagine how much I would weigh if I spent my life sitting behind a desk, crunching numbers. (OK, that may be a misconception, so now all of you accountants and tax people can take a shot at my stereotype of y’all.)
raptor 7 months ago
My mother did tax returns for businesses and had me helping here when I was old enough to use the calculator that produced a printout. I learned a lot from her, especially the deduction sections of the tax laws and what to pay attention to. I do my own taxes and file them as early as possible. I got my $$’s from state and federal in week 3 of Feb. I would have gotten them sooner if the companies that owe tax statements to people would get them out the 1st workday of Jan. With everything computerized in the business world, there is no reason for the delay. And going paperless, like the businesses want, I would have had my documents the 2nd workday and my taxes filed by the 3rd workday. I had 99% of my taxes completed in Dec thanks to computers and software.
Mel-T-Pass Premium Member 7 months ago
Pastis-worthy. Well done.
Mike Baldwin creator 7 months ago
Very funny! But I figured it would be!
eced52 7 months ago
That means you have to pay a penalty.
braindead Premium Member 7 months ago
Elementary.
Well done.
Richard S Russell Premium Member 7 months ago
Actuary: a person who likes to work with numbers but doesn’t have the personality to be an accountant.
cknoblo Premium Member 7 months ago
I have always done my own taxes. Before I had a computer, I used a variety of adding machines and calculators. Then I found a spreadsheet, with all the tax forms I needed with all the computations and tables built in. After a very few years, the author of that quit updating it, because others made better ones. I kept updating that spreadsheet for many years, moving it to an emulator on a Mac. When Apple converted to 64-bit, and kicked all lesser software out, the guy who maintained the emulator dropped out, and I had to switch to actual Mac software. Doing my taxes online with Free File was fine, but I still miss my spreadsheet.