A Taxing Season Til April 15th
April 15th is only a month away. I find myself wondering if I should attempt to do it myself or just call a CPA.
April 15th, Looming Large
In case anyone has forgotten, income tax returns are due in just over a month. April 15th is looming large, as they say. It is not that www.calamitypolitics has that many deductible expenses, but that is only because I haven’t figured out how to deduct my daily double Caramel Mocha or my mani-pedis. Maybe I should consult Ivanka on that.
To Deduct, Or Just File Away
I have been busy, sorting, ironing and filing receipts, getting ready for tax deadline
Over the last week, I have been sorting, ironing and filing receipts. Typically I toss most of my Calamity Politics tax receipts into my car’s glove box. I find if I crumple up every receipt really small I can fit a lot of them in the glove box. Any overflow goes in to the bottom file drawer in my home office. The only problem comes at the end of the tax year when I have to get out the ironing board and iron those crumpled receipts flat.
Tax Year and a Standard Year
My son keeps telling me there is no difference between a ‘standard year’ and a ‘tax year’, both are 365 days long. Well, I don’t believe it; I see it as just more government distortion. It feels as if the tax year is actually 9 months long, or 270 days. It is like a time morph for the muddled, and the disorganized. I’m sure this phenomenon is a real knee-slapper for those at the IRS. The government’s artificially shortened year, combined with the recent tax changes has admittedly added to my tax preparation anxiety.
Call a Friend
I figured I am not the only one with tax deduction stress so I called on my friend and fellow writer Wes Hessel to come up with some help for me and other befuddled American tax payers. Check out what he learned and is now sharing with us.
D. S. Mitchell
A Taxing Season Til April 15th
By Wes Hessel
Facing The Inevitable
They say that only two things are certain: death and taxes; while some may prefer death over doing their taxes, there are gratis resources that can avoid your considering 1040 to be a four-number word.
Land Of The Free
A Google search for “free tax help” (YSRMV – Your Search Results May Vary) yields multiple options for Federal tax return tools that are credible:
- The AARP Foundation offers free tax preparation for seniors at Tax-Aide locations – https://secure.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action
- A United Way partnership with H&R Block provides free tax prep and filing – https://www.myfreetaxes.com/
- H&R Block also offers free tax preparation directly through their site – https://www.hrblock.com/ (the difference is apparently in the criteria to qualify and potentially what is provided for free)
- Three of the major online tax preparers offer free prep and/or filing:
- The Department of Defense offers free tax software and help for military service members and their families –
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/
