Posts Tagged ‘Tea Party’
Dear Internal Revenue Service, part 2
Washington, D.C.
April 20, 2010
Dear Taxpayees:
When I last wrote you on Tax Day, I was upset. I thought I owed you (and the State of Michigan) a few thousand dollars in income taxes.
Since I’m unemployed, I currently have no way of paying taxes — beyond what’s already been dutifully withheld, of course.
So on the night of April 15, I went to my nearest major post office, observed the Tea Party tax protest, made sure my extension forms were properly postmarked, knew the extensions wouldn’t save me from what was already due, and prayed you’d somehow understand once I finished my returns.
Yesterday I finished my returns with a copy of my W2. To my surprise, you actually owe me. About $550. (Insert my happy sigh of relief here.)
I quickly e-filed off my 1040 to you. Here’s where you can send the refund.
I trust this concludes our business for another year.
Sincerely,
Joanne Taxpayer
Dear Internal Revenue Service:
Washington, D.C.
April 15, 2010
Dear Taxpayees:
Well, it happened. The thing of which I’ve been scared since last April 15.
I owe you. Big time. And since I’m unemployed, I have no money with which to pay you. None. Zip. Nada. Not a dime.
(In fact, this week, I’ve been house sitting for a little extra cash. Which I expect you’ll expect me to declare on my 2010 return. But enough about that.)
You see, I thought I did everything right by you, IRS. I had taxes withheld from my unemployment payments. I took emergency distributions from my IRA account — but I had taxes withheld from those, too. As you would want me to do.
When I finally, nervously, started doing my taxes earlier this week, the numbers on the top left-hand corner of my TurboTax software were in the green! I was, apparently, getting a refund. A very nice and much-needed refund. This being the 21st century, I happily Tweeted and Facebooked the good news to my friends and followers.
However, I couldn’t find my W2 from my former employer. So I called my former employer and asked for a copy. And prepared to file for an extension, making sure I didn’t owe anything ….
Then I entered in the information from my Forms 1099-R. (Forms from those IRA and other retirement account distributions, as you know.)
Before I knew it, the number changed from green to red. You can just imagine my shocked, sad face when I saw that big, red number.
My big, fat refund was now a big, fat payment. Due today, along with my Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
It’s almost enough to make a woman want to join the Tea Party. Even though I prefer coffee.
May we please work out a payment plan, IRS?
Sincerely,
Joanne Taxpayer
What's So Funny About Unemployment? 