High School graduation.
College graduation. (If applicable.)
Marriage.
Birth of children.
Etcetera, etcetera, so forth, and so on.
This past weekend, I encountered one such change in my own life, and in Lovely Wife's life too I guess.
I did a careful, rough draft of our income taxes for the calendar year 2006.
And...
For the first time in our lives, and certainly the first time in our 22 year marriage, we will have to PAY federal income tax to the IRS.
Oh, the humanity!!
The kids grow up, and one by one start dropping off the list of dependents for tax purposes. Regardless of whether they still live with you, if they've reached a certain age and/or are no longer in school...
Poof! No more yearly tax refund.
There are basically two trains of thought on federal income taxes, one, like us, would rather be sure to pay a little more than we need to so that at the end of the tax year we will get money back instead of being hit with a nasty unexpected bill.
The other frame of mind on the subject, was how my Father In Law always thought of taxes. He HATED the very idea that the IRS had even one non-interest-drawing dollar of his in their posession. He would always make sure he had to pay every year, and I remember him going to the post office at 11pm on April 14th every year to mail his taxes. I kid you not. The post office would be open and have personnel on hand to stamp the envelopes to the IRS as being mailed on April 14th. He was determined to hold his own money, and to wait until the very last moment to send what he owed to the IRS. I mean that literally; he would take his tax form and check to the post office at 11pm on April 14th every year.
Maybe that's why I suck with money, but my attitude was always one in which I would rather overpay, because the IRS scares the snot out of me. Probably just exactly what they want me to feel like.
So, it's a sad, sad time in the Masters's houshold.
Today, there shall be weeping and knashing of teeth. And dying visions of spiffy things we could have bought with a hefty tax refund.
I need a tissue.
This is a weak post so I'll throw in a couple of photos to fluff this chicken up.
500 Horses
Tora! Tora! Tora!
4 comments:
Sorry you're back on the tax rolls.
I used to pay several thousand extra a year when I didn't itemize and before kids. Now I get refunds.
I'm sure it will not be a happy day when I lose that 3000 deduction.
Whew. There for a moment I thought you thought you weren't paying taxes all along. But it was clarified.
Imagine Dean Martin singing this song in the background as I write this: "Welcome to My World, Won't You Come On In". Cary & I have had to pay for the past several years since both boys are grown. However, PRAISE THE LORD, this year we get back $16.00!!!!!!!!!!
I'm with your FIL on this one, although I keep an eye on my exemptions and try to break even. I'll pay my share, but no more than my share. The rest belongs to me and I want it working for me, not the government.
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