Tax season

[The Lost One]

Most tax software programs are good for doing a simple Form 1040. Even though you've have 4 jobs and moved between states, your Federal tax return won't be that complex but State taxes is another issues. if you are going to use tax software, I would still get a set of instructions and forms so that you can follow along. Another suggestion, (if taxes really confuse you) is find a VITA (Volutare Income Tax Assistance) program site were you can have your taxes done for free or just suck it up and pay H&R block (or some other tax preparer) to do your taxes for you.

[Shrain]

Thanks, Lost One. Maybe I'll try the TurboTax out and print out locate a set of good instructions & forms. But you're right about the state taxes being more of a pain. Those are what I was mainly worried about.

Oh, and there are groups that do your taxes for FREE? Wow. How can that be? It's like finding the proverbial money tree.

[MsFish]

Taxes made me happy this year because I didn't have to do the part-year resident thing in two states for the first time in a long time.  Also, I already got my return!  Go me!

[Shrain]

Taxes made me happy this year because I didn't have to do the part-year resident thing in two states for the first time in a long time.  Also, I already got my return!  Go me!

Fish can be so cruel! *sob*

Well, back to my confusing pile of tax stuff.

[Spriggan]

Thanks, Lost One. Maybe I'll try the TurboTax out and print out locate a set of good instructions & forms. But you're right about the state taxes being more of a pain. Those are what I was mainly worried about.

Oh, and there are groups that do your taxes for FREE? Wow. How can that be? It's like finding the proverbial money tree.

Actually if you make under a certain amount of money a year online sites are required by law to do them for free.

[Shrain]

Sprigg, that's cool. What's the cut off amount, do you know? How little do you have to make?

[Tink]

On the site that I used, it said if you made under $50,000/year (with a few other stipulations, which I'm not sure what they are) then it was free. But the one I did only let me do my federal taxes free. I paid $9.95 to get my state done free, but I figured with the convenience, and the fact I was getting back over $500, it was worth it. Especially since it was all online and really easy to fill out and submit. No hard copies to send in the mail and no forms to get. It filled it out for you and made it into a PDF when you were done (so you could download them and print them out for your records). Also, you can have your money deposited directly into your bank account so that you don't have to worry about the check being lost in the mail and you get it faster.

Once I'm making normal amounts of money (i.e. over 50,000) I think I'm going to get an accountant to do my taxes. I hear it's only like $100 and I figure if my taxes are really complicated by then, with mortgage interest, investments, etc., it will be easier and worth the money.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I think it's really cute when people think over 50,000 is "real money."

[Tink]

Yeah, well when you used to making $10,000 as a student, it sure feels like it. Plus, when I am making that much I figure my taxes will be a lot more complicated cause we'll likely own a house and what not.

And I didn't say it was "real" money. I said it was "normal amounts" of money. In my mind there is a difference.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

ok, fair enough

I used to think I'd be doing well and/or owning when I made $50k too
now I do. my poverty makes me giggle

of course, if you live in Utah, it's probably much more likely that you can buy/live on that.

Stupid utahns.

[Spriggan]

ya 50k is a lot of money out here.  I live comfortably off of 15k.

As for the amount for the free tax filing, it depends on all sort of things but a single person in their 20s it's 10k or less.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

if you didn't have room mate, living on 15k would be much more difficult. Especially if you also had a woman and/or kids you were supporting on it.

[Spriggan]

No arguing that, I just made the point that if 15k could comfortably support me then 50k could handle a much more expensive situation.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

/me shakes his fist and curses you mormons some more.

[stacer]

I remember a time when 50k seemed like a lot, too. It's still a lot more than I make, but now that gap has lessened, especially because of student loan payments, cost of living in all the places I can ever get a job, etc. I mourn the days I used to pay $175 a month including utilities for my own room. Ah, those were the days. Though, Utah is very unfriendly to pets, so I'd never have been able to have my cat, which was one of the things I really hated about living in Utah so long. (I moved to Utah with a cat, who died because my cousin's wife wouldn't let me keep her in the house--a fact she didn't tell me till I'd already flown the cat out to Utah--and was never able to get another cat again till now.)