Friends,
As you well know, it’s tax season. What you don’t know is that I’ve been in a bit of a panic about it (maybe because your recent posts have been few and far between? – ed Could be!). Yesterday, I finally fired up H&R Block’s Tax Cut and got to work.
After a mercifully short time, there was the damage. Four hundred bucks to the state and the Feds. “Crap! Those bastards are greedy this year!” I cracked to no one but the cowering dog. What could’ve changed from last year when I got a big fat refund? I don’t know because I can’t find last year’s return. That would’ve been helpful too because in order to file electronically, you need to use last year’s adjusted gross income as an ersatz PIN number (in addition to an actual PIN number, only one has to be right). Can’t find your 2007 AGI? Just call this IRS toll-free number! Sunday in April, a week and a half before the deadline, and the IRS is closed. Good thinking.
I had to find that return, so the search continued—right until I found yet another mortgage interest statement to add to the mix. Look! The numbers are now within ten bucks of last year (now only the great state of California is run by greedy bastards). Now I can live without electronic filing. Now some semblance of order has returned.
Next year, I fully hope to report additional income from your patronage of the fine advertisers on the right of the page. My accounting so far indicates that I’ve earned well over a nickel. That’s solid progress towards the financial viability of this enterprise, but we can surely do much more. Maybe ratchet the check up to an entire dime!
Your pal,
– bob