Diary of a Middle-aged Woman

02/25/07 - Taxes - UGH!

It's time I start thinking about gathering all of our information to begin the process of preparing our taxes. I hate this whole routine, mostly because it falls on my shoulders to do it.

There was a time when I took everything to a friend of mine, who was a CPA. She gave us a huge break on her fee. Once I noticed that she was using TurboTax to do them, I thought, why can't I just do them. So began my long hated relationship with yearly tax return preparation.

I usually pick a Sunday and start entering information, answering the questions that are prompted, and sorting through the mountain of information I have. When I think I am finished, I ask my husband to look through it and sign it. Well, this is the part that I really, I mean really, hate. "Did you enter the mortgage interest?" "What about the taxes we paid last year?" "What about daycare payments?" On and on he asks and I answer his questions with as much patience as I can muster. Then, I snap.

My husband is the one who pesters me to do them. When I finally get them done, he stands over me criticizing, questioning, and detracting the work that I did. "If you don't like what I've done - then YOU do them!" This is my annual comeback. Hearing this, he usually tries to back-pedal and smooth over my ruffled feathers, so to speak. He doesn't want to do them. I only got stuck with it because I am "The Banker" in the family. Big Whoop!

I can't blame my husband for questioning them - well, I can and do, but for this discussion let's just say I can't. We always hear of people who get great refund amounts. They use their refund to buy great vacations, or something wanted for the house. We, on the other hand, end up paying in. Last year it was over two thousand dollars - ouch! So, he wants to make sure I remember to count everything. With TurboTax it is hard to forget things - it prompts you every step of the way. I tell him this, but he still questions me.

You know, I think this year I will make him do them. It will be good for him to learn how to do them on the computer. He can see how much trouble I go through and then, when he is finished, I'll stand there and question, criticize and detract from his work. I think that would do my soul some good.

Have a great day!