Done - almost. Currently making copies before I place it in the mail tomorrow. We've got cash coming this time. I know the goal is to get to zero, but it's always nice to know there's a check with your name on it coming soon.

Yes, I signed something in my groggy state. And, this is exciting, we're going to get a new water heater, washer and dryer!!!! Whoop whoop!

April 15th approaches!

As CP alluded to earlier, my initial run through back in February showed us owing, and owing a lot, so I'm happily putting writing that check off until the bitter end.

So I finally took Saturday to finalize things. I figured it'd be quick and easy since I'd already penciled everything in, just needed to double check the work and sign. Hah!

Mistake 1: Wrong form. Can't use the EZ because I've got dividend income. Dang, off to the IRS and franchise tax board websites to download the 1040A and the 540A.

Mistake 2: Turns out I made a really careless math error and overstated our wages by $10K on the 1040! Sweet, that meant $1000 less to pay than I thought. We still owed, but a lot less.

Annoyance 1: Because our witholding was so out of whack this year (CP's was really low, and me only working half a year screwed things up), we owed quite a bit...enough that we have to pay an underpayment penalty. Grrr. Well, that meant a frenzy of paperwork as I double checked that we did have to pay it, and began to estimate how much. In the middle of estimating how much, I notice that because my wages changed through the year, I may be eligible to have it waived. Okay, that's ANOTHER form...and it's really complex. Grrr. I'm spending half an hour plus running around trying to fill these forms out. Finally I say, screw it, I won't have it waived, I'll pay it and be done with it. So I run through the estimate...it's $15 :rolleyes: If I had know that...

Mistake 3: Okay, so I get it done, get them signed, and bring it all to work today to get it mailed. I give it ONE more scan...and realize that on the Federal form I managed to look at the wrong column in the tax table!!! :mad: I've never made this many mistakes doing my taxes, geeeeez. So now, that's another $500 less, AND it means we don't have to pay the underpayment penalty.

Oh well, at least I caught the mistakes and they meant paying LESS. Much better than finding mistakes and learning you have to pay MORE. But there was about an hour of wasted effort and frustration as I pointlessly dealt with estimating and attempting to waive the penalty.

I can't believe that Friday is tax day already. We ended up breaking even this year. We owe one and get a refund from the other, so that, plus paying the tax guy, it comes out a wash.

It's better than owing, that's my motto. I'm just crossing my fingers that the refund gets here in time to cover the payment!

Oh. Right. Taxes. I should, um, phone those in.

Well, find more mistakes!!! :p

Or an accountant?;)

I'm lucky- my sis is an accountant. I am so sad when it comes to tax crap, but she is really awesome. She sucks when it comes to doing hair, so it all evens out.:D

The thing is, our taxes are freakin' simple. 1040A, standard deduction, no credits other than witholding. I just made a series of dumb careless mistakes that I don't usually make.

Just wait until you're homeowners. Deducting the mortgage interest rocks! That alone made the whole homebuyer paperwork (and with a VA loan, there's even MORE paperwork) experience worth it.

I should hire myself out to do taxes. I'm not an accountant, but I think it's fun. I like to go over each and every blank and read the instructions.

I use HR Block Tax Cut software. Takes me about an hour to do it, and I don't have to worry about mistakes looking the tax table as GD did (understandable), and it asks me about every possible deduction. Only costs about $20 for the software after rebates, and I find it well worth it.

Anyway, I've been done for a while. Getting a larger refund than I like, so I djusted my withholding to not give so much to the government up front. WHy give an interest free loan?