Turbo Tax causing twitching...

Tax season has begun. In every family there is one person who ends up doing the taxes of all the brothers and sisters and etc. Most of the returns that I do take no real effort. We are not a wealthy people, so there are not a lot of huge capital investments, real estate transfers...

But I always feel a certain trepidation whenever I have to let the person know what the bottom line is. Because after all - the numbers are what they are. But I never know for sure if I'm going to have good news or bad news. A lot of folks got used to refunds. Slowly various politicos have adjusted the tax tables so that Joe Public is carrying around that extra $15 per paycheck. But Joe Public liked his refund! Doesn't matter that it is the absolute worst form of Christmas Club there could be out there. They don't pay ANY interest!! But people liked being able to go on a little spending spree.

Now, even though it really is the better financial choice - people don't like to hear that they broke even. Or that they're getting a couple hundred bucks. They want a windfall! A little advice to those folks - just have the feds keep some more of your money. If you're married, make your W4 (the form you file at work) single. If you're single, don't even claim yourself. But be warned - that is YOUR money that you're putting into a non-interest-bearing savings. However, out of sight, out of mind...if you can't touch it (and trust me...the feds aren't going to let you touch it) then you can't spend it.

And if you break even - then you got the math just right...the monkeys in Washington haven't been using your dough for free. And don't shoot the messenger. It is what it is.

Hamster stepping down from soap box. Tomorrow a post about rec league basketball - Jack's team has moved to the second round of the playoffs!