Minor things that please you

[Rothman]

That level of paperwork will eventually bring down the entire 16th Amendment.  Already it claims from the private economy fully half of what the entire federal income tax brings in to the government in revenue.

Mike

Every other country with an income tax just sends you mail containing either a bill or a refund check. After all, they already know how much money you made and how much was withheld. The only reason you have to do anything resembling a US tax return is if you dispute the number they came up with, which is really only likely if you're self-employed.

The US paperwork only exists because any time anyone tries to make changes to the system, the owners of TurboTax go door to door in Washington DC pissing everyone else's pants. You could easily have the 16th Amendment without the paperwork if someone would just shoot the CEO of TurboTax into space.

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

[formulanone]

That level of paperwork will eventually bring down the entire 16th Amendment.  Already it claims from the private economy fully half of what the entire federal income tax brings in to the government in revenue.

Mike

Every other country with an income tax just sends you mail containing either a bill or a refund check. After all, they already know how much money you made and how much was withheld. The only reason you have to do anything resembling a US tax return is if you dispute the number they came up with, which is really only likely if you're self-employed.

The US paperwork only exists because any time anyone tries to make changes to the system, the owners of TurboTax go door to door in Washington DC pissing everyone else's pants. You could easily have the 16th Amendment without the paperwork if someone would just shoot the CEO of TurboTax into space.

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

Sir, numbers 0-9 only.

[Scott5114]

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

The word they can have is "depreciation".

[Beltway]

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

The word they can have is "depreciation".

Inflation -- about 1970 a $20,000 annual salary was the typical third-level manager in a major company.

[Scott5114]

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

The word they can have is "depreciation".

Inflation -- about 1970 a $20,000 annual salary was the typical third-level manager in a major company.

Ranch dressing upon you and your family.

[gonealookin]

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

The word they can have is "depreciation".

Inflation -- about 1970 a $20,000 annual salary was the typical third-level manager in a major company.

Around the late 1960s and early 70s my dad would take over the dining room for a weekend each April to do the family's income taxes.  There was paper all over the dining room table and boxes of receipts, statements and what not scattered on the floor.  "You kids have to stay out of the dining room because Daddy is busy doing taxes."  I would look at that mess and think, man, I hope I never have to do that "income tax" stuff myself.

Mom was stay-at-home, and Dad was supporting a family of four on a salary of (I found out later) not much more than $10,000 per year...but it generated boxes full of paper.  He did get a little bit of help from his own parents; he borrowed from them at a low interest rate to buy the house in Walnut Creek, CA for about $30,000.  That house is worth in the $1.5 million range now.

[Beltway]

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

The word they can have is "depreciation".

Inflation -- about 1970 a $20,000 annual salary was the typical third-level manager in a major company.

Ranch dressing upon you and your family.

Way too many calories -- something like 200 calories per tablespoon.

[Beltway]

Inflation -- about 1970 a $20,000 annual salary was the typical third-level manager in a major company.

Around the late 1960s and early 70s my dad would take over the dining room for a weekend each April to do the family's income taxes.  There was paper all over the dining room table and boxes of receipts, statements and what not scattered on the floor.  "You kids have to stay out of the dining room because Daddy is busy doing taxes."  I would look at that mess and think, man, I hope I never have to do that "income tax" stuff myself.

I always did my own taxes up to 3 years ago when I could not figure out how to process long-term capital loss carryovers from the estate.

The lady at H&R Block did both returns in an hour. Never turned back -- she did my taxes yesterday for $370 and it was well worth it.

[kkt]

the owners of TurboTax go door to door in Washington DC pissing everyone else's pants.

Socialists...

Crony capitalists.

[Scott5114]

My father's handwritten 1040s from before the Reagan Revolution would like a word.

The word they can have is "depreciation".

Inflation -- about 1970 a $20,000 annual salary was the typical third-level manager in a major company.

Ranch dressing upon you and your family.

Way too many calories -- something like 200 calories per tablespoon.

Concentrated ranch dressing on all the surfaces of your home. Yours free.

[oscar]

I always did my own taxes up to 3 years ago when I could not figure out how to process long-term capital loss carryovers from the estate.

The lady at H&R Block did both returns in an hour. Never turned back -- she did my taxes yesterday for $370 and it was well worth it.

Aside from one unusual tax situation from last year, I've always been comfortable doing my own taxes. But working through TurboTax lets me e-file.

Of course, TurboTax's free e-file offer doesn't apply to me, and TurboTax and other tax prep parasites make sure I can't e-file directly.

As for the W-4 nonsense others have experienced, I don't mess with that. I have multiple sources of income (none of them wages/salaries), and for only a few of them do I arrange withholding (no W-4 for any of them). I also make sure that my withholding for some income sources covers enough of my taxes from other sources, so I can avoid underwithholding penalties (more of an issue for my state than my Federal return).

This year I was unhappy to find I had unexpected (but small) Federal and state tax refunds. I'll have to fix that for next year.

[wxfree]

This is going back a little bit, but in the 90s I started enjoying watching the Roman numerals in the copyright information at the end of television shows.  Originally it was interesting to see when the shows were made (which was not something you could just ask a computer in those days).  But over time I started to enjoy watching the years advance on the shows that I watched the new episodes of.  I really enjoyed when January came around and the new episodes had "Copyright MM" at the end.

[gonealookin]

Of course, TurboTax's free e-file offer doesn't apply to me, and TurboTax and other tax prep parasites make sure I can't e-file directly.

I've used FreeTaxUSA for the last 10 years or so.  An IRS return is free.  It's $15.99 for a state return if you go through them.  I don't do a state return, but have never had any issues with their service for the federal filing.

[JayhawkCO]

Of course, TurboTax's free e-file offer doesn't apply to me, and TurboTax and other tax prep parasites make sure I can't e-file directly.

I've used FreeTaxUSA for the last 10 years or so.  An IRS return is free.  It's $15.99 for a state return if you go through them.  I don't do a state return, but have never had any issues with their service for the federal filing.

I used them for the first time this year. A little less user friendly than TurboTax, but a hell of a lot cheaper.

[Rothman]

After my experience this year, I'd stay away from HR Block's software from now on.

[hotdogPi]

After my experience this year, I'd stay away from HR Block's software from now on.

I found it no different from previous years. (My tax return is simple enough that everything I do is within the free tier.)

My mom uses H&R Block at an in-person location. One year they severely messed up, but she thinks it was the one employee, so she just went to a different office location after that and it was fine since.

[Rothman]

After my experience this year, I'd stay away from HR Block's software from now on.

I found it no different from previous years. (My tax return is simple enough that everything I do is within the free tier.)

My mom uses H&R Block at an in-person location. One year they severely messed up, but she thinks it was the one employee, so she just went to a different office location after that and it was fine since.

Mine was not as simple for the free tier.  I think HR Block's questionnaire was too vague, leading to frustration and my first ever amended return.

[Beltway]

This is going back a little bit, but in the 90s I started enjoying watching the Roman numerals in the copyright information at the end of television shows.  Originally it was interesting to see when the shows were made (which was not something you could just ask a computer in those days).  But over time I started to enjoy watching the years advance on the shows that I watched the new episodes of.  I really enjoyed when January came around and the new episodes had "Copyright MM" at the end.

After 2000 they definitely got shorter. More impressive were --

1492    MCDXCII   
1776    MDCCLXXVI   
1862    MDCCCLXII   
1918    MCMXVIII   
1945    MCMXLV   
1953    MCMLIII   
1970    MCMLXX   
1980    MCMLXXX   
1983    MCMLXXXIII   
1992    MCMIXCII   
1999    MCMXCIX   

[kphoger]

1888 was even better, lol

[Scott5114]

I did my own taxes this year for the first time since 2011. Just used my 2024 CPA-prepared return as a guide and made sure all the same boxes were filled in with this year's numbers. I printed out blank versions of the forms, did all the calculations by hand, and then put it in the Free File Fillable Forms and verified all the calculations matched what I got. Not bad!

[The_Ginger]

Inkscape has an amazing PDF editor. I was able to make the entire PDF document here using the tools available there.

[kphoger]

The ding-ding-ding-ding when I turn the car off and open the door, to tell me I forgot to turn the headlights off.

I drove through rain showers on the way home from work yesterday.  The sun was shining the whole time, but I decided to turn my headlights on anyway.  After a few miles, I was out of the rain, and it was still sunny.  Got home, backed into the driveway, shut off the car, went to get out, and ding-ding-ding-ding.  Thank you, car!

[JayhawkCO]

The ding-ding-ding-ding when I turn the car off and open the door, to tell me I forgot to turn the headlights off.

I drove through rain showers on the way home from work yesterday.  The sun was shining the whole time, but I decided to turn my headlights on anyway.  After a few miles, I was out of the rain, and it was still sunny.  Got home, backed into the driveway, shut off the car, went to get out, and ding-ding-ding-ding.  Thank you, car!

I've had auto lights in every car I've owned since college, but every once in a while I've had a rental that didn't have them and the ding ding ding has made me quite happy as well.

[1995hoo]

The ding-ding-ding-ding when I turn the car off and open the door, to tell me I forgot to turn the headlights off.

I drove through rain showers on the way home from work yesterday.  The sun was shining the whole time, but I decided to turn my headlights on anyway.  After a few miles, I was out of the rain, and it was still sunny.  Got home, backed into the driveway, shut off the car, went to get out, and ding-ding-ding-ding.  Thank you, car!

I've had auto lights in every car I've owned since college, but every once in a while I've had a rental that didn't have them and the ding ding ding has made me quite happy as well.

My very first car back when I was in high school, a 1977 Ford Granada, had neither automatic lights nor a chime. I left the lights on once, but a neighbor saw it and came and rang the doorbell, for which I was very thankful.

[kphoger]

I've had auto lights in every car I've owned since college

I don't like my lights turning on and off while I drive based on the cloud cover at that particular 30-second interval or whatever—so, in the one car I've had with automatic lights, I always just either turned them to 'off' or 'on' anyway.