Expect violence

[northernlights]

I have been up since 4 am still trying to do my federal taxes. I should be happy -- according to my calculations, I should be getting ~$1800 back due to the stimulus changes.

I am tearing my hair out. I have spent something like 10 hours on what should be a simple task. Hours wasted searching the irs site in vain for a nonexistant form. Nowhere does it say that there is no form or to use the estimated value for line 41a. The irs rep who told me I qualified for that item didn't mention that there isn't a form for it. I've given up and left that line and everything from that line on for the IRS to calculate. That actually *is* an option, although the number was easy enough to calculate on the estimate it pop-up. I was supposed to be able to print that pop-up, but nowhere does it let me save a copy of it so I can print. Apparently, even the poorest of us is supposed to have a separate phone line for our peecee. :eyes:

I spent an hour downloading silverlight to use the "free" efiling package. It doesn't work. I got halfway through the form -- to line 25 -- and somehow, it subtracts a larger number from a smaller number and insists I owe ~$1900 in taxes. On an income that was *less* than the standard deduction, it claims I owe almost as much as my calculations tell me is owed to me. It won't let me complete the form after that line. 3 times, I deleted the form and tried to start from scratch. It must have saved that part of the form, because although each time I had to refill in page 1, when I approach line 25, it pre-fills 25, 27 and 28 and won't let me complete the rest of the form.

I finally called the IRS line again this morning to get the address for snail mail.

I may or may not get a refund. Who the fuck can tell any more.

In the meantime, expect violence. The rage has been boiling up big time.

Also, the other volcano in Iceland -- the bad one -- will erupt. Fairly soon, I think.

[NJCher]

1. no way would I attempt that

All the frustrations you describe above would definitely happen to me and I, too, would be in a rage.

I hate to say this as throwing money at a problem is so uncreative and I really disdain people who recommend such solutions but the $150 a year I spend on my CPA is probably the best money I spend all year. It delivers me from the tortures you describe above. I also have some degree of confidence that my taxes were done right.


Cher

[MorningGlow]

2. I agree, Cher

NL, you can still make an appointment at your local H&R Block office. My mom works there, so I know now is their slow time--all the eager beavers got their taxes done early, and all the lateniks haven't shown up yet. I encourage you to give them a call. It's worth the cost to have them take care of it for you. Relinquish control of this, for peace of mind. Best of luck. :hug:

[northernlights]

3. my taxes are very simple

My problem was with not finding a single form and with the e-file software. I know how to do my very simple taxes. I simply ended up giving up on e-filing and doing it snail-mail. I've never had a problem e-filing before now.

My point was, and I apologize for writing such a tangled mess before, my upset was way out of proportion with what I was doing/going through. There is a huge amount of "free floating rage" flying around and I picked up on it in a big way. And even though Mars has turned direct, computers are still acting like mercury retro.

OGR wrote about the same thing a few hours later...we're all picking up on it and seeing it "out there." Something is brewing and going to blow, big time. A couple weeks ago, I wrote "if I were a volcano, I'd be sputtering and spewing right now." A couple days ago, a volcano in Iceland had its first eruptionin 200 years. It's not done. I think it's the other Icelandic volcano that will blow soon.

Oh, and now Dems are facing assassination threats against their children. As I said, expect violence. There is a lot of energy bubbling up.