Who’s got two thumbs and is actually getting a tax refund this year? THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE.
What a relief! I mean, okay, it’s a very tiny tax return, but I’m still going to run around in circles in my apartment indulging in a little excessive celebration. Remember that year I (whoops!) owed more than three thousand dollars? Yeah. Note to self: when the unemployment folks ask if you want federal withholding YOU SAY YES. Even last year, I did an extra freelance gig or two and had to pay Uncle Sam a few hundred bucks penance – you know, for all that swimming I do with Scrooge McDuck in my silo of gold coins.
Making work pay, my tushie.
One thing that could make me nervous, but won’t (because I followed all the directions, dammit!), is that it’s also the first year in many that I’ve prepared my own taxes. But one, shit was simple this year (no unemployment or part-year residence hooey) and two, I couldn’t really justify the expense of having my nice Tax Man do it for me just because it saves me some brain pain. Some of the home office deductions were a little confusing, but you know, I figure, people stupider than me do this all the time and if the IRS screams, Audit! I’ll hand them my very official tax spreadsheet, the even more official manila envelope of receipts, a Coca Cola and we’ll hug it out.
But for right now, I’m gonna stick with the fist pumps and awkward strutting.
I’m looking forward to it too. We should be able to get a lot of money back. Not only did I choose 0 exemptions for the year, but we are pulling in $30k less than last year (thanks to a baby and stay-at-home-awesomeness) but we had more than enough medical bills to take that as an exemption. Alas, it will go towards paying off our Visa. But even then, there should be money left over to buy ourselves something shiny… like a new pony for the little one. her old pony is getting to big.
yay refund! even if you want to save most of it, do spend at least a little bit of it for something fun for you and the boy..
I’m going to get a haircut! You don’t have to tell me how pathetic that sounds, because hoo-boy, I know.
I used the $$ my dad gave me for Christmas for a haircut too. I don’t think it’s pathetic b/c I find the whole process a treat. That’s my justification…
It is a treat! And a good haircut is expensive – something that never once made me flinch until I started seeing the actual *value* in my dollars earned. My favorite part is the blow out. I just close my eyes and it’s all warm and humming and seriously, someone’s touching my hair so it’s heaven.
The last two sentences of this post made me snort! I’m scrambling with tax business right now to get FAFSA stuff in to apply for grad school funding. Woo, student debt!
We know all about FAFSA and student debt in our house. Shudder. Though, on the plus side, the awesome thing is the credits and deductions that come along with it.
Be sure to check Grants.gov periodically to see if anything relevant comes up!
Let me tell you from personal experience that after you get married, it’s really romantic doing your taxes as “Married Filing Jointly.”
“Making work pay, my tushie.” — Welcome to the Tea Party! LOL
So are you using TurboTax, Tax Cut, Tax Act, or (my old favorite) PowerPencil?
I just went with HR Block online. They make it pretty easy – I mean, as easy as understanding some of that crap can be.
Are there actually any benefits to filing jointly?
There’s no real benefit to not filing jointly, as your tax bracket goes up regardless once you’re married. I learned that lesson last year.
be VERY, VERY sure that after you get married you file your W4 at “married but withhold at higher single rate.” Because you get fooled into thinking that getting married is a good thing and you get more money in your paychecks – then at the end of the year Uncle Sam spits in your face and laughs and you get to write him another one of those big checks.
(guess who owes money this year? Bitter, party of two, but withholding as one in 2011).
I think some of the “benefit” math may depend on whether the two of you have similar incomes or one has a much bigger income than the other. Also, remember that your filing status may affect things like Flex Spending accounts and other health insurance, savings plan, and other benefits or accounting.
This is the advantage of having tax software (which you may need to BUY) — that you can run numbers and calculate this sort of thing. Stores like Staples will probably have big sales somewhere around April 16.
You probably got this, but “PowerPencil” means using a hard copy form with a pencil and lots of erasers.
It was fun for me after my wife and I got married to get my (then new) in-laws to understand that they couldn’t claim my wife as a dependent anymore! LOL The only other time I had fun with taxes was after winning money from a TV show. Extra state tax forms, check to the feds, and a child born that year. Fun!
Whooo Hooo Refund!
Enjoy it!
I didn’t read your last post until after comments were closed. I just want to say:
Krissa + Stuart = adorable
Yes, they are.
Do you itemize? If so you can’t file until mid february.
Congrats on the refund.
Kim
Actually, from what H&R Block’s site said, you can’t file if you’re itemizing certain education deductions. But I think that itemizing in general won’t stop you from filing. Mine was itemized and it’s already been E-Filed and accepted…