I just realized California didn't take out any social security taxes. What's that about?

I have to file an emended return, since I did a Child Care Reimbursement Accpunt and got a work subsidy for child care, and you're not supposed to do both. Did HR mention this? Nope. Did TurboTax notice this and mention it? Nope. Corporate Payroll caught it just now. 15 months after I started doing it. (Actually I did it in 2006, too, but Corporate Payroll did not notice, and neither did the Feds, so don't tell them.)

I hate the fucking taxes. So much hassle and stress. Even though right now I get all the $$ back, I still hate it.

Nice! I'm planning on giving part of mine to whoever is the Dem nominee

I'm saving it for my trip to Australia. I'm going to SPEND IT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!! Fuck you George! You can't use me!

I hate the fucking taxes. So much hassle and stress. Even though right now I get all the $$ back, I still hate it.

This is why, as soon as I was able, I started paying someone to do mine. So worth it to me. Plus it's not like H&R Block or anything, it's a one-guy & his wife CPA operation. And he does taxes/accounting stuff for a bunch of people I know and he knows me and will figure out if there is any, say, band-related stuff I can deduct in a given year.

The only time I paid someone to do my taxes (since normally, they are pretty easy and it's almost never worth it to me to itemize) was 2 years ago when I had to file in CT, MD, NY, and VT. The CPAs certainly didn't save me any money given what I paid them and I had to check everything anyway, so I'm not really sure it saved me much time, except I didn't have get all the different forms myself.

The only time I paid someone to do my taxes (since normally, they are pretty easy and it's almost never worth it to me to itemize) was 2 years ago

Yeah, I only started using my accountant after I bought my house and could start itemizing.

lisah is me. What it saves me is headache and stress. I am not sure he even works that hard to max out my deduction options, but I consider it worth it after the house-buying and adoption.

I'm saving it for my trip to Australia. I'm going to SPEND IT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!!

Hmm, how far is Madison WI from the Canadian border?

Is there video of Obama's speech somewhere?

We might just put all of ours toward one of our debts, but if I spend any of mine, it'll go toward the main writers conference I want to attend this year...

...which happens to be in Canada!

I loved Obama's speech, and y'all know I'm a supporter, but I have to admit that lines like this in anyone's campaign speech make me roll my eyes a little:

Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

Because while it's true that some of the early colonists came over for religious freedom (or, in the case of the Puritans, to build a society where THEY were the dominant creed), 18th century Britain was really not so much with the tyranny and persecution, especially by the standards of the time! I mean, I doubt the Revolution would've worked and resulted in a stable republic if the founders hadn't come out of an existing tradition of devolved power and partially representative government. And I'm sure Obama knows that, and it's not like he should revise his speeches into history lectures just to please one hopelessly pedantic supporter. It's just that I've focused so much of my energies on 18th and early 19th-century Britain in the past seven years that I have divided loyalties for that time period. The War of 1812 really messes with my head, given how much writing and research time and energy I've devoted to the Napoleonic-era British army--I can't root against them.