Taxes

Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound.

Are you finished with your taxes, or are you still standing in line at the post office?

I am an early filer. As soon as I get my W-2, I am sending it to my CPA. Yes, I gave up trying to do my taxes a long time ago. Think they are written so an eighth-grader can do them? Don’t make me laugh. I guess they could if they were filing a W-1040 with standard deductions and can do it all on one piece of paper. But mine have not been that simple for a long time. Anyway, the incentive to my filing early comes from the realization that I will get a tax refund, and the sooner I get my money back, the happier I will be.

For years I have had a nice refund, which I used as a “piggy bank” for the little extras I might want throughout the year. This year, I still came out on the positive side, but my piggy bank got a lot smaller. I am afraid it is going to get even smaller in the coming years. Every other sentence from presidential candidates seems to start with “free that, universal this, equal justice,” etc., which all translates to a little three-letter word: tax.

There is very little in this world that is free, especially when it comes from the government, since they create no real value, like making a car. They take our money and redistribute it. If there is not enough money, they take out another credit card with the Chinese or print more money. Each comes with its own negative ramifications. One sign of this is registered in our national debt which is north of $22 trillion. Someday, that number is going to come back to haunt us. Not sure of the solution, but one thing I know: if you are at the bottom of the hole, you need to stop digging.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
“Earth’s saddest day and happiest day were only three days apart.” — Susan Coolidge

SMILE
One Easter, a priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter was at the Pearly Gates waiting for them. “Come with me,” Peter said to the taxi driver. The taxi driver did as he was told and followed Peter to a mansion. It had everything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an Olympic-size pool. “Oh my word, thank you,” the taxi driver said.
Next, Peter led the priest to a rough old shack with a bunk bed and a little old TV set. “Wait, I think you are a little mixed up,” said the priest. “Shouldn’t I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God’s word.” “Yes, that’s true,” Peter rejoined. “But during your Easter sermons, people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed!”
Like an Easter bunny, I need to hop out of here. As always, be good, do good, play safe, a remember: Easter is about more than eggs and candy.
God Bless,

— JR