Tax THAT!

So, in the midst of all the drama last week, I got a letter in the mail. Seems I "forgot" to file my city taxes for 2010. Yeah. I know. Here's the thing, I was busy doing other important things, like, I dunno, trying to figure out a way to survive and feed my kids on what I make at my job.

I always end up owing. It's not a lot. Like, $60. Sometimes $90-$100. The problem is, I know NOTHING about tax forms or how to fill them out. I also do my own taxes on the computer because I can use a free online software that is *almost* idiot proof and I can handle that. However, they do not offer a city tax program. In the past, it has always worked out that someone has done them for me, and wah-lah! Problem solved. Not last year, though. While I really did intend on filing, it slipped off the top of my mind and, well...here we go. I know people who have not filed their city taxes in 20 years. I do it one year and POOF! I get a summons to Euclid tax court. Great. Awesome. Just what I need.

With all the drama of last week, I sort of pushed it out of my mind. I meant to say something about it at work because I would need to come in late on that day. However,  I just didn't feel like mentioning it. So I did. In the mean time, everyone at work seemed to be taking that day off or leaving early for some reason or another. So you can imagine how great I felt when I realized, yesterday, at 4:30pm, that the day was today.

Shoot.

So, I had to rush around and find my W-2's (Which I had here at work), print off a copy of my federal filings for two years (they seemed to think I owed them two years worth, but it was only one), AND tell my boss that on top of everyone else missing today or leaving early, I needed to come in late.

In the end, it worked out ok. Well, as "ok" as it can. It took me all of 15 minutes in with the tax people. The filed for me. They waived the fees and told me since I only owed one year, they wouldn't charge interest or anything. The pro-rated it for 8 months instead of 12. They also said, they wouldn't put me on a payment plan because it would not be worth my $30. They would just give me a bill and send me on my way and I could mail it in. They didn't give me a due date either which is nice because the down side is, I owe $432.

Yeah. That's what I said.

Dear September. Why do you always hate me?