TAX time 2004!

[AKLGT]

Well, before we left Ontario, Phil did his taxes. He almost fell out of his chair when they told him he'd get money back (last year he had to pay quite a bit). It was soooo easy! they asked him like 5 questions, mainly about when we got married, if I had an income in Canada to claim, etc. then they say, OK all done! you get $$$ back. I just finished up my taxes, and it took me a few days to sort through it all, how to file since we're married but he wasn't here or has an income in the US. so much more complicated to figure out! bummer! but good news is I also get a very nice refund which is much needed!So what about everyone else? you do your taxes yet? Get money back or do you have to pay?

[ragingfish]

My taxes are done, not sure who I owe and who I don't, but the guy said I'm getting a refund...can't remember how much. Nothing significant, but hey, money back IS money back!

[ColonelPanic]

Mine's in the bank already.... er, is slowly disappearing. I get a cool hundred bucks back from IN though, that hasn't hit the bank yet. woo hoo!

[AKLGT]

no state income tax in alaska. only have to pay federal taxes

[Sputnik]

I can't do mine yet - I haven't got my T4 from my employer. And the stupid post office didn't forward my tax package with the little netfile code from my old address to my new one like they were paid by me to do! Grr.

[tnpartsguy]

getting back a bit. Less than last year, but hey, better than paying anyday!!

[damronjr]

Too bad for you guys. Between my wife and I we got back about $4200 federal and another $200 from CA! Had to be right as we got them done at H&R Block! Paid some bills, it's gone.

[Kari]

I filed mine in January, way before everybody else. I got my refund of $175 back within something like 3 days...it was quite nice.

[Kari]

I did Telefile directly with the IRS, and it was free. I only had one thing that was taxed and it was my summer internship, so once I got that W2, I went ahead and filed. If I owed I think I would wait until April, though.

[kharman]

we received $3500 this year (yeah, i paid a lot of taxes last year)...and i blew most of it on the vibe...although my wife and i are taking a vacation with the rest...

[jimincalif]

I don't like to preach, but since I'm in the tax biz, I feel I should point out, any refund you get means you had too much withheld from your pay during the year. You can decrease the amount withheld by filing a new W-4 form with your employer increasing the number of exemptions you claim.You don't want to underpay and owe a penalty, and some years that involve marriage, divorce, new child, etc., it is sometimes more difficult to predict. But if it looks like your 2005 income and filing status will be similar to 2004, if you get a big refund for 2004, go adjust your withholdings for 2005. Set up an automatic savings deposit, start earning interest instead of loaning money to the govt interest free!

[joatmon]

there is psychology involved in the big tax refund though. If you have the same amount over withheld, then it really is out of sight/out of mind, and then every spring you get this nice big windfall. If you just get it with each paycheck, it's too easy to just (removed) away. If you have it auto deposited in a savings account, then you still see it growing every month, and can spend it whenever you want. The low interest rates arer great if you are buying a home, but really suck if you have any significant savings acocunt balance. ten years ago the interest earned via savings was a lot more significant that it is now. I used to have use schedule B, now, even with an higher balance, I don't need to anymore.Sure it's better to have the money earn interest, but for some people, they wouldn't leave the money in the bank long enough to earn any interest.

[AKLGT]

next year we'll end up having to efile phil's taxes for the month or so he worked in ontario. oh well.... but we should get some money back since he'll be unemployed for so long and we'll be living off of savings and my income. makes it nice since it'll keep me at the same tax bracket since i'll be getting about $15K more this year than last year. that should offset my pay increase so i think we'll get more money back!

[redlava]

I did my taxes last weekend, getting around $600 total back. I usually do e-file through H&R Block, but with a new IRA and an annuity I am collecting I decided to try turbotax. The software was great, I got it free from my sister, I also realized you can download a copy of it off of a lot of P2P networks like Limewire. But it is kind of a ripoff. You have to pay like $19.95 extra to have your federal e-filed, but I guess you get a rebate that comes with the software you actually buy that makes up for it. You also have to pay like $29.95 extra to download your state tax forms and be able to use it on their software. So if you do all of that then you might as well go into a tax service and have it prepared it will probably cost the same.

[AKLGT]

you have til tomorrow midnight!

[kostby]

Go ahead! Rub it in. Getting a small refund, but procrastinated til the end, like usual, because I often owe something. Last year I owed like $6,000!

[jimincalif]

Quote, originally posted by kostby »Last year I owed like $6,000!I know what you mean. I owed more than I paid for my Vibe!

[zionzr2]

If your TAXES are DONE!!!STAY AWAY from the POST OFFICE today!

[DaddyVibeMI]

Quote, originally posted by zionzr2 »If your TAXES are DONE!!!STAY AWAY from the POST OFFICE today!Indeed!! Our taxes done about couple weeks ago and got our refund last week. We're going to use our refund toward to Vibe for our new family car...