D is for Death and Taxes

"Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. "

~Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789

Okay, this post is mostly me venting about taxes.  But since I suffered a miscarriage on April 15, 1996, those two words are even more closely related in my mind.  Income taxes could drive me to drink, which would be another "D" word, I suppose.

So here is another quote, linking these subjects:

It's income tax time again, Americans:  time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta. 

~Dave Barry

~~~~~

Why?

Why do I do this to myself?

Most of our tax stuff is pretty straightforward.  Copy a bunch of numbers off of silly forms.  But some of it isn't as easy.  Like tracking what I made for mystery shopping, or <groan> tracking what we actually paid (per the IRS) for employee stock purchases in 2010.

Every.  Single. Year.  Every year.  I swear I'm going to actually take the 30 seconds necessary to track this garbage.  So that NEXT YEAR, I'll be able to easily file my return and hopefully quickly get a refund.  You know, in January.  Or at least early February.

My 2011 tracking went through March.  <sigh>  (Which is an improvement.  My 2010 tracking had only gone through February, and in 2009, I never started it until I needed it for filing.)

At least I have three months worth I don't have to do today.  That counts for something.  I guess.

I don't even know where to find the stock information though.  BUT... I did get my 2011 purchases all recorded, so I won't have to look for that next year.

Argh.

So, bloggy break is over.  Time to get back to getting my tax records together.

Go check out others in this D Week for Blogging Through the Alphabet, where people are blogging about topics that are far more fun -- like Daisies, Dads, and Decorate.