For a Wednesday, it was quite Taxing

Hey how about a post about This New Condo for a change? I seem to have really gotten off topic lately.

So I sucked it up and put a little pile of papers together in a manilla folder to take down to my friendly H & R Block yesterday. To the same woman has done my taxes there for years now, Carolyn. It's usually quite an easy affair... not much more than a W-2 (or 2 if I've been a really good sweepstakes winner), and some charitable deduction stuff. This year of course I had the whole home purchase thing to deal with, so I was nervous. How would it effect my return? Would I bring the correct paperwork? Which paperwork is the correct paperwork? How the hell did I end up with all this paperwork?

Carolyn was really nice, as usual. She reminds me of Grace, the secretary in the principal's office at Ferris Beuller's high school (also the car rental lady in Planes Trains and Automobiles). A little TOO talky for my taste. For example I didn't need to hear about her experience shopping for a home in my neighborhood several years ago and being scared away by the pimps and ho's that used to be a familiar sight 'round these parts. Then again I may have shared a little too much with her too... she probably didn't need to know that my 12 months of Doctor's receipts were from my shrink, and she did seem a little taken aback when (while discussing professional affiliations and their deductible dues) I told her that I was a member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. So I guess we both probably opened up a little more than necessary, but what's more personal than your W-2? Even P and I don't talk about stuff like that.

After all was said and done I was told that the Federal Government would be mailing me a nice check, and the state of Georgia would be doing the same. MasterCard is going to be very happy with me this month.

I did learn that there is something weird about the taxes on a new construction house/dwelling. Carolyn was baffled for a time by the lack of tax information on my closing documents and the tax form from my lender. I, of course, PANICKED for I knew this is EXACTLY what would happen! Someone screwed up and this was going to result in me having to go somewhere and ask someone for something and then return to Carolyn with the something to prove that the other document was incorrect, but then there would be something ELSE and WHY didn't I do this a month ago... and while all this was running through my head Carolyn turned to me and said, "This isn't new construction... is it?"

"Yes, yes... it's brand new," I panted. "No one had sat in my tub before I moved in. It's my first new dwelling, why?"

"Oh, well then we just have to check this box. OK. All better. Now where were those charitable deductions?" And with a click of the mouse we were past the rough patch and all was right in the world again! Well all was right in my head again anyway, the world is still pretty fucked up.

I am glad that it's all over and I feel good about the fact that I didn't wait till the very last minute to get it taken care of.

Carolyn suggested I change some things so that I pay less taxes during the year, which would equal more take home pay per check, but a smallish refund at tax time. I'm not sure if I want to do that. I like getting the fat refund at the end of the year. I'm much more likely to do productive stuff with a couple grand once a year than I am with an extra hundie every two weeks. What do y'all do? Overpay during the year and get a fat refund or pay a more reasonable amount and take home more each month?