Dear Poor Lucky Me,
I keep seeing these tax-preparation commercials on TV. You know, the ones where they tell you if you do your taxes yourself you’ll miss deductions and so you have to go to H&R Block or whatever?
Anyway, I’m confused, I thought we didn’t have to pay taxes. Is that wrong? It’s voluntary right? I mean I pay sales tax and whatnot, just not the ones where you have to fill out all the paperwork.
Am I in trouble?
-Name Withheld
I also had rude awakening to the following events: being required to get my emissions tested, paying for doctor’s bills, feeding myself, awakening myself. These are things that a healthy childhood just do not prepare you for. Slowly throughout my 20′s it finally dawned on me that I would need to make a list. It’s titled: Grown Up Business. Sadly the list has grown longer and longer, to now include: contributing to a retirement account, establishing a savings account, renters insurance, bathing daily. But I get more used to it and enjoy accomplishing things.
I’m afraid you might be in trouble. I advise you to contact a tax attorney right away. The sooner you clear up your past mistakes the better. You’ll be ok, just get your list started.
Sincerely,
Dear Name Withheld,
Many things in adulthood are very confusing, especially if you were properly sheltered and coddled as a teenager. For instance, after college it came as a shock to me that I had to pay my own car insurance and credit card bills. No one told me that a time would come when those bills would come crashing down on my meager salary.
Poor Lucky Me
The ironic thing is that Jesus hates taxes but loves tax collectors.