Why tax forms are so complicated
Posted on March 29th, 2008 in exhaustion, goofiness
I’m listening to This American Life while struggling with my tax forms. (Yeah, I know, they’re due in two weeks. I procrastinate — so shoot me.)
(No, seriously, shoot me. I’m about to suffocate under receipts anyway.)
On the radio, they’re interviewing astronauts about the down side of their jobs. It turns out that on the day they return from flying around the Earth in the space shuttle, they have to fill out travel vouchers. Travel vouchers.
Origin: Kennedy Space Center.
Destination: Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Via: Low Earth Orbit.
Lodging: Provided.
Meals: Provided.
Mode of Transport: "Government Air."
They get $3.50 a day for incidentals. No, I’m not kidding.
No wonder my income tax form is so ridiculous.
March 29th, 2008 4:20 pm
Maybe the $3.50 goes to their families? Which seems silly… but I know when my Grandfather was in the war, his monthly pay went to my grandmother. I think he got something like $30 for the month (this was WWII) and then she got an additional $20 stipend because they had two kids.
On the other hand… maybe it’s just in case the astronauts get hungry and decide to pull over for some Mars bars.
March 29th, 2008 5:56 pm
A good tax preparer is well worth the $300 you’d pay to have him do all the work for you — even ignoring the value of all the time and stress you’d save…
March 29th, 2008 6:32 pm
You don’t sound like a procrastinator to me….my ex would be doing this the night before the extension was due!!!!!!
March 31st, 2008 7:01 am
I feel for you. I’m done. (here’s where I would put the smiley with the tongue sticking out if I were smart enough to know how)
Just teasing.
I have to do mine earlier because I don’t know how to do any of it except get the receipts organized.
Hang in there!