OT Arg!

On Wed, 5 Sep 2007 05:37:23 -0500, "Ms P"
wrote:

It's hard when you first start. It'll get easier as you go along. Not
easier to do, just easier to grasp. After awhile the exceptions seem
perfectly normal. Remember, they're not meant to make sense! It's the IRS!
LOL
Ms P ------ 6th year tax lady

They keep telling me that last line. I suppose that's my problem, I
keep expecting it to eventually make sense. The workbook exercises
are all simple. It's the textbook that makes me crazy. At least I
have my friend to call for help when I don't understand something.
And, yes, she does tell the instructor what I call her about so the
instructor can make sure I and the rest of the class understands it. I
wonder if I'm the student knowledge barometer.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Rant away Debra. We know you can do it though.
You'll get through it.
Taria

Debra wrote:

On Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:53:19 GMT, Maureen Wozniak
wrote:

(((Hugs))). I'm sure it will easier as you go along.

Maureen


Thanks Maureen. I'm sure it will. I just needed to rant a bit.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

On Wed, 5 Sep 2007 17:02:12 +1200, "nzlstar*"
wrote:

i'm now late with last yrs and dont have the energy to fly over and go thru
all that yet again.
think i'll just forget it and see how long it takes them to take all the
assets to cover the bill.
jeanne


Jeanne, why would you need to file US tax returns anyway? All I
remember is that it was way harder for you than I thought it should
have been.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

In article ,
Debra wrote:

I'm taking a tax course in hopes of a job. I haven't had to study
since 1980. This stuff is hard. The book is written in legalese so
that has to be translated to be understood. There are rules with
exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions. Yes,
that's 4 layers deep. Arg! And I've only been to two classes so far.
Who knows how many more convoluted rules there are! Ack!

I just finished my homework and my brain is spinning and hurts. I am
not sure why I thought I could do this.

I'm going to fondle some fabric now. Life is better when you have
pretty fabric in your hands.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere


Oh, Debra, I don't envy you! Tax rules and laws are so complicated that
I'm sure that even the people who write them have no real inkling of
what they've written. Best of luck!

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

I'm an almost 60 y.o. nurse who would love to get out of the medical bizz
but don't know anything else. So thought I might look into the tax course
but not sure this old brain could grasp it. LOL
Good luck, Debra, hang in there!

--
Donna in NE La.
"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
...
Several of my friends have taken the H & R Block courses and work for
them from January thru April. Hours in January and February are
lighter and then long hours in March and April. They enjoy the extra
income and not being tied to a job all year around.

One gal is a retired nurse. She earns the money for extras like trips
then enjoys having the rest of the year off to visit her
grandchildren.

The other gal has young school age children. Again she enjoys the
hours. She arranges her life so there is as little stress as possible
during her working months. The job gives her a goal to get the house
thoroughly cleaned and together before she start in January. Meals are
in the freezer. She cleans the house again in May!

Other friends have taken the classes and don't work so much but felt
they learn how to keep their own records and investments.

All of them have wonderful (but sad) stories about how stupid people
can be about money. So many people waste so much of their hard earned
money by not reading the small print or just neglecting to pay
attention.

My husband occasionally helps people figure out their finances. One
young gal was paying 31% interest on her credit card. She said they
were a nice company because if she didn't have the money to make even
the minimum payment it was OK. She didn't notice that they charged her
a $35 service fee on top of the 31% interest any month she didn't make
the minimum payment. He showed her how she has already paid $1500 on
the $650 she borrowed and she still owes $1800. He also showed her how
if she would pay just $200 per month the bill would be gone in a year.
She has learned her lesson and isn't using credit cards anymore.
Others we have counseled have not been so cooperative. Some had said
they couldn't get along without items we saw as luxuries. They are
still in a financial mess many years later.

OK off my soap box.

Susan

On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:58:13 -0400, Debra
wrote:

I'm taking a tax course in hopes of a job. I haven't had to study
since 1980. This stuff is hard. The book is written in legalese so
that has to be translated to be understood. There are rules with
exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions. Yes,
that's 4 layers deep. Arg! And I've only been to two classes so far.
Who knows how many more convoluted rules there are! Ack!

I just finished my homework and my brain is spinning and hurts. I am
not sure why I thought I could do this.

I'm going to fondle some fabric now. Life is better when you have
pretty fabric in your hands.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

with income in the us, ya pay. simple as that.
tho i dont fully understand the form, even when reading thru the last few
yrs worth.
i'm a non resident but not an alien, i am a citizen.
could not find a form for that one, only non resident alien.
as a result last yr the tax guy in calif, iirc, dont have it at hand at the
moment, did mine on a regular 1040.
how it worked confuddled me.
that was sent in late sept '06 ('05 return). he estimated the penalty and
there was a refund that only arrived about ten days ago.
oh well. i guess eventually they figure it out and refund, assuming you're
overpaid. what i couldnt find was the rate of penalty anywhere. how do ya
figure that out?
one of a few questions i've got.
this stresses me out every yr.
jeanne

"Debra" wrote...
Jeanne, why would you need to file US tax returns anyway? All I
remember is that it was way harder for you than I thought it should
have been.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

"nzlstar*" wrote:
i'm now late with last yrs and dont have the energy to fly over and go
thru
all that yet again.
think i'll just forget it and see how long it takes them to take all the
assets to cover the bill.
jeanne

"Sandy" wrote in message
...
In article ,


Oh, Debra, I don't envy you! Tax rules and laws are so complicated that
I'm sure that even the people who write them have no real inkling of
what they've written. Best of luck!

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

That's exactly why there are exceptions and exceptions to the exceptions.
Congress frequently doesn't have a clue how the tax laws they write are
going to affect real world constituents. And then they get tons of calls
and letters and try to fix a law. And then that causes other problems for a
different group of people so they have to fix it too.

Once you give up the idea that it has to make sense or that it's going to
make sense and just go with it you're way better off. You really don't even
have to understand them, just know what they are and where and how they
apply.

Congress makes the laws. The IRS is only the enforcer and collector.

Ms P

Good luck, Debra. Will you be doing Virginia Taxes awa
the Federal Returns?
I agree about the soothing qualities of quilting fabric!
PAT in VA/USA

Debra wrote:

I'm taking a tax course in hopes of a job. I haven't had to study
since 1980. This stuff is hard. The book is written in legalese so
that has to be translated to be understood. There are rules with
exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions. Yes,
that's 4 layers deep. Arg! And I've only been to two classes so far.
Who knows how many more convoluted rules there are! Ack!

I just finished my homework and my brain is spinning and hurts. I am
not sure why I thought I could do this.

I'm going to fondle some fabric now. Life is better when you have
pretty fabric in your hands.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

On Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:25:06 -0400, Pat in Virginia
wrote:

Good luck, Debra. Will you be doing Virginia Taxes awa
the Federal Returns?
I agree about the soothing qualities of quilting fabric!
PAT in VA/USA

Yes, both Fed. and VA. I will not be qualified to do taxes for people
who work out of state though. I'll have to take further classes
before I can do those. I'm sure there are others I won't be able to
do, but I don't know what they are yet.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere