Beware the Ides of April

[Kolohe]

To be fair, it's DC going out of its way to make absolutely sure the Apr 16 holiday is observed. So now the 15th deadline gets pushed unless it's on M-Th.

[Aresen]

Filed my 2015 tax return today (Canada's due date is April 30th). I owe C$27.07

[the innominate one]

Fucking US Postal Disservice. I mailed my 2012 (yes, 2012) return on April 14, 2016 via priority mail 2-day to go from Oakland to Fresno. It was delivered April 22. It sat in a post office in Fresno for almost a week. I know it's the same week as the deadline for filing this year's returns, but you'd think priority mail would make a difference.

[JD]

Not really specifically a tax problem, but related: this morning Amanda is looking at her bank accounts on line, and she says, "Uh, where's the checking account?" It just isn't showing up in the list of accounts.

She calls the bank, and they say, "oh yeah, we closed the account because the balance hit zero." They never bothered to notify her in any way, of course. This from a bank that notifies you whenever you make a deposit!

This wouldn't even be so bad, except that that's the account where our refund is supposed to go. Their answer? "Oh, just tell us the day the deposit comes in and we'll reroute it to another account." Great, except that THE IRS DOESN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR REFUND. The bank's answer to that? "Well, just call us every day then."

[Mo]

Ugh. Mrs. Mo job loss stuff screwed up our taxes like nothing else. Job/income loss will happen in 2017, retention and instant option vesting all hit in 2016.

[Aresen]

I filed my 2016 tax return Sunday. I owed $881.02. Paid it yesterday.

[JD]

Our taxes have become a bit of a nightmare. We're married filing jointly, I work in a different state than we live in, and we have a small business. We ended up doing Federal and New York State through Turbotax, and New Jersey on paper, because it was too hard to convince Turbotax to file the correct state forms and that we didn't earn $X in New York AND $X in New Jersey.

The whole situation was not improved by my wife's habit of using about half a dozen methods of payment for things, each of which she uses both for business stuff and personal stuff. That's the first thing that has to change. I think I am going to force her to choose one credit card for each, and make her destroy all the others.

[Jennifer]

If Georgia owes you a state tax refund, you have to wait up to 90 days to get it -- with no interest paid, of course.

I wouldn't mind so much if they offered the same courtesy to people who owe money to the state, but of course that won't happen.

[Warren]

Our taxes have become a bit of a nightmare. We're married filing jointly, I work in a different state than we live in, and we have a small business. We ended up doing Federal and New York State through Turbotax, and New Jersey on paper, because it was too hard to convince Turbotax to file the correct state forms and that we didn't earn $X in New York AND $X in New Jersey.

The whole situation was not improved by my wife's habit of using about half a dozen methods of payment for things, each of which she uses both for business stuff and personal stuff. That's the first thing that has to change. I think I am going to force her to choose one credit card for each, and make her destroy all the others.

That is an excellent idea. Please keep us informed on how well that goes for you.

[JD]

If Georgia owes you a state tax refund, you have to wait up to 90 days to get it -- with no interest paid, of course.

I wouldn't mind so much if they offered the same courtesy to people who owe money to the state, but of course that won't happen.

Yeah, on a related note, I was withdrawing money from my bank account last night, and I saw that the balance was lower than I expected. Checking this morning, I see that my payment to New York State, which I made with a paper check that I mailed, has already been withdrawn. They absolutely could not have received it any earlier than the 18th - I mailed it around noon on the 17th - and yet they'd already cashed it by the evening of the 19th. The state sure doesn't waste any time taking your money...

[Highway]

I dunno that that's a particularly bad thing. They have a bunch of temp people opening envelopes, and probably just scan every check as it comes in while they check-in the return.

[Mo]

I would note that they're quick on the draw on refunds too. I e-Filed and I got the refund in my bank account less than a week later.

[Pham Nuwen]

I don't think we have had a refund in years.

[Warren]

I don't think we have had a refund in years.

Good for you.

[JD]

I dunno that that's a particularly bad thing. They have a bunch of temp people opening envelopes, and probably just scan every check as it comes in while they check-in the return.

Oh, I'm sure. But it also suggests that they're not doing any deep checking of whether the payment actually matches the return in any way, because I e-filed my return but mailed in the payment. I doubt they would have had time to do more than correlate SS numbers and look at whether the amount on the check matched the amount on the return, and it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't even do that.

Unlike Mo, I have not found them to be particularly speedy about refunds.

[Highway]

Don't really need to do more now. They don't really audit the returns much, so checking the "Does this number match that number?" bit is a good first verification. Then maybe have someone else look at a few, or even all of them, to see if the numbers go through correctly. There's always time to contest your return and get you for more money later.

[Mo]

Don't really need to do more now. They don't really audit the returns much, so checking the "Does this number match that number?" bit is a good first verification. Then maybe have someone else look at a few, or even all of them, to see if the numbers go through correctly. There's always time to contest your return and get you for more money later.

Also, unless you're randomly selected, they'll see how normal the amount you pay is to people with your same recorded income. If you're within the fat part of the curve, you're safe. Keep in mind they already have pretty much all the info from your 1099s, W-2s and the like. If your deductions are reasonable they figure you're telling the truth.

[dead_elvis]

Question- Haven't filed yet (I don't expect to owe anything after deductions). My wife never got a 1099 from one place she should have. Contacting them they complained that they didn't get her W9 or something and couldn't file one without it. They seemed utterly unconcerned and annoyed that someone was bothering them about this, but I don't like loose ends when it comes to the IRS. I received a 1099 from the same place, so I know their ID number and other info, and they told us the amount she was paid. Should I go ahead and file, entering a 1099 as if she had received one? (in which case they would go after them for not filing one? what happens when you report a 1099 not sent to the gov? Would there be any reason this would get us in trouble with the IRS, i.e. lied on form by reporting nonexistent 1099?) Should I just enter the amount as "other income" (in which case, if they did eventually file a 1099, they would think we didn't report the 1099 income and thus owe more+penalties)?

[JasonL]

Not tax advice - your wife has residence not in US but had a taxable distribution of some sort and paying agent said they needed a W9 to establish US citizenship? If so, in my world instead of a 1099 she would have received form 1042S with 30% withheld instead of std 20%. That's for issuance from retirement plans.

[dead_elvis]

She's a US citizen, I think they mainly use the form to get social security numbers. And this was a small independent contractor gig that wouldn't have had any withholding. I'm annoyed at them that if they needed that paperwork, how did payroll pay her without it?

Probably not a big deal but I just hate anything that makes me feel like it might draw attention from the Death Star.

[JasonL]

Ahh different 1099 and different w9 use case. I got nothin.

[Warren]

Question- Haven't filed yet (I don't expect to owe anything after deductions).

That doesn't matter. You should have filed for an extension. Not filing by 15AP whatever deadline in a given year, with over 20K income means you will be penalized. Bend over an get ready.

[dead_elvis]

I thought they didn't care as long as you didn't owe money. If you are getting a refund, why would they care that you file late?

ETA: that said I'll just pick one option and just get it filed this weekend, now that you're giving me heebee jeebees that maybe it's worse to file late than get crossways over the 1099.

[Aresen]

I thought they didn't care as long as you didn't owe money. If you are getting a refund, why would they care that you file late?

That's the way it is in Canada, but we're just a bunch of unsophisticated hosers.

[Masked Grylliader]

Question- Haven't filed yet (I don't expect to owe anything after deductions).

That doesn't matter. You should have filed for an extension. Not filing by 15AP whatever deadline in a given year, with over 20K income means you will be penalized. Bend over an get ready.

I went 8 years without filing a single thing with the Irritating Revolting Service, and during that time I visited their offices and plainly stated my heresy. If you don't owe, they don't care. I eventually filed for the prior 3 years and received the refunds for which I was eligible. No penalty, no finger wagging, no tsking. Take it easy, keep it sleazy, dead_elvis. Above all, don't panic. But get it done just in case.