Are you getting a tax refund this year?

Got it, banked it, used some to pay bills, will use the rest for the same... sigh.

I've had to PAY instead of getting a refund for the first time ever. middle class tax cut my ass...

... first time I've owed on a return, ever. And that's with straight withholding and standard deduction.

... first time ever

Telefiled in mid-March and had it direct deposited. Took only two weeks.

but what I owe is small.

spent it all
nothing left
dunno where it all went

Bless the home mortage interest deduction.

I got back $327 last year; this year they get back $640.

Of course, if I could deduct cats I'd get back a huge amount.

I can't figger it out; WHY do people WANT a refund?
It seems to me that if you can't budget yourself for the
year (and you don't want hit with a big bill in April)
that's cool, but if can afford it/can budget for it, you
oughta try to "owe as much as possible WITHOUT
incurring penalties". Right?

Afterall, getting a refund is like giving Dubya interest
free loans during the year!

If, based on your income you'd owe $5000, what would
be better:

a) using that money MYSELF during the year and withholding
only $3000 or something, and 'owing' $2000 in April?

b) withholding $6000 over the course of the year and getting
$1000 back as a 'refund' in April?

You STILL owe $5000 either way! People act like they're getting
free money straight from Dubya when they get a refund. I look
at it like "that motherf'er used MY money for stuff all year long,
for FREE, but if *I'M* late or didn't withhold enough, HE gets to
charge ME interest and penalties!".

Bigby

thanks directly to foreign outsourcing, which according to *, is "good for the economy".

Part of it to be spent on a vacation; the rest is going to my son's college fund.