Quick question on taxes

I bumped into a right wing coworker this morning and she appeared really upset. When I asked what was the matter, she said, "I did my taxes last night, and we're losing all our deductions and our taxes went up. This is all because of Obama!". I said, I don't think Obama's tax policies have taken effect already, and she said, oh no, yes they did. Her last little zinger was "I'm just a little angry at everyone who voted for Obama..."

Question is, what the hell is she talking about?

You have to get these people to back up their extremist (and usually, racist) hatred for Obama by making them objectively support their position.
Since they can't do this, you will always win this argument.
Arm yourself with the correct infromation also!

since they are usually the ones that start it, I force them to provide solid evidence. When it's apparent that all they have is "I heard it on Fox" or "I read it an e-mail", it's game over. Most of my wingnut acquaintances won't go there anymore with me for that reason.

:shrug:

That's been the biggest problem with taxes this year.

but I would love to have some piece of paper or something to show her that what she's saying is BS.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204335,00.html?portlet=6


<snip>

"Could the new law affect 2008 tax returns? Generally, no. The new law does not have any major impact for the vast majority of individuals preparing their 2008 tax returns due April 15. Instead, these changes will largely impact 2009 tax returns filed next year, in 2010. Taxpayers should continue to prepare their 2008 tax returns as they normally would.

There are a few limited areas in the law that could impact 2008 tax returns. For some small businesses, changes in the net operating loss provisions could affect 2008 tax returns. And for first-time homebuyers there is an expanded credit available on 2008 tax returns.

<snip>

The tax tables and forms were printed in 2008 and mailed out the first of January before Obama even took office. Tell her it must have been Bush who took away her deductions, even though afaik nothing changed this year.

People can and probably do file on January 1 and they can't change the rules after people have already started filing.

Something obviously changed in her status if her rate changed. Maybe she had capital losses last year and not this year or her mortgage interest dropped enough to make her deductions too low to itemize or her child is no longer a dependent or she contributed less to charity. Or as someone else mentioned, she included last years stimulus as income. Who knows? The only thing I know for certain is blaming Obama is idiotic, and not surprising, coming from a Republican.

That's hardly Obama's fault.

of course, she's so stupid she has to blame Obama for everything. I think her income did go up a bit, so that makes sense.

doing income taxes! How the hell would anything Obama has done since 1/20/2009 affect what happened in 2008?