Category: default || By jt3y

Did you file your state income taxes online? Holy cow, it's painless. I know the state gets a lot of grief (and rightfully so) for a lot of things, but filing your PA-40 form online isn't one of them.

I was skeptical that this supposed "advance" was really an improvement, but I'm not after this weekend. It could only be easier if they actually sent a state employee to your house to move your fingers on the keyboard --- and don't think that some state employee union isn't working on that idea. Not only do they fill out the form for you, they automatically do all of the math.

Emboldened, I decided that instead of sending in my paper form, I'd use the IRS's website. Surely if the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's online service was good, then the federal government's version must be 50 times better, right? Possibly accompanied by pleasant music and photos of puppies and kittens cavorting in a field under a rainbow.

Ha ha ha ha! Fat chance, or as they say in Latin, nullo modo.

I went to the IRS website, only to find that you have to pick from a list of private third-party providers, all of whom have names like "FREE-BIG-BUCK$-$SAVE-MONEY-ONLINE.COM."

Now, I don't know much about personal finance, but I remember what my grandpa once said: "Try not to give your social security number and personal information to companies that sound like they should be selling black-market Viagra via bulk email."

So I took my chances with the paper forms, which was a little bit risky, since I took an itemized deduction this year for the first time, which required me a few weeks ago to round up a year's worth of check stubs from in my desk, in the trunk of the car, under the couch cushions, in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, etc. I was very conservative in my deductions, but I still live in mortal fear of the IRS. (Which, of course, is exactly what they want, right?)

And maybe I have reason to be scared. In checking my math, I realized that I had made several stupid errors --- I have this bad tendency, when adding a column of numbers, to suddenly subtract one instead, or vice versa. The medical term for this neurological condition is called "being a twit."

I went from a $2.88 refund to owing the government $13.12. I was afraid that if I checked my math a third time, things might get even worse, so I quit while I was ahead and sent the form.

Finally, of course, there's the Borough of North Bittyburg's tax forms, which were discussed in nauseating length at the Almanac last year.

Anyway, if you're still sweating out your taxes today, you have my sympathy. And just think ... in less than eight months, you get the chance to start the process all over again!

If that doesn't make you want to tie a copy of the federal tax code around your neck and leap off the Mansfield Bridge, I don't know what will.