It's Taxing Business

We got a few inches of snow overnight here in the DC area, so my office delayed opening until 11:00 a.m. Since I was already awake, I went ahead and finished filing my 2009 tax return so I could get my monies back. Yay for a productive morning!

My morning was also made better by seeing this on my way into work:



Haha. Only in South Arlington. Anyway, back to taxes....

Filing seems pretty straightforward when you're single and don't own any property (like moi), so I usually try to get everything done as soon as my W-2 forms come in. That way, The Man isn't keeping my monies when I can be earning interest on it. Mad props to people that have properties and businesses and all sorts of other stuff that complicates the process. I don't have the energy (or brainpower) to deal with that stuff!

Oh, and I should mention that I get some help doing my taxes. I use the H&R Block online "Basic Federal/State" program, which is about $45.00. This includes both the Federal and State returns, as well as the e-file option (no signatures or mailing things in -- this cuts down on the turnaround time for the refund). I've used this program for about 3 years now, and it always keeps the previous year's information, which is great for comparison purposes and for my records. Two thumbs up!

I'm really happy with my return this year. To my fellow Georgetown peeps, if you're paying out of pocket for your tuition, you should be eligible for a Tax Benefit for Education. I was, which is why I'm loving life right now. Doesn't make up for the thousands I've paid for tuition, but it helps ease the pain! Also, there's a new program this year called The Making Work Pay Tax Credit, which adds a few hundred to your tax return as well. Overall, not too bad.

Well, that's all for now. Don't forget to file your taxes by April 15th!

xoxo,
Olivia