One sure thing

I'm like the last person in America who hasn't done her taxes. I'm not actually tax-phobic, just procrastinatory. I really like the idea of running right up against a deadline and there are still six weeks to go until April 15. No sweat.

I'm also an old-fashioned tax girl; I do my taxes out by hand and that means I have to find the perfect pencil. Not just any pencil will do. I need to have one with a nice, big eraser and plenty of lead in the barrel, because not only do I do the dang thing by hand, I also make duplicate copies by hand, which makes me think I'd have done great in that time before the Guttenberg press. Also, I don't believe in e-filing (except for that year when I was so poor HR Block e-filed for me for free) and no direct deposit; there's just an indescrible feeling when you hold a crisp, clean Treasury check in your hands.

This year though, I'm thinking about actually starting sometime before 11:59 on April 14th. In fact, this weekend. I'm just getting so excited about spending a Saturday or Sunday afternoon with the 1040 and Schedules A, B, and D. I can hardly stand it. And I'm even more glad that this year, we get to deduct our sales tax paid in. It actually makes me laugh when I read the 1040 book and it says, "Gather up your receipts and figure out how much sales tax you paid in 2004." Uh, I am doing so well in kicking my paper accumulating habit that while other people might be pissed off about paying taxes, I'm more pissed off that Uncle Sam is enabling one of my Really Bad Habits (tm).

But seriously, who saves 365 days worth of receipts? And if anyone does, and if they are organized and patient enough to add up all those pennies, I don't want to hear about it. Nope.

Links o' the day: Fangirls should know that starting your own church won't save you from the Tax Man and if you do business with a naked person in Utah, you're gonna get taxed.