Happy Tax Day 2016
April 18, 2016
Today, April 18, is Tax Day, not April 15. Tax Day is a holiday in Washington, D.C., so income taxes are due today instead of Friday because federal offices are closed.
I filed my taxes last week. Although I’m so happy I have them done, I wasn’t pleased that H&R Block wouldn’t give me an estimate when I brought in my filled out forms. Although the tax preparer said I could reject the company’s fee at the end if I thought it was too high, I just paid the $472 to get it over with.
If you’re like me, you’ve been thinking a lot about government in the big presidential election year.
Although I don’t like calculating my taxes because I have a small business and have to keep track of my expenses, I’m a supporter of government. I believe that my tax money provides services that I need – schools, roads, sewage treatment, public health agencies, voting rights, low-income housing, environmental protection, consumer protection, disaster relief, and more.
It’s distressing to me that so much emphasis is being made by those on the political "right" on making government smaller when there are so many deficiencies. I’m particularly upset about the big infrastructure deficit in America. It’s been going on for decades. With politicians on the right blocking tax increases, our roads and bridges are just going to continue to be more and more unsafe.
On a lighter note, if you’d like a free item on Tax Day, see the article “The Top Tax Day Deals and Freebies for 2016.”
If you go to a Hard Rock Café, you can sing a song and you’ll get a free burger. At Great American Cookies, you can get a free chocolate chip cookie. At Staples, you can shred 5 pounds of documents for free.
And, a warning. If you get an e-mail from the Internal Revenue Service or the company you used to file your taxes electronically about a problem with your taxes, check it out carefully. Two years ago, I received a notice my return was incomplete, but it was a legitimate e-mail. Scammers are taking advantage of e-mails like these to get private information so they can steal your money or identity. Be an alert, informed consumer.
Have a great day. If you’re still struggling with your taxes, my best wishes to you.
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