It’s that time of year. Have you filed your taxes?

When you’re a kid, everyone always tells you not to wish to grow up too fast. You’re so excited about the day when you can wear makeup, but all the adults tell you that you should be glad you don’t have to.  You can’t wait to drive, but everyone says that it’ll be here before you know it.  You are dying for that sip of an “adult” drink, and everyone says that it’s not that big of a deal when you’re actually an adult.  What you NEVER wish for is to be old enough to pay taxes.  I mean, no one ever says THAT, right?   Well, there’s a good reason.  Because paying taxes stinks.  And I don’t just mean the paying part.  I really don’t mind that as much as I mind the actual filing part.   Having to gather up all the documents and put them together in a meaningful, official way is a super huge pain in the rear.

Several years ago, before we had kids, my husband and I used to work extended hours at school.  I taught summer enrichment classes and tutored.  We both tutored after school, too.  We were paid extra through the school system but it really didn’t amount to much extra money.  We did it for the kids, not for the extra paycheck.  It’s good that our hearts were in the right place because when tax time came, we were astounded to find that we actually owed money because we did that extra work.  Getting those extra hours meant that we were bumped into a higher tax bracket….and ultimately we owed the government money.  So yes, we paid to work overtime.  That was really fun.

After that experience, we decided to hire an accountant to file our taxes for us.  Because a professional can do a better job than us, right?  Wrong.  Luckily I went over the documents before they were filed and found that the accountant had neglected to include our student loan interest deduction.  That “little” mistake cost us several hundred dollars.   Since we caught the error before it was filed, the accountant had time to correct the paperwork.  Oh, and we were still charged for the service.  That was the last year that we hired someone.  From that point on, my husband has filed our taxes using software from H & R block. 

It’s that time of year.  Thankfully, filing free online is simple using the H&R block program.  Using their setup, you can file income taxes online or use their great tax preparation software to e-file taxes.   AND, with this special offer, you can complete your federal tax return using H&R Block’s online product for free. (State returns do cost an additional fee.)     They guarantee the maximum refund possible and they offer expert advice to help you get there.    You can even use Facebook to login!!    If you’re dreading this part of being an adult, at least H&R Block makes it a little easier to swallow.  So no more putting it off…..get started today so that you can enjoy the rest of 2013!

I’m interested to hear your thoughts.  Do you file online?  What’s your best tax-filing story?    Or tell me what you plan to do with the money if you get a return!

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