Taxing taxes

I just completed our taxes for 2013.  Yay!  While the husband is the financial half of our dynamic duo, I usually do the taxes because I’m far more comfortable dealing with software and computers than he will ever be.

Every year I dread loading that H&R Block software and going through the process.   Because I’m not a financial wizard (my economics teacher in college can testify this, poor Dr. Smith!),  doing taxes is like playing the old 1960s game, “Mystery Date”.  Will it be a dreamboat? (Significant money back) or Will it be a dud?  (YOU OWE!).    As I go through the screens and watch the numbers slide from red to black (and in some years, the opposite), the anxiety builds until the final review and I know where we stand.

Another aspect of this exercise, is that my husband and I have rather unconventional filing systems and mine is different than his.    So along with “Mystery Date” its a game of hide and seek as well.  This year the fun extended to the cars, where we had stowed some donation receipts.   The mail holder in the kitchen and an old roll desk gave forth  the rest of the paperwork

This year, the numbers are wonderfully black for a change.   I think having a new cat work with my on the project was a plus.  Maybe if we get audited I can bring him along and he’ll just destroy      their questions with amazing cuteness.

And I’ll end this with my favorite quote about taxes:

“The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets”- Will Rogers.