Saturday morning I took a file folder of paperwork into our local tax preparer's office. I'm not going to name the company, but it rhymes with H & R Sock - if you get my drift. I refuse to do my own taxes. It's not that I don't think I'm capable, I have a masters degree in business. I'm a data junkie and love numbers, charts and graphs. I just don't want the responsibility for getting it right. I don't want to worry about being audited because I filled out a few boxes incorrectly. I'm a big believer in the "Peace of Mind" program. (I also like that if you go back from year to year, your information automatically populates most of the fields and that saves me time!)
Plus, our taxes our complicated. Chris has a full-time job and freelances on the side from home. I have three part-time jobs, two of which are primarily out of my home...one is in the ministry which has an entirely different set of rules apparently. So, I don't do my own taxes.
That being said, I'm ridiculously organized. I had everything in my folder, paper clipped according to the different tax forms, everything labeled, all my itemized deductions clearly written up and calculated. Everything was there and it was orderly.
When I arrived I received an unnecessary amount of praise just for showing up on the day/time of my appointment and for being on time. Isn't that normal? Apparently not. Then I handed her my folder. Lots of praise for my organization (which I enjoy because so far it's one of the few God-given talents I seem to actually posses). Then she started. Suddenly, there was a lot of groaning. Lots of "I can't believe I have to do that..." Several, "I'm so sorry, this is going to cost so much..." Nice. And a ridiculous amount of times she had to get up and go ask her co-worker for assistance. Then, she got out the book. An actual paper manual on tax preparation. It didn't look good for me at all.
Two hours and ten minutes later we came to a stopping point. Nope, I wasn't signing papers and forking over a ridiculously large amount of cash to pay for her services. She was essentially giving up. She had a list of questions to ask her boss early next week to make sure she didn't do anything wrong. Then, after that happens, I'll get to go back in, sign a lot of papers and fork over a ridiculous amount of money for her services.
Her lack of confidence was scary. The tentative amount she quoted me for my bill was even scarier! But more frustrating is that I will have to wait an extra week for my refund to come. Maybe it's about time to go to an actual accountant....somehow, I think it actually might be cheaper! And maybe the "Peace of Mind" I purchase will actually give me some peace of mind.
Happy tax preparing everyone!
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