21 Comments

I think because I wrote down in my return that I am a writer, the IRS believes I owe them money and have taken my refund hostage.

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Hahaha, yep, I’m pretty sure it’s an automatic setting in their system

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Glorious piece. I hope your tax gods are sympathetic to your Coelho-ist submissions.

I admit to cowardice. I’ve always paid my accountant to submit my return. Even though I’m now ‘retired’ with no meaningful income or expenses to fill a page, I am intent on reaching the end of time without learning that skill.

But I feel your pain.

Buena suerte y mis mejores deseos!

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¡Gracias!

Every year that goes by I think more and more that paying someone to do my taxes is the wise move.

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This is Art.

Also, I now have stomach acidity in sympathy. (The UK Week Of Tax Hell is at the end of January.)

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Thanks, Mike! My most sincere heartburn sympathies in return.

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I've got two words for you, Santiago: marriage penalty. You should have quit while you were behind - filing jointly likely increases the tax due for you.

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Haha, it did.

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Hey Carlos, I will read this later just wanted to thank you for the Notes tip. I have been posting there recently I also like the gentle approach you use to invite subscribers and wondered if I may use it on my buttons? You are welcome to use any bits you find helpful from my site. I have 'started' a section I call 'Writers Portion' where I invite collaborations.

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Of course! Feel free to borrow my approach and customize your buttons however you like. I can't say for sure whether they make people more likely to subscribe, but they're fun to write so I'm going to keep doing it.

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I have to file in two countries because my native country (Norway) does not allow tax emmigration immediately. You are taxed globally for 4 years after you move...Fun rules!

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Ouch! The US has similar rules about paying taxes on income earned while living abroad. Ridiculous!

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Here in UK I log in at His Majesty's Revenue & Customs, enter my modest takings and expenses and the form calculates my small tax liability. Which I pay with some pride as most UK authors don't earn enough to pay any tax at all. So some things in UK do still work ...

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Sounds like quite a reasonable system!

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My Dad (in UK pay as you earn system) lived to age 99 without ever filling a tax return. He didn't even have a tax reference number. Mind you he was getting away with stuff a bit (investment income he should have declared) which I had to sort out after he died.

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Super sane, insanely simple. But 44%. "But" that with universal health care.

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I’d take 44% with universal healthcare any day of the week

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Pity me. I have to file both UK taxes (reasonable) and US taxes (hellish and unnecessarily complicated) as I was accidentally born in America, curse my dumb British dad for helping the US government with their Space Programme. Now I am a hostage and have to pay 2,450 of your crummy American dollars if I want to be free.

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My deepest sympathies. I have friends abroad who have to pay the US overseas tax and it makes absolutely zero sense.

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Enjoyed this read - graceful my wife enjoys filing our taxes. Trying to figure out how local business who file people’s taxes stay in business.

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Thanks, Marc! That’s lucky, wish I could say the same.

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