Updated: Taxes Taxes Are (Still) No Fun

Below is my post concerning my contribution to the society at large (taxes). It was brought to my attention that if you clicked on the link I had listed to LibertyTax, and you signed up for their service that way, they would try to charge you $14.95! Wow, no way! Instead, please make sure that if you'd like to use their services (or any of the other tax providers) that you enter their website through the IRS Free File website, linked here, and in the original post. I hope this didn't hurt any one else! There's no reason to get frustrated and just shell out the money. As I put it to my friend, that's almost 3 burritos we're talking about (and 5 total when you file your state taxes for free instead of paying $15! That's a lot of Chipotle!)

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...But, thank the good Lord, they are done!

I took some of my own advice and filed my taxes for free online. The great commonwealth of Virginia may go broke with my $24 refund, but don't think I won't collect!

The Free File site from the IRS allows you to pick what service to use -- it seems all of them are free if you make under $52,000. I settled on LibertyTax mostly because I would liked the sound of the name (way to go, marketing department).

By and large, it was an easy process. There were lots of help options if you get lost (not difficult in the labyrinth that is the tax code). The federal portion can be filed for free, but they wanted $12.95 to file my state portion! No way was I going to fork over more than half of my state return just to save a couple of minutes! Instead, I went directly to the Virginia Department of Taxation website and filed my state taxes there for free. It was useful to have already received the estimate from Liberty Tax about how much my refund should be. Since the numbers matched up, I knew that I was on track. So, I submitted everything, breathed a big sigh of relief, and now I am finished until next year!

Free Stuff Friday (FSF): Taxes and Tea, Still a Party

This week has been abnormally busy, but here are a couple of things to brighten your Friday. I am amused to remember that the first led to the dumping of the second, and that my taxes still inspire that same kind of rage from me 200 years later.

The IRS allows you to file for free online, if you make less than a certain income. The small print says:

Free File allows taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $52,000 or less in 2006 to e-file their federal tax returns for free. That means 70 percent of all taxpayers – 95 million taxpayers – can take advantage of the Free File program.

Since my assets are simple (read: meager), there's no reason for me to get someone else to do my taxes (as much as I would love it). You can find the requisite forms here.

Then, to calm yourself down over the absurd tax code (flat tax anyone?), enjoy a nice cup of organic tea with your free sample from Yogi Tea.