It’s April 17th! The due date is past for you to finishing taking it up the bung hole from Uncle Sam. Now I did mine back in February. I’m used to getting returns and my taxes are usually pretty simple (Turbo Tax online free and easy) So why wait? But this year with the move, a Roth IRA my dad set up, and a class or two, the deductions part was going to be more complicated. But not to worry. H&R Block has a deal! Go in before the end of February and get it done for free. Not too shabby.

I go in, talk to the nice lady, drink some luke warm coffee with powdered non-dairy creamer, answer some questions about deductions ‘n such, and before I know it, taxes done! But she tells me the services will cost me 200 something dollars. I’m like “Woah! What’s with the sign for the free return?” To which she replies, “that was for a 1040 EZ, all those two state taxes and deductions made it a regular 1040.”

Feeling betrayed by advertising (you’d think I’d have learned by now) I tell them I’ll go elsewhere to see what the competition can offer. Not but three doors down was Liberty Tax Services. Sure the office was in an apartment complex opposed to a leased store front and the staff didn’t quite have the professional eloquence of H&R Block, but I decided to let them have a go at my taxes.  Though the first girl had some trouble, the manager stepped in and finished the process. They got me a  bigger refund and had me owing less money to New York state. (H&R had me owing $230 something NY, Liberty only had me owing $90) I was a little skeptical, “Are you sure this is right? Why does H&R Block have me paying more?” To which she reassured me, “I don’t know, but I’ve been doing this 11 years and I don’t like to make mistakes.” That was good enough for me.

A week or so later, I got confirmation everything was kosher with my federal taxes and my refund was promptly deposited in my checking account. I mailed off what I owed to New York and went on enjoying my happy life. Until one day…

Last week I got a letter back from the big apple. It wasn’t too happy. The letter told me I had miscalculated what I owed and that further funds of $890 would be necessary. Uh oh!

Next post? What happens when I march down to Liberty Tax Services and how the Post Office further fucks the whole thing up!