I should’ve mentioned this last week, but who wants to talk about taxes when you have a chance to talk about love and romance? Not me.
So, this week I’ll write about what people have been complaining about since they were first established in Egypt around 3000 B.C. But I’m always reminded without the income tax, we wouldn’t have critical services for millions of older adults: meal programs, senior housing, transportation, and particularly long-term and in-home care services (which can be expensive!) all of which help older adults live with dignity and as independently as possible. As Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. said, “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society”.
But paying your income taxes can be complicated. Albert Einstein felt the hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax. And that was in the 1940s!
But there is help.
There are many excellent tax preparers in the Mid-Columbia region, which many of you may use, but if your returns are not complicated there are several other options.
1) Commercial software programs such as TurboTax, H&R Block, and TaxSlayer will guide you step by step and then file your tax return electronically. But they do cost – up to $89 for some programs.
2) If your adjusted gross income is $73,000 or less, IRS Free File lets you prepare and file your federal income tax online using guided tax preparation at an IRS partner site such as TaxSlayer or TaxAct. Log on to the IRS.gov website and click on “File Your Taxes for Free”. The IRS also offers Free File Fillable Forms you can complete and file electronically. For free filing a state tax return electronically, check the Department of Revenue in your state.
3) If you don’t feel comfortable going online, Gorge AARP Tax-Aide will complete and file your tax return electronically for free. All tax preparation is by appointment with two options: in person or you can drop off your tax documents and pick up your completed tax return later. To book an appointment, which are filling up fast, go online at https://gorgetaxaide.simplybook.me/v2/#book or for any questions call your local senior center.
4.) Or if you’re old school, you can file a paper return. Paper tax forms are scarce, so you’ll probably need to go online to download a copy of any tax forms.
A couple of reminders.
If you go online don’t confuse “Free File” commercial sites with IRS government sites. The address for all government sites always ends with .gov.
And if you want your tax refund quickly, file your tax return electronically and you should be issued your tax refund in less than three weeks. If you file a paper return, your refund should be issued in about six to eight weeks after the IRS receives your return.
As F. J. Raymond said, “Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.”
Brain Tease: Last of this series. Thirty years ago, this was more difficult, but thankfully times have changed.
“A man and his son are in a car crash. The father is killed and the child is taken to the hospital, but the surgeon says, ‘I can’t operate on this boy – for he is my son!!!” How can this be?
The childhood illness where your parents often had you stay in a darkened room was measles. I received correct answers from Ruth Radcliffe, Nancy Higgins, Rebecca Abrams, Rhonda Spies, Keith and Marlene Clymer, Doug Nelson, and Lana Tepfer this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Beverly Thompson.
While in college, because I must have been a young sentimental romantic, I saw City Lights: a beautiful and touching 1931 American silent film, considered by some as the number one romantic comedy. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who wrote, produced, directed, and starred in City Lights as the Tramp? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a publicity photo of Paulette Goddard.
“Just because it pops into your head, it does NOT mean it should come out of your mouth.” Or posted on Facebook!
Well, it’s been another week, feeling spring is just down the block. Until we meet again, I don’t know which is worse: worrying you’re losing your memory or your wife thinking you have!
Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through
Friday unless otherwise noted.
Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River
Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center
(541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)
For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office
(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior
Services (509-427-3990).
Answer: The surgeon is his mother.
