DEEP IN THE HEART OF TAXES

It is becoming a whirlwind of forms, appointments and phone calls figuring out one’s taxes these days.

Remember when dad or mom would go to someone’s home, with a shoebox filled with old receipts and documents and that person would be the expert of filling out taxes? Even after we moved from Brooklyn, dad still traveled out to Brooklyn to have his taxes done. He’d ring the bell, some housewife would answer in her housedress and slippers, greet ‘Tony’ invite him in, remark how much I had grown and we’d sit at the kitchen table, have a cup of coffee and dad had his taxes done.

When I was single in high school,  and first had to fill out taxes there was a simple 1040 short form that if you made under a certain amount, you used, and usually you either got something back or didn’t pay at all.

I used to be the family consultant for my house when I did the short form for one or two sisters. Life was simple and taxes weren’t a big deal unless you wanted to make conversation.

When dad bought his second house, in a neighborhood where you expect to pay for services from the town, dad had a new complaint, his taxes. He would sit at the kitchen table and with his accordion file folder, pay his bills and had a section for his dreaded ‘Taxes’. Then off to see his tax person, who although still worked from the kitchen table, didn’t get to mention how I’d grown.

Then one day I got a job professionally, and saw the chunk of change they were taking from my hard earned money. I thought, at least let me hold it before you take it. I wanted a picture of the money and me, just to have something to remember it by. It’s like having children and never meeting them.

Finally, one day in March in around 1972 or 73, we found our tax guy who started with my business taxes and then my household ones. He has been doing them since and although his rates increase, he has always done a smart job. We went to him, he filled out the forms and we mailed them.

Then one day he started to get fancy. Sent us a prepared form where we filled out some of the pages with our line item deductions and he would get it, call me and then file online!

Welcome to the 21^st Century, no shoe box needed!