Week from HELL!

jobiann · August 2014

I'm mentally preparing myself for a tough week at work. I work with property values and property tax statements were just mailed out...which means our phones will be ringing off the hook any minute. I'm not looking forward to this, I have to stop myself from saying things like "well my property taxes went up too" and "if you own a house worth $900,000 you should expect to pay a chunk in taxes....), "if property taxes are lower in Arizona maybe you should move back there....".

Sorry, just a vent. I truly understand why people get upset about money, I am one of those, but I also understand our state tax system and unfortunately property taxes are part of paying your "fair share" in Iowa.

Anyone else have a rough week coming up?

AshleyDehaven · August 2014

Oh man, that does sound like a harsh week. I try very hard not to get bent out of shape about things like taxes because they are such an integral part of national infrastructure, and i realize that everyone has to pay their fair share to keep things running and efficient, but man, it is hard not to get worked up about money huh? I just had to go to the mat with Verizon for over charging us *eyeroll*.

My week is going to be long.. Today we have to get the living room into some semblance of livable (lots of packing material and boxes right now) so that maintenance can come fix a freaking hole in the bath tub... A hole. There is a HOLE in the bathtub.. I REALLY hope we don't get saddled with that bill.. Sigh. Then we have this whole house to pack, my sister comes in wednesday, and about a thousand other things that need doing and i seriously can't believe there is only ten days left... O_O

ReeceFamily · August 2014

@jobiann - that would drive me nuts! I agree on your philosophy on taxes. Does it sometimes suck to pay them? Yes. Does anyone REALLY want to live somewhere that receives no tax funding? Probably not. Good luck!!!

lulamagoo · August 2014

DH has been gone on work travel since last monday and won't be back until this Friday….

URMySunshine77 · August 2014

@jobiann: I would be so tempted to snap at callers. I hate complaining!

lulamagoo said:

DH has been gone on work travel since last monday and won't be back until this Friday….

@lulamagoo: My husband also left Monday and may come back Friday. Last night he said that he might have to stay even later. :-(

jobiann · August 2014

Like I said, I completely understand because money is a subject typically no one likes to deal with, especially when it means more coming out of your pockets, but I just wish people would understand it comes along with owning a home and wanting police/fire support and city infrastructure and our schools. I actually have people say they don't have kids and they wish to no longer pay taxes to the schools...uh....that isn't how that works!

@AshleyDehaven - how does a hole happen in a bathtub??

@chilibeansm0m - that would really be a frustrating job, I'm sure all you want to do is help those families.

@lulamagoo - I'm not sure what I would do if my H was gone for an entire week, you are one strong Momma. I hope your week goes by quickly. It makes me think about all the military wives/husbands, how strong are they being without their spouses for long periods of time. I cannot imagine....

AshleyDehaven · August 2014

@jobiann - honestly i'm not even sure how it happened, i was washing something in there and apparently applied too much pressure? I have never seen anything like it. Really cheap fiberglass tub apparently. Hooray for military housing... *eyeroll*

Mom2anAngel2 · August 2014

Sorry you have to deal with a lot of grouchy people. I don't think I will ever complain about our property tax (not that I enjoy paying them) after my parents had theirs increases from $2500 to $12000 in 1 year. Yep that's right a 4 fold increase in 1 year without and home improvements done. I'll take our few percentage increase over that. Granted my parents do live in a state without income tax, but a 4 fold increase is still insane.

I hope people are at least reasonable for you. GL!

bennikki · August 2014

@jobiann I'm an accountant (in MN, neighbor!), and Aug 15 is the deadline to file for a property tax refund. This refund is based on your income versus what you pay in property taxes, so if your income is low, but your property taxes are high, you can qualify for a refund from the state. Conversely if your income is high but your property taxes are low (or comparable to your income), you don't qualify for a refund. Some people qualify one year but don't the next and vice-versa.

Up until about 4 years ago, the state was in really good financial shape and much more organized, so people often saw their refund within the first week of Aug, but for the past 4 years, the state budget and tax law has been a nightmare (taking away credits until there's a surplus then reinstating the credits retro-actively, so a ton of people had to file amended tax returns, it's been a nightmare!), and refunds have been delayed by weeks, sometimes months! We were told to not even file the prop. tax returns until a couple weeks ago because their system wasn't ready to process them. Try telling that to someone who planned on buying a new washing machine with their refund check, and you'll get your head bitten off. "But, I usually get it back the first week in August, and I put it on my credit card and now I can't pay the bill." To which I respond, "Sir/Ma'am, the refunds have been delayed for the past several years, and I can't tell you when you can expect it. No, I'm not going to call the state for you (internal dialogue: and sit on hold for several minutes, only for them to tell me, you'll get your money when we get it processed.)"

Try telling someone that they no longer qualify for a refund because they finally got their RN degree, so their income is too high, and the answer is, "well, why should I have a better job if I miss out on this money?!" I want to answer, "you ma'am are what's wrong with the system, you'd rather make $20,000/year as a CNA than $40,000-60,000/year as an RN (in our area) just so you can get $500 back on your property taxes?! You're right, I guess you were better off before you got the degree, IDIOT!"

I'd probably call myself a Libertarian/small government advocate, so I just get pissed when people advocate for big government, bureaucracy, and services, but then just expect it to be taken care of by someone else, and once they're expected to pay "their share," they suddenly hate the current administration, congress person, governor (I say this because it doesn't matter who's in office. In 2006, it was because we were in at war. Today, it's because of the Affordable Care Act, tomorrow it will be something different). Come one, you loved having your hand int he cookie jar when the cookies were free, but now it's everyone's fault but your own that you have to cough up a little to participate?! It's called being a contributing member of society.

DCKate · August 2014

Yes, this week can eat it. I've been consulting since 2012. DH moonlighted last year after he finished his residency, which is basically consulting since they don't take out taxes.

We are finally in a really good place financially. The taxes kicked our collective ass however, and we set up a payment plan with this IRS last year. They automatically deduct the payment, we are all good. Right?

Friday night DH checks our bank balance. There is a random charge/hold for $5K. We call the fraud department, because what the hell?? I'm a finance director for campaigns- trust me when I fell you that our family finances are carefully tracked in a spreadsheet.

The charge? We got a letter on Saturday am from the IRS as a notice of levy.

I called them first thing Monday am. The hold on our account caused us to immediately start bouncing checks to kingdom come. The woman I spoke with was very apologetic, and said that the IRS had stopped taking the amount out of our checking account but nobody could to tell me why. She faxed our bank right away to remove the levy, but our money will not return to our account until Thursday.

We are so overdrawn at this point that I am literally in tears. At least I know we are getting our money back on Thursday, but get your shit together!!!

I am happy to pay my taxes. I know that the money we put into state and national programs helps families and children and veterans. My issue is with their shitty system of bookkeeping!

It has taken everything I have to not binge on fast food out of stress all week long.

Hope all of you have a better week! And thanks for letting me vent...

bennikki · August 2014

@DCKate that totally sucks! DH had the same thing happen with his business. We weren't over-drawn, but all of a sudden there was a $1163.00 levy taken out of the business account?! DH gets on the phone to figure out what it was, apparently it was an old civil penalty from 3 years ago regarding W-2s and W-3 forms. That year, DH's foreman committed suicide on January 1, so in order to get his 5 (yes, 5) children Social Security Survivor's benefits as soon as possible, we filed the W-2s and W-3 forms at the actual Social Security office instead of just mailing them as usual. After talking to an actual person with the IRS, she saw all these special notes for our specific situation, and said they'd send the money right back. These notices and penalties come from a computer generated program, not from an actual person, so the error rate is insane, however, it's the IRS, so you have to prove they are wrong before they'll give you YOUR money back!

P.S. Not only did we waste half a day on the phone with the IRS, the bank wouldn't refund the $75 service fee they charge for all account levies.

lulamagoo · August 2014

@URMysunshine77

Oh no! I hope he gets to come home Friday. I think I'd break down in tears if DH had to stay longer. I miss him. This definitely makes me thankful that I am not a single mom or military wife.

DS keeps saying "Daddy" while making the sign for love numerous times a day. It breaks my heart, he misses his daddy so much.

jobiann · August 2014

lulamagoo said:

@URMysunshine77

Oh no! I hope he gets to come home Friday. I think I'd break down in tears if DH had to stay longer. I miss him. This definitely makes me thankful that I am not a single mom or military wife.
DS keeps saying "Daddy" while making the sign for love numerous times a day. It breaks my heart, he misses his daddy so much.

Awww, that is so sweet and super sad at the same time.

URMySunshine77 · August 2014

jobiann said:

lulamagoo said:

@URMysunshine77

Oh no! I hope he gets to come home Friday. I think I'd break down in tears if DH had to stay longer. I miss him. This definitely makes me thankful that I am not a single mom or military wife.
DS keeps saying "Daddy" while making the sign for love numerous times a day. It breaks my heart, he misses his daddy so much.

Awww, that is so sweet and super sad at the same time.

@lulamagoo: So sweet. Makes me tear up.

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