When do you do your taxes?

[twistedmic]

For those of you that have to do taxes, when do you do them? Do you fill everything out and send it in as soon as possible (i.e. the day your W-2's, etc) or do you wait until the April 15th (today) and rush to fill out and mail the forms before midnight?

I've only had to do Taxes for the past four years (I had a few jobs that with cash rather than by check) and each year I've done them as soon as possible. My mother, on the other hand regularly waits until the Fifteenth (or forgets about her taxes until the Fifteenth) and ends up in a panic, rushing to get her forms filled out and mailed before midnight, I actually remember one year that she didn't get them in the mailbox until 11:50pm local time.

 

[Eliam_Dar]

I am guessing you are from the US, since here taxes are already included in prices or deducted from your salary

 

[BonsaiK]

I do them as soon as I can because I earn so little money and get taxed so heavily that I'm always due for a nice refund.

 

[BonsaiK]

I am guessing you are from the US, since here taxes are already included in prices or deducted from your salary

Even in countries which have a GST (Goods and Services Tax) and also income tax, you still have to file a tax return every year.

 

[Legion]

I am guessing you are from the US, since here taxes are already included in prices or deducted from your salary

Not if you have a private business though. Then you have to do your own.

 

[case_orange]

I am guessing you are from the US, since here taxes are already included in prices or deducted from your salary

Oh they do that here in the US, too.

But you also get taxes on property, stocks (aka capital gains), rebates for giving to charity, tax breaks as a student, etc. etc. meaning it's essential to sit down and calculate out just how much you've paid, how much you owe, and how much you may be getting back.

And for the record, I did mine in February. I would have done em in Jan. after I got my W-2, but I got lazy and distracted.

 

[Sleekgiant]

Whenever I feel like dropping them off at the local accountant, I made so little I'm actually getting a nice little chunk of change

 

[Zacharine]

I am guessing you are from the US, since here taxes are already included in prices or deducted from your salary

Even in countries which have a GST (Goods and Services Tax) and also income tax, you still have to file a tax return every year.

Ahh yes, the pre-filled piece of paper that takes 5 minutes to check for numbers and additional 10 if there is something wrong to fix the mistakes/add deductibles and drop it off to the post next time you need to get food.

It is a marvel: the tax form is the fastest, easiest form of bureocracy in my country.

 

[ThatTallGuy]

I did mine yesterday morning and mailed it shortly after. I usually do it sooner but I was lazy/busy this year. Took me all of 20 minutes, including 5 searching for stamps and a big enough envelope.

 

[Starnerf]

I did mine soon after getting my W-2 and my tuition rebate form. I like having the refund in my bank account so it can collect interest. Yay, TurboTax!

 

[ThreeKneeNick]

Im not sure what that is, its just something ive seen in American sitcoms and TV shows that really puzzles me because it seems so complicated and unneeded. In my country the employer pays income taxes, and several other things, so we don't do that here. Ive never heard anyone say they are doing their taxes... Although, i have read in the newspaper several months ago, that people that earn, i think it was something like over ?1000/month might have to start this, but i haven't heard anything about it since.

 

[huckleberryhound]

We do P.A.Y.E here.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I did mine in March. I carefully balance my withholding so that I owe/am owed as close to zero as possible.

For all you folks out there who love those "big tax returns", remember: Giving your money to the government is like putting it in a zero-interest bank account that you can't withdraw from for a year. If you're going to do that sort of thing, you might as well buy a CD (a Certificate of Deposit, not a Compact Disc) and at least make a little extra from it.

 

[Trifixion]

The week after I got my W-2, so first week of February. I don't like to owe anybody anything for any length of time, so I get things like that done as quickly as possible.

 

[Jark212]

I finished mine like a month ago, but I mailed it like 2 weeks ago. It's best to do it as soon as you get your 1040ez and W-2...