A couple weeks ago, I did my taxes.
I’m always interested in hearing and learning about what other people are going through, what life is like according to people in different circumstances. It opens my mind to new ideas, new ways of behaving, and expands my worldview.
In this year’s tax form instructional booklet, I came across a few scenarios that gave me a little shock. It’s the surprise of realizing that a rule applies to enough people that the IRS created directions for it and typed it into this booklet intended for the general public, and the instance never occurred to me.
The most heartbreaking section I came across was on what filing status to choose if your child has been kidnapped. Can you imagine having to think about this?
When considering fringe benefits you need to include as part of your income, the IRS’s website gives the example of your employer gifting your spouse with a car due to services you performed. It sounds like something that might happen in the movies. I had never imagined anything like that happening in real life.
There’s a section about the amount of expenses whaling captains can deduct as charitable contributions. Never knew this was A Thing. Another portion detailed how much of a tax deduction you can take for donating taxidermy. I guess it must happen- nobody wants the stuffed raccoon Uncle Charlie shot 60 years ago. I just never thought about it.
You may have seen this at the end of the booklet- a warning to tax filers who owe money to the IRS: “No checks of $100 million or more accepted.” So, if you owe $180 million, you have to separate the amount into two checks. I realize that this would mostly apply to businesses, but it’s still hard for me to imagine this as an actual situation. If those were the taxes, with all of the business write offs, deductions, and loopholes, what was the total income?
It looks like I need to start dreaming bigger. Who knew that doing taxes would open up a while new world of imagination?