Tax Relief

Every year since we have been in our professions we have owed additional taxes. We always estimate our taxes when we get our final pay stubs and statements in December. Two years ago we owed $1400. Last year we owed $800. We changed our exemptions and were hoping this year it would work out better in our favor. We want to make it so we get a small refund -- within 2 or 3 hundred dollars ... that we we get the earned interest in our dough ... and not Uncle Sam. Our "December tax prediction" claimed that we would owe $1200 this year. I was devastated -- appalled -- angry. We are honest people. We don't claim extra exemptions so that we get more back throughout the year! It didn't seem fair.

When we owe this much in additional taxes we put off filing until the last minute. I mean who has $1000 laying around to give to the IRS? Not I. Before Joe left for Indianapolis, (yes he is gone ... right now ... on a business trip. Single wife ... single parent for the week,) he took the opportunity to update our forms and make sure that all of the numbers were in the right places. We found a significant error in our estimate. In the box where you enter the amount of interest you paid on your mortgage ... instead of putting 11,000 we put 1000. HUGE mistake. it took us from owing $1200 to owing $14. With some other adjustments ... we end up getting a federal return of $150. PERFECT!! What a relief!!!!!