Did you receive a tax refund or mail a check yesterday?

[bighart]

Just curious how many are paying versus how many are getting refunds.

Seeing stuff on the news that the average tax refund this year was $2700 but don't recall the estimate on how many people are receiving a refund. I mailed a check worth 8 working days yesterday in addition to what was with-held from my check. I know I could increase my with-holdings and avoid this, just prefer not to. I am not wealthy, in fact I would fall in the very low middle class, I just don't have much to deduct so I can only take the standard deductions. Not complaining, glad to be healthy and not have medical bills, glad to have a home even without enough mortgage interest to be deductible, no kids young enough to be dependants so I pay a considerable amount, dollar wise at least to me, in taxes.

[DrDan]

1. refund here - first one in decades

[aikoaiko]

2. refund: not much though. apparently I calculate withholding close to ideal

yeah me

[NeedleCast]

3. Small Refund

Between state and federal I got about 300 dollars back. I'm lucky to get that back really, being a SINK and getting basically no tax deductions from houses or spouses or kids.

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Sent Check here...

It wasn't much, but it might buy someone a new pair of combat boots or help put someone back to work fixing a pot-hole or two.

[Jokerman]

5. Both

Got a refund from the feds but most of that went to the state.

Thanks to the dumbass who employed my SO for a few months last year and didn't withhold state taxes.

[woodsprite]

6. Refund - bigger than expected from Feds, a bit less than expected from State. nt/

[liberal N proud]

7. Refund

[KansDem]

8. Refund from Federal; Check to the State...

Fortunately, the refund is greater than the check sent, so I came out a little on top...

[NEOhiodemocrat]

9. Refund here

One in college and husband retired, maybe they just feel sorry for us? No really, the education credit really helped us out. Plus the recovery rebate credit kicked in some. I am not complaining about our tax bill at all.

[newblewtoo]

10. Another

Check to the fed along with a penalty, but I waited until the last day to send it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. Paid. Self employment sounded like a good idea at the time. n/t

[BonnieJW]

12. Mailed a check. Again.

[bighart]

13. I find it interesting that 98 have viewed this and only 10 responded.

Don't know if it means anything, just interesting.

[Statistical]

20. Refund vs Paid is useless stat.

Someone could end up having $10,000 taken from their paycheck yet owe $9,000 in taxes and thus get a refund.
Another person could have $1,200 taken from their paycheck yet owe $9,000 in taxes and thus write a check.

The "refund" system is very clever way for govt to keep more of your money that what is needed.
Then hold it a year without paying a cent in interest.

Then and this is the really great part.... have people happy to get it back w/o interest.

Ask someone who filed their taxes and they know EXACTLY how much their refund is.....
Then ask them how much they paid in taxes? <blank stare> "I said I got a refund". "No what did you pay the govt in taxes for 2008". <blank stare> "The govt paid me $xxx.xx".

[bighart]

24. i understand your point.

I know exactly how much I paid in federal and state income tax, personal property tax, real estate tax last year. I have seriously considered tracking how much sales tax I pay in a year but have not taken it to that extreme yet.

Your point about the govt. taking money and holding it without interest is why I don't change my deductions. I would rather end up owing some than get a refund because this way I am able to use the money when and for what I really need it.

[Statistical]

25. Well you are the minority.

I think part of the problem w/ govt is we have no idea how much the govt is spending.

Most spending is good but a lot is wasted.

When you take federal income tax + state income tax + sales tax + FICA + various excise taxes (telecom, gas, firearms, auto, etc) is a huge % for most people.

The govt spreads it out but 50% if 50% it doesn't matter if it is 15% + 5% + 5% + 15% + 10% or it is just 50%. Either way it is 50%.

The spreading it out is one form of obfuscation and the "refund game" is another.

Smoke & Mirrors. "See you got money back, govt waste isn't so bad".

Now I wouldn't mind high taxes if we got high level of service:
* low national debt and only used in wars, natural disasters & recessions
* universal health care
* good safety net (mental health, unemployment, living wage)

[bighart]

28. I have estimated the total taxes I pay when it is all added up

at around 42%. I know I am probably off by 5% one way or the other because I have never tracked precisely all the little add on taxes like sales and telcom.

It would be great if we could determine what programs our tax dollars support but I understand that is not really possible as some would end up way underfunded and others way over funded. I agree that the amount of service that is rendered for the money paid is often times lacking in equity. I wish more people understood that for every cent in taxes collected there should be a service rendered in exchange.

The one thing that does REALLY bother me is the amount of interest we will be paying to finance the deficit spending. It will be HUGE.
I believe I read somewhere that the interest will be more than all discretionary spending combined. That is sad.

[hfojvt]

41. I also noticed in many years

that even though I got a full refund, because of delays in getting W-2s and also mailing (I was not online in the 1990s). By the time I got my refund, the government had already taken more than that amount out of my current year checks.

Thanks for making that point about the refund.

[dysfunctional press]

14. both...

i had never filed my '05 taxes(or '06 or '07)- it turns out that i owed $129 from back then...

but- i filed 2008 e-lec-tronic-ally, and should be getting about $900 back, between the federal and state.

i've also got about $200 coming from 2006, and about $40 bucks or so from 2007...i'm going into the irs office next week to get those things filed and done, once and for all.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

15. Paid. Too much, and not enough.

I paid too much that will support wars on drugs, terror, pirates.

I paid not enough that will support universal health care, higher education.

How much is too much? Enough to cause an "F-bomb" explosion when I got it figured out.

[bullimiami]

16. sent. a chunk. relocated, sold 2 houses, bought 1. capital gains got us.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

17. mailed 2 checks...one for Fed and one for State. n/t

[get the red out]

18. Refund

And seeing more in my check now too. I don't know anyone rich enough to be paying MORE taxes under Obama. I don't run in those crowds, maybe those white power, ugh, I mean "tea party" people do.

[Iris]

19. Paid. On a credit card no less.

[jus_the_facts]

21. Got a refund check 4 weeks after *snail* mailing it in back in February....

[madmom]

22. Refund from fed. check to state AND school taxes,(new for us this year)

[itsrobert]

23. Paid big time

I must be doing something wrong.

[JBear]

26. Refund...and a big one too.

The whole "refund vs payment" debate seems way off to me though. It is nothing more than a matter of how well you guessed what was going to happen to your income over the year. In my case, I paid in more than I had to (though if I hadn't paid in, they would have slapped me with penalties). The stock market crash just meant that the previous quarter's estimate was WAY off. The whole thing is crazy though! I think most people would rather bank it by not seeing the money each month and then get a "bonus" at tax time.

[abluelady]

27. What's a Refund? eom

[slackmaster]

29. No, but I mailed a check for $673 to the IRS

And worked.

[RebelOne]

30. Had to pay $2,000. I haven't had a federal refund in 10 years.

But I am getting a refund from the state for $361. Every year, I pay the IRA, but the state refunds me money. Go figure.

[sinkingfeeling]

31. Got a refund from both state and Federal last month.

[kctim]

32. Mailed 3 freakin check

And YES, I am complaining!

[VWolf]

33. Refund

Just means I paid too much over the year.

[Aristus]

34. My refund this year is DOUBLE what it was last year!

Thank you, President Obama!

[hugo_from_TN]

35. Be smart and make sure you always pay.

Take the money that you will owe next April and put it in an interest bearing savings account. No sense in letting the government make interest off your money.

[Bobbie Jo]

36. Filed extension.

My life is so fucking complicated.

[OwnedByFerrets]

37. Refund, but much less than in the past....especially state.

[azmouse]

38. Refund.

[jmg257]

39. Paid. Too much.

[WeDidIt]

40. I filed an extension n/t

[old mark]

42. Paid. First time in many years...That Obama.......nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

43. I Got About 6 Grand Back This Year. Love It!

[TheKentuckian]

44. Marginal refund from feds and an odd $6 bucks from the Commonwealth

which is fine since 7/10 I have to pay them. Feds, the opposite. I have to pay Uncle Sam 2-3 of ten, to make an average. I'd never pay them on a credit card though, the Federal interest rate was much lower than even a prime credit card. They may have raised it now but most cards have bumped up too.

I will say the years I owed, were well worth the surcharge. I wish people would stop whining, there's plenty to say about how the money is used but I think there are few oppressed in any real way by taxes (at least by the taxes being railed against) and those few won't see remedy from the small government crowd.

[Kaylee]

45. Both. Pay federal, refund from state.

[TBF]

46. Filed extension.

Thrilled to still be employed, paid an estimate. Happy to do so.

[AngryAmish]

47. If paying taxes is patriotic, then I am one patriotic motherfucker

[petronius]

48. Refund - the sad part was realizing we earned ~20% less last year

The witholding rate would have been pretty accurate if our income had remained stable...

[fifthoffive]

49. Mailed a check

I'm happy the gov't provides services, I'm happy to pay my share, and I'm happy to pay so those who need the services I'm fortunate enough not to need can have them.

Effective rate - 16% on gross of $150,000+. Not too bad. Always seem to underpay, so always write a check.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

50. Both.

Got a refund from the Fed and paid the State a bit.

Also have been getting a bit more each paycheck from the Obama plan.

Very happy, all in all.

[quiller4]

51. Got a small refund in March when we e-filed. n/t

[Lisa0825]

52. Sent a check AND set up a payment plan :-(

But I can't complain... I made the choice to take out an old retirement fund last year for emergency home repairs. If I had left it in the market, I would have lost more than what I got as a penalty!

[uppityperson]

53. Paid tax this yr, no dependents left

[bighart]

55. I feel your pain.

Same situation here.

[uppityperson]

56. On the other hand, saved at least that much in food

[bighart]

57. LOL

You must have sons as I do. It is amazing how much a 17 year old boy can eat.

[uppityperson]

58. I miss the swarm of locusts though. Discovered a really odd thing.

Thought my frig was broken because some cheese grew mold on it. Then I figured out that it was due to the locusts moving on and we just weren't going through food so fast.

[bighart]

61. My wife has had a hard time adjusting to cooking for only 2.

We have found that it is almost as cheap to just eat out after we throw away all the left overs and dump the spoiled milk.
I can remember buying a gallon of milk every other day, now about a pint of every half gallon gets poured down the sink.

[sakabatou]

54. No.

I think I got my refund earlier this year.

[yawnmaster]

59. Paid big. both fed and state.

Its tough writing those checks.

[Ilsa]

60. Refund coming soon to our bank account. We waaaay overpaid. nt

[ejpoeta]

62. we got a federal and state refund. just got the state the other day.

the federal went to pay the property/school taxes. and some bills. maybe i should go join a tea party!! LOL!!! just kidding. i live in NY and boy do we know about taxes here. But I find it interesting the people complaining about parks and beaches being closed for the summer. they don't want to pay taxes, and yet..... they still want their services. hmm. we all pay taxes, though. between sales taxes, property taxes, school taxes.... yada yada. i can understand why people would be feeling overtaxed. They seem to find a new tax scheme to get more money. They'd tax the air we breathe if they could get away with it!! but, we pay taxes and in return get roads and schools and other things we don't even realize!!

btw... i have family members that have extra taken out so they get some back at the end of the year.

[bighart]

63. I can't imagine having extra taken out. just for a refund.

I don't have enough taken out but would rather have to pay.

[ejpoeta]

64. i don't think they do it to get money back so much as to make sure they don't owe

at tax time. but i hear ya. my husband claims zero. but when times are tight, you think about claiming closer to your actual dependents because you need that money now not later.

[gmoney]

65. sent check...

my accountant called it a "perfect tax return" in that I owed just a little bit less than would have required payment of interest and penalties...

why do I still feel like a "perfect tax return" results in me getting a big fat refund?

[rainbow4321]

66. Refund from the feds and my state doesn't do state taxes

Got $6500 back in February..use it bit by bit to supplement my monthly income as needed.

[and-justice-for-all]

67. Refunds...nt

[truckerb1968]

68. Refund, Nine hundred and change, no where near the 2700 average.

[onethatcares]

69. sent check

a smaller one than my wife thought we were gonna, but a check none the less. Straight 1040, no deductions except the standard. we're dinks.

[spanone]

70. i pay them every quarter.

[AnnieBW]

71. Neither - I e-filed

I owed money for the first time in about three or four years. However, I won a trip that was valued at $5K that I had to pay taxes on. I was well prepared for owing money. I was actually surprised that I didn't have to pay more.

Now if the IRS would just figure out where they fucked up on our mortgage interest for our 2005 taxes, I'd be much happier. Hey, Obama! How about getting some COMPETENT people to be CSR's at the IRS? And give them some computer equipment that isn't from the 1990's!