Death and Taxes!

There's an old saying that "the only certain things in life are death... and taxes!"

Whereas I would much rather have been writing or doing something creative, I have spent most of this past week finalizing my annual tax return.

In spite of the fact that we live very close to what is generally recognized as "the poverty line" here in the USA, I find myself still having to round up some 1,300 USD to pay a tax bill.

There's something mildly ironic about not really being able to afford your life (even if you DIDN'T have to pay taxes) but still owing tax.

For many people, that ends up meaning that they have to send in their tax money, only to turn right around and try to claim it back, in the form of some kind of government support. Sounds stupid, right?

Sometimes I find myself wondering why I even bother with some of this stuff...

In some small way, I suppose I just want to be able to say that I legitimately "played the game" as it was set up... and by following the rules of "the game" I at least get an outside chance at a very small government pension, when I formally reach retirement age in another three years, or so.

Of course, I'm still hopeful that the Cryptosphere will recover enough to help with my eventual retirement, but I am not going to hold my breath for that one!

Anyway, all this time I have been spending with tax accounting is somewhat to blame for the fact that I haven't had time to post and engage here.

I've still got a couple more days of work to go, but after that I should be able to resume a more normal schedule and catch up with everyone I have missed.

Life isn't all sunshine and roses, of course... and I recognize that!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week ahead!

How about you? How much do taxes take in your part of the world? Do even poor people end up paying taxes? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2024.10.14 01:15 PDT
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