Lottery Time

Hooray! Once again it appears that I will get away with total, reckless, brinkmanship concerning the little matter of filing my annual tax returns. Such a horrible process that I invariably end up just leaving a heap of steaming papers on my accountant's doorstep the night before my fall departure for parts unknown. Yes  - you read that right -- my fall departure. In the Giltinan household taking that initial filing extension is simply a given every year. Young people: if you are reading this blog, do NOT follow my example, which corresponds to the conduct of a deeply flawed human being.

Obviously, this strategy of leaving everything until the last possible moment, dumping everything in my CPA's lap, and fleeing the country, is one that could backfire badly, e.g.  if I were to have misunderestimated my tax liability for 2011 significantly.

But it appears that the accounting gods have taken pity on my undeserving carcase yet one more time. As far as 2011 goes, I get a refund of $164 from the Feds and owe them nothing.
California and New Jersey -- I get nothing, but I owe them nothing.
I knew those charitable donations to assorted deserving causes must be worth something (don't get me wrong; I hope I am always in a position to give to the Food Bank, Project Open Hand and other such organizations that do essential work). But it's nice when you fall $46 short of having any taxable income for the year.
But the notion that my 2011 net winnings in Online Scrabble Cubes ($324) should be considered taxable income -- why that seems downright unAmerican! Good Sirs at the IRS - is it your express wish to penalize excellence in online Scrabble?

Fie upon you, I say!     F - I - E !