Last spring, Bill did our taxes on paper.  Because he’d been doing our taxes electronically for so many years, he forgot that we needed to sign the paperwork.  Consequently, months after he mailed off our tax return, it was returned to us with the note that it needed to be signed.

We signed the paperwork, clearly delivered to us by a mysterious courier since the returned forms did not come through the German mail system.  Bill sent it off.  Today, we got a bill for $137.41.  Why?  Because thanks to our return being rejected, we filed late.  The IRS charges at least $135 for that.  They also charge interest.

The letter was dated September 28.  The money was due on October 19th, but today is the 23rd. So now, I guess we owe a few more dollars of interest.  It would have been nice if the IRS sent the bill in a timely fashion.  Had we known we owed $135, we would have paid it a long time ago.

I think next year, Bill is going to get a tax professional to handle our IRS stuff.  I usually nag him to get it done early, but he wasn’t as on the ball as he usually is.

We are planning to go out tonight… or sometime this weekend, since Bill is done with his most recent course.  He started a new one, though– his last one.  I’m ready for December.  I’ll be getting my new tooth.  I’ll be going to Italy.  And Bill will finally be done with his degree.  Of course, all too soon, it’ll be time for taxes again.