Okay, I admit it – I am not so great about filing my taxes on time. I should add to that statement that I have not owed money on my taxes for years, so I am not harming the US government with my lackadaisical attitude.
That said, I have to laugh. Two times I have had the US government chase me because I was late (okay, really late) in filing my taxes. They obviously did not look closely at my tax record before chasing me (ie: a record that shows I never owe them money). Twice they have chased me, and twice they have owed me money – once over $1,000 and once over $3,000. (Yes, I know, if I am owed money I should be far less lazy about filing my taxes.
Here is where I think the US government is not so bright. Apparently there is a 3 year window on being able to claim money that the US government owes you. Therefore, if they waited over 3 years to chase me, I may have continued to be lazy and they would have kept over $4,000. With their deficit, that is a lot of money. Perhaps they chase me because I am the exception to the rule and most do not file because they owe money, not because they are lazy. These people should be chased – but those like me, ironically, they hurt themselves when they chase us.
Interesting thought, isn’t it? (Yes, yes, I am working on filing on time!)
Today, 184 days ’til 40, I cannot always understand why people do things the way they do. I am sure this will never change.
~400daystil40
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
sahbinahvioletflynn
August 21, 2012 at 06:05
How the government operates has always defied logic in my opinion.
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:16
a very good point
A Table in the Sun
August 21, 2012 at 06:25
Kind of explains why our nation is in an economic crisis.
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:16
yea!
buckwheatsrisk
August 21, 2012 at 07:30
now that is funny their crap bit them in the butt!
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:16
yes!
buckwheatsrisk
August 21, 2012 at 22:43
gotta love that!
isabellafellini
August 21, 2012 at 08:05
My mother calle me in a panic two days before taxes were due. “Don’t forget to file!!!” I had already used my return for a trip to Switzerland. It sure felt good though, to have done them on my own for the first time–and beat her to it by a long shot. I’m greedy though, I want my money. Not working for five months last year helped too.
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:15
hehehe – I need to get more motivated to file!
Spider42
August 21, 2012 at 13:40
On that last line, I agree completely.
I actually hate taxation, not on principle but because it’s always too damn complicated and often needlessly so with loopholes and errors and confusing rules for certain things… we live in a painfully complicated system in most of the world now.
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:15
Yes, we certainly do!
Anonymous
August 21, 2012 at 17:34
There’s nothing “common” about “common sense.”
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:13
hehehe
viveka
August 21, 2012 at 22:00
Must say we have a great system, everything in our lives are connected to our national security number that is based on our date of birth. As we go through our lives .. everything is based on that number, so the government knows everything about us … have full information about our bank account- we just have to sign our tax form .. all details are already filled in. And every year they put money they owe us into our bank account. It’s good because I don’t have to remember my bank accounts numbers … because they are all connected to my national security number. I like it because I have nothing to hide.
400daystil40
August 21, 2012 at 22:18
I wish we had a similar system!
viveka
August 21, 2012 at 22:19
There is some that don’t like it … that the goverment knows everything about you … but as I said I don’t have anything to hind.
simon7banks
August 23, 2012 at 18:13
I don’t think it’s really strange. This is how most big organisations work, private or official. They have systems. No tax return after a certain time? Automatically chase. Studying your tax record before doing that would take time probably best used doing something else. It may hurt them in your case, but they’re dealing with millions and millions of people and across the whole lot it probably works quite well.
Besides, I don’t know about the philosophy and attitude of your tax people, but ours, while they can be arrogant and unreasonable, sometimes genuinely aim to produce a fair result, so getting someone to claim what they’re owed is a result as is successfully chasing a non-payer. On retiring I had a maze to navigate through involving private savings schemes maturing at retirement and three occupational pensions from different employers. Having to retire a year earlier than I’d planned meant I was unprepared. The U.K. Inland Revenue and Customs were the most helpful and reasonable of the people I had to deal with, saying things like “No problem, don’t worry – just send us the form when you have the information you’re chasing.”
Viveka: if your government really knows everything about you, you’re lucky that you have nothing to hide. Remember that there is much information about people that does not relate to crime or even (arguably) wrongdoing, but that they would like to keep private; and access to that information can very easily be misused by government.
400daystil40
August 25, 2012 at 00:26
Great points, Simon! 🙂