Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but I have always enjoyed doing my taxes. Perhaps it is because I usually arrange things to get a refund. I like to think of it as forced savings.
My taxes are not very tricky. I have a mortgage and make a few donations every year. I don’t have investments, capital gains or losses, or anything complicated. They are simple enough that I can do them myself. Doing my own taxes gives me a sense of satisfaction and self-sufficiency.
These days, I use tax software, but I didn’t even mind it when I did it paper and pencil. There is a orderliness and neatness to the process. I am not an especially orderly or neat person, but taxes make me happy. I am much more of a word person than a number person, but I enjoy doing my taxes. My OLW is contentment, and I experience a sense of contentment when I do my taxes.
The fun part of using the software is watching the refund calculator in the upper left corner change as I type in my deductions. When I did my taxes with paper and pencil, I always did my rough draft in pencil and the final in pen. It felt daring, like doing a crossword in ink!
I need to give some credit to my grade 13 geography teacher, Mr. Terdik, who taught us how to fill out the form in the days before the Internet. He felt that it was important to graduate from high school able to do your own taxes.
I know that this is a busy and stressful time for accountants and tax preparers. I wish them well. And I wish you well, too.
Best wishes to your home from mine this tax season.
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