Nothing is certain but death and taxes, the saying goes, but can you be certain you are filing your tax returns correctly?

That’s the question from local tax preparers and accountants, who cast doubt on do-it-yourself approaches like online tax return services.

Pam Zahrt, chief operating officer of the local Jackson Hewitt Tax Service offices, puts it this way: Mess up and the onus is on you.

“It’s not really something you want to rush through. If there’s a mistake, you’re responsible for it,” Zahrt said. “And also — if for some reason you don’t claim a credit — I can probably count on one finger the times the IRS came back and said, ‘We owe you money.’”

Jackson Hewitt offers online services, as do many nationwide companies like Turbo Tax and H&R Block, but Zahrt said, “a knowledge of computers and the Internet” does not equate to an understanding of constantly changing tax code.

Michael Bannasch of Willis and Jurasek, 2545 Spring Arbor Road, said online services are great for people to cut costs and even have their filings checked for errors, but he’s not so sure Internet programs are the best at giving advice.

Bannasch, a certified public accountant, said that when he was first studying accounting and taxation in college he “thought taxes were all black and white” but he quickly learned, “That’s so far from the truth — there’s maybe 20 percent on either end that is black or white, but 60 percent in the middle is gray.”

Tax preparers have good reason to tout the value of their services: Online filing by individuals keeps growing. Nearly 35 million people prepared and filed their own tax returns last year, up 8 percent from 2009.

Money is one explanation why. Online services for filing 1040EZ forms and standard W-2 forms range in cost from nothing to about $100. A “basic individual return” costs around $350 to $400 at Willis and Jurasek. The hourly rate for many accountants is more than $100 per hour.

But at places like Jackson Hewitt, there is no cost for someone who is doing their own taxes or filing online to have their return reviewed by a professional.

“If it’s incorrect, we don’t really tell (a person) what they didn’t do correctly, but we will show them what we got and what the difference is and then they can pay if they want to use our service,” Zahrt said. “And very rarely when you tell somebody you can get them more money do they walk away.”

Places like Jackson Hewitt also provide services to help people amend previous year returns in the case errors were made.

Zahrt said it’s pretty normal to find “hundreds or thousands of dollars people are missing out on.”

Bannasch said working with small business returns reveals the value of communicating with a tax professional even more.

“We’ve got some businesses where we can pretty easily save them $20,000,” he said. “That’s a business that has revenues of a million or a million and a half a year and we’re coming in and saving them $20,000 in real dollars. We’ve just paid for our services many times over.”

He said part of the reason companies like Willis and Jurasek are able to help get clients larger returns is because they stay in contact with individuals year-round, offering advice on purchase transactions and financial decisions that have an effect on year-end taxes.

For example, Bannasch said 2011 is a great year for small businesses to buy equipment because

Congress is trying to stimulate the economy by offering write-offs on business expenses.

Zahrt said there are some people “who do great” filing their own taxes and using online services, but she believes paying for one-on-one interaction with a tax professional has more pros than cons.

“It gives you an actual sense of security,” she said. “We just want to just be sure people get the largest amount of refunds, because it’s really a big part of their incomes.”

Tax tips
Federal tax returns are due April 18 this year. The Internal Revenue Service offers information online at www.irs.gov, or individuals can call 800-829-1040.
—–
As published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on Jan. 31, 2011

Do you prepare your own return?  Should you be able to prepare your own return?  I think we can all agree tax preparation is way too complicated.  Some have proposed a Fairtax, which would be like a national sales tax.  There are other proposals to fix and shrink our tax code.  Olson proposes something much more similar to what I have advocated for a few years now.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service points out that many Americans have an effective tax rate far below their actual marginal rate.  For example, an American in the 25% tax bracket may only pay an effective rate of 9% because he has more than $15,000 in income excluded through various deductions and credits.  Olson argues that we could reduce tax rates significantly by consolidating the tax code and getting rid of all those various credits and deductions.  So who is standing in the way?  She says you are.

She’s right.  Obama’s debt panel came to the same conclusion, but could not get enough votes to send their proposal to Congress.  Let’s test this theory.  What would you say if your congressman got up at a townhall meeting and told you he was going to vote to get rid of the mortgage interest deduction?  What about the child tax credit?  How about credits and deductions for education?  What about charitable giving deductions?  Chances are, the crowd would turn into an angry mob before he could even mention lower marginal tax rates.

So far that has been the case.  Americans on both sides of the aisle are unwilling to sacrifice their credits and deductions for a simpler, revenue neutral solution.  But it’s not just Americans who want to hang on to behavior based tax reduction.

Lobbyists, and by extension the government, would hate to lose the ability to increase or reduce your taxes based on your behavior.  Right now the government can reward you for going to college, buying a house, being a teacher or performing artist, saving for retirement, having kids, working and getting childcare for those kids, working even if you can’t make a lot of money, making energy efficient improvements to your home, buying health insurance, buying energy efficient vehicles, giving to charity, paying union dues, adopting kids, hiring people who can’t get jobs ever since they raised the minimum wage, and so much more.  They can penalize you for taking early retirement distributions, not buying insurance, and of course, making too much money.  The government has more control over your personal life on your annual tax return than through any other venue.

Olson proposes a zero-based budget where we start with nothing and add back only the credits and deductions that Congress considers absolutely necessary.  Then consolidate the tax rates into two brackets.  Here’s the problem, if Congress didn’t think those credits and deductions were necessary, they wouldn’t have enacted them in the first place.  No Congressman is going to proudly announce that he voted against a tax deduction for teachers who pay for supplies out of pocket, or a credit for a student who goes to college.

The constitutional solution is a tax that is fair and equal for each individual.  It is a tax that does not reward or punish individual behavior.  It is a tax that does not take into account relations, status, and is flat based on income.  If you want a simple tax system with a return that you can file yourself with a pencil and a calculator, you will have to kiss your credits and deductions goodbye.

According to an analysis by 24/7 Wall St., analysts expect the shares of 9 out of the 10 members of the Worst to actually appreciate.  The expected increases can be significant.   Whether the potential risk outweighs the potential reward is up to an individual investor to decide.  There are some issues to consider before deciding whether to “adopt” these mutts for your portfolio.

For instance, stocks are sometimes cheap for a very good reason such as the CEO being under federal investigation or if a competitor is gaining market share at their expense or if customers are being maimed by their main product.  Wall Street conventional wisdom oftentimes is wrong.  That’s what makes it so conventional. Also, remember when someone asks whether a stock can go lower, the answer is always “of course.”

Data for the list below comes from Capital IQ. Share prices are year-to-date as of December 2.

1.) Dean Food Inc.  (NYSE:DF) — Down 59.6%

• Currently trades at about $7.44 with a mean price target of $9.44;
• Bad News:  Last week, Fitch downgraded the debt of the milk producer further into junk territory because of “higher than expected declines in earnings and cash flow and the expectation leverage will remain elevated through 2011,” Dow Jones says;
• Good News:  The stock appears cheap on a number on a number of metrics including price-to-earnings ratio.

2.) Weyerhaeuser Co.  (NYSE:WY) — Down 59.3%

• Currently trades at about $17.21 with a mean price target of $19.62;
• Bad News: The lumber producer is expected to benefit from the housing boom which has not happened yet. Stock is a favorite of short-sellers. UBS recently cut its rating from “buy” to “neutral.”;
• Good News:  Jim Cramer, among others, believes that the sell-off is overdone.  Third Avenue Management has recently added to its position.

3.) Apollo Group Inc.  (NYSE:APOL) — Down 41.6%

• Currently trades at about $38.15 with a mean price target of $49.87;
• Bad News:  The operator of the for-profit University of Phoenix faces heightened regulatory scrutiny.  Earlier this month, the company eliminated 700 jobs at the University of Phoenix. Apollo recently predicted that student enrollment will fall 40%;
• Good News:  For-profit college operators have launched a PR campaign to counter the government crackdown.

Read More: Ethanol Producers On Track For More Tax Credits (ADM, VLO, PEIX).

4.) H&R Block Inc.   (NYSE:HRB)  — Down 40.9%

• Currently trades  at about $12.70 with a mean price target of $18.80.;
• Bad News:   More people continue to prepare their taxes on their own.;
  The company is in a legal battle with the US division of HSBC Holdings PLC  to force the bank to provide the controversial Refund Anticipation Loans;
• Good News:  H&R recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, a sign that the company’s cost cutting is working. Rival Jackson-Hewitt faces severe financial problems as well.

5.)  AK Steel Holdings Corp.  (NYSE: AKS) — Down 35.2%

• Currently trades at about $14.13 with a mean price target of $13.92
• Bad News: It is the only company on the list with no expected upside surprise.  The reason is obvious. “…a stubbornly reluctant economic recovery and soaring raw material costs will continue to challenge us in the near term,”CEO James L. Wainscott said in the last earnings press release.
• Good News:  Demand for steel should rebound as the economy recovers.

6.) PulteGroup Inc.  (NYSE:PHM) — Down 32.5%

• Currently trades at about $6.82 with a mean price target of  $8.41;
• Bad News:  What else? The housing market continues to be lousy.  Stock is a target of short-sellers.
• Good News:  The company continues to pay down debt.  No one expects the housing crisis to last forever.

7.) Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO) — Down 32.2%

• Currently trades at about $65.21 with a mean price target of $69.52;
• Bad News:  The offshore drilling contractor was hurt by the moratorium after the Gulf Oil Spill that has since been lifted.
• Good News:  Demand for U.S. based oil remains strong in the light of concerns about energy security.  The US rig count recently hit a 23 month high.

8.) SUPERVALU Inc.  (NYSE: SVU) — Down 31.9%

• Currently trades at about $8.68 with a mean price target of $11.09;
• Bad News:  The grocer faces stiff competition from a host of rivals including Walmart.;
• Good News:  Under CEO Craig Herkert, the company has closed underperforming stores and gotten more competitive on pricing; Valuation is compelling, according to some pundits

Read More: US Home Values To Drop $1.7 Trillion in 2010.

9.) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.  (NYSE:GT) — Down 30.1%

• Currently trades at about $10.46 with a mean price target of $13.75;
• Bad News:  The tiremaker is being hurt by rising raw material costs. Auto sales are nowhere close to pre-recession levels;
• Good News:  During the last earnings conference call, CEO Rich Kramer sounded an optimistic note: “… We have raised our industry outlook throughout the year in Europe and North America, and in emerging markets, particularly Brazil and China, industry volumes are continuing to grow and have already exceeded volume levels reached before the great recession.”

10.) Office Depot Inc.  (NYSE: ODP)  — Down 27.4%

• Currently  trades at about $5.04 with a mean price target of $5.43;
• Bad News: In October, the company settled SEC charges that the company’s CEO and CFO selectively disclosed information to certain shareholders.  Office Depot did not admit or deny guilt and agreed to pay a $1 million penalty.  The two executives paid $50,000 fines each. without admitting wrongdoing.  A separate SEC investigation is underway into charges that Office Depot inflated earnings from 2006 to 2007;
• Good News:  Maybe one of its larger rivals such as Staples Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS) will buy the beleaguered retailer one day.

Jonathan Berr

The IRS is moving to systems that will make things quicker in the next couple of years anyway. Currently your return takes three weeks to mail or two weeks to be direct deposited. Soon it will be 5 to 7 days and by 2012 it should be 3 to 5 days making RALs more irrelevant in the future. It is probably very good that the IRS is doing this as the “bottom feeders” are the ones taking advantage of people who need RALs. After RALs are gone, the preparers that will be left will be the professional ones. Do you ever wonder what service they are giving to people at Check Cashing places? The answer is none.  They are very similar to used car lots regarding credibility. Almost no one will get RALs this year anyway as they need to pass a credit check now since the IRS will not provide a debt indicator number used by the banks to determine eligibility of repayment. Banks will also cap the loans to $1000 to $1800 for RALs with the remainder given after two weeks when the banks get the money. If someone has good credit, they probably are not the ones getting instant tax returns. My bet is that they can wait the two weeks.

This is from an IRS bulletin sent on 8/5/10

IRS Removes Debt Indicator for 2011 Tax Filing Season 

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that starting with next year’s tax filing season it will no longer provide tax preparers and associated financial institutions with the “debt indicator,” which is used to facilitate refund anticipation loans (RALs).

“As we prepare for tax season every year, we look at past practices and consider whether they still make sense. We no longer see a need for the debt indicator in a world where we can process a tax return and deliver a refund in 10 days,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. “We encourage taxpayers to use e-file with direct deposit so they can get their refunds in just a few days.”

So far this year, more than 95 million tax returns have been e-filed, representing more than 70 percent of tax returns.

“Refund Anticipation Loans are often targeted at lower-income taxpayers,” Shulman said. “With e-file and direct deposit, these taxpayers now have other ways to quickly access their cash.”

The IRS has been reviewing refund settlement products, such as RALs and Refund Anticipation Checks (RACs), as part of the Return Preparer Review released in January. Specifically, the IRS announced that it would study refund settlement products.

RALs are loans secured by a taxpayer’s anticipated tax refund. Currently, tax preparers who electronically submit a client’s tax return receive in the acknowledgment file an indication of whether an individual taxpayer will have any portion of the refund offset for delinquent tax or other debts, such as unpaid child support or delinquent federally funded student loans. This acknowledgment is known as the debt indicator, and is used as an underwriting tool for RALs.

The IRS announcement would remove the debt indicator starting with the upcoming 2011 tax filing season. The IRS noted that taxpayers will continue to have access to information about their tax refunds and any offsets through the “Where’s My Refund?” service on IRS.gov.

RACs are temporary bank accounts established on behalf of a taxpayer into which a direct deposit refund can be received and out of which a bank typically issues a payment to the taxpayer.

With both RALs and RACs, tax preparation and product fees are subtracted directly from the refund, and the taxpayer does not make any “out-of-pocket” payments. They are frequently marketed to taxpayers who do not have cash to pay for professional tax preparation services.

In a related effort, the IRS plans to explore the possibility of providing a new tool for the 2012 tax filing season to give taxpayers a mechanism to use an appropriate portion of their tax refund to pay for the services of a professional tax return preparer. The IRS plans to engage with taxpayers, consumer advocates and the tax return preparer community to consider whether providing this option would be a cost-effective way for consumers to pay for tax return preparation services.

Earnings Preview 3/05/10

Earnings Season is winding down, but that does not mean it is over. Next week will bring 228 earnings reports, but just 5 members of the S&P 500. Some of the higher-profile firms to report will be Kroger’s (KR), H&R Block (HRB) and National Semicondutor (NSM).

It will also be a relatively light week on the economic data front. As a result, attention is likely to drift towards political developments like progress on health care reform and the prospects for a financial regulatory overhaul, as well as international developments, particularly concerning the Greek situation.

Monday
• Nothing of major significance

Tuesday
• Nothing of major significance

Wednesday
• Wholesale Inventory data is released and is expected to show a 0.2% increase in January after a 0.8% decline in December. The pace of inventory shrinkage has slowed dramatically in recent months, and now it is expected to turn positive. The slowing in the rate of decline in inventories actually contributed the bulk of the growth of GDP in the fourth quarter. With inventories now expected to actually rise, it looks like there is still some room for inventory lead growth, but that should fade later this year
• The flood of red ink from the Treasury is expected to swell to $202.0 billion in February. That is a huge rise from the $42.6 billion level in January. However, the budget deficit numbers are extremely seasonal, to the point where the month-to-month comparisons are not very worthwhile. The more worthwhile benchmark is the year-ago level of $193.9 billion, when revenues were just $87.3 billion and expenditures were $281.2 billion. Watch the year-over-year numbers on both spending and tax revenues, not just the net deficit

Thursday
• Weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance come out. They fell 29,000 in the last week, to 469,000. After a huge downtrend from mid-April through the end of 2009, initial claims started to rise again, up in 7 of the 8 weeks before last week. Last week was some good progress, but not good enough. We probably need for weekly claims (and the four-week moving average of them) to get down to near 400,000 to signal that the economy is on-balance adding jobs. We are a lot closer now than we were last spring when they were running north of 600,000 on a consistent basis, but still have a ways to go.
• Continuing claims have also been in a steep downtrend of late. However, that is in part due to people simply exhausting their regular state benefits which run out after 26 weeks. If one factors in the extended claims paid by the Federal government as part of the Stimulus, claims soared last week. Looking at just the regular continuing claims numbers is a serious mistake. They only include a little over half of the unemployed now given the unprecedentedly high duration of unemployment figures. Last week, regular continuing claims were 4.500 million, down 134,000 from the previous week. Extended claims (paid from Federal ARRA funds) were 5.866 million — a increase of 197,500. Those numbers might be distorted downwards the shenanigans of Senator Bunning who held up an extension of benefits, although given that the extended claims numbers a week behind the regular continuing claims numbers, look for more of that effect in the following week. Make sure to look at both sets of numbers!
• The Trade Deficit is expected to increase to $40.6 billion for January, up from $40.2 billion in December. While this is well below the rate we were consistently running a few years ago, it has been trending up again after plunging during the credit crisis which caused almost all world trade to come to a dead stop. An increase in the trade deficit is a serious negative, since it directly lowers GDP. It, not the budget deficit, is what causes us to be in hock to the Chinese and OPEC. The budget deficit only indirectly does, and has to go through the trade deficit for that to happen. That’s not an opinion, that is an accounting identity, as true as saying assets have to equal the sum of liabilities and equity on a balance sheet

Friday
• The Retail Sales report is expected to show an increase of just 0.1% overall in February, a sharp slowdown from the 0.5% increase in January. Given the strength of the same-store sales reported by the major retailers, look for the number to surprise to the upside, even given the lousy weather
• Excluding Auto sales, retail sales are expected to be up 0.2%, a slowdown from the 0.6% rise in January
• The University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey is expected to show a slight rise to 73.7 for March, up from 73.6 in February

Potential Positive Surprises

Historically, the best indicators of firms likely to report positive surprises are a recent history of positive surprises and rising estimates going into the report. The Zacks Rank is also a good indicator of potential surprises. While normally firms that report better-than-expected earnings rise in reaction, that has not been the case so far this quarter. Some of the companies that have these characteristics include:

Jo-Ann Stores (JAS) is expected to report EPS of $1.33, up from $0.74 per share a year ago (it’s good to stick to your knitting). Last time out, JAS posted a positive surprise of 1.2% and over the last month the mean estimate for its fourth quarter earnings is up 32.7%. JAS has a Zacks #1 Rank.

Kirkland’s (KIRK) is expected to report EPS of $0.81, up from $0.59 a year ago. In the 3Q, KIRK posted a positive surprise of 187.5% and over the last month, the consensus estimate for its 4Q earnings is up 7.3%. KIRK is a Zacks #1 Rank stock.

Quicksilver (ZQK) is expected to lose $0.13 per share this year, worse than its $0.07 loss a year ago. Those low expectations could be setting it up for a positive surprise. In the third quarter, they posted a 133.3% positive surprise. Over the last month the mean estimate for the 4Q is up 1.9%. ZQK holds a Zacks #1 Rank.

Potential Negative Surprises

Gastar Exploration (GST) is expected to post a loss of $0.03 a share, versus break even a year ago. Last time they reported 133.3% below expectations. For this Zacks #5 Rank stock, analysts have cut their estimates for this quarter slightly over the last month by 50.0% (OK, it’s just a move from a loss of $0.02 to a loss of $0.03).

Jackson Hewitt (JTX) is expected to earn $0.51 a share this quarter, down from the $0.74 they earned a year ago. They had a positive surprise of 12.0% last time out, but analysts have cut the estimate for this quarter by 8.6% over the last month. The stock holds a Zacks #4 Rank.

H&R Block (HRB) is expected to report a EPS of $0.15, down from $0.20 last year. Last quarter they reported 5.0% above of expectations. Over the past month, analysts have cut the estimate for this Zacks #5 Rank stock by 2.2%.

No, this is about WalMart. You see, this year, Jackson-Hewitt will have kiosks set up in WalMarts across the company. I was assigned to one.

I was willing to eat what I know about how they treat their employees. I was willing to set aside my pre-conceived notions about the impact of WalMart stores on local economies. I was willing to accept all that and work for Jackson-Hewitt in a WalMart.

Then an old war buddy of mine brought this story to my attention. WalMart, and many other companies, inflate shipping to APO addresses even though all they’re doing is shipping to New York (the Department of Defense picks up the shipping from there). After the story broke, WalMart recanted. Now look at those bylines. Yep, they recanted between Dec 16 and Dec 19, well after the majority of their shoppers shipped their gifts. In other words, after making all their money, WalMart got caught with its hand in the piggy bank, and reversed its policy when it would cost them little or nothing to do so.

I’ve got nothing against making money. I understand that sometimes tough choices have to be made, especially in tough times. I get it. So I thought about the issue for about a week. I did my own research (which is how I learned of the recant). Then I reached a decision: As a veteran, I cannot support an organization that rips off our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and military families. I cannot work in such a place, even when I don’t work for it.

Today I told Jackson-Hewitt about my decision and my reasoning. We’ll see what happens. I may or may not sleep better, but at least I can look myself in the shaving mirror.

Ever thought that you would like to file taxes from home for other people maybe for extra cash or something. Need to file your own taxes like I do?

Jackson Hewitt offers an inexpensive tax class online. Click here for an online demo! All you need is a computer, a calculator and an Internet connection. You can prepare taxes for others for extra money, and you may also be able to acquire college credit if you attend the University of Phoenix Online. In any case, it is a nice addition to any resume, and is perfect for an online student pursuing degrees in accounting or business. Jackson Hewitt requires these classes of their seasonal tax prepares. If you’re looking for additional, part-time (or full-time if you prefer) / seasonal income to supplement any home based business you may be operating in the post-Christmas shopping season, preparing taxes for others may be a great idea. The season lasts from somewhere around the end of January to about April 15th.

H&R Block also offers a tax class online that you might want to look into. I have always filed taxes with Jackson Hewitt and do not feel qualified to give a personal recommendation for their services or online tax classes.

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

in the last 4 years?

If so, please call Dworken & Bernstein L.P.A. at (866) 964-1806 immediately!

We are investigating certain matters relating to those loans to determine if fees charged to people

must be returned.

]]> http://rogerhollander.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/bailout-plan-hits-the-poor/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:06:06 +0000 rogerhollander http://rogerhollander.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/bailout-plan-hits-the-poor/ Published on Sunday, June 14, 2009 by ColorLines by Victor Corral

And Johnson’s shill for Rent-a-Center is no better. Trading on his achievements to allege that folks can get what they want instantly, or as the RAC people put it, “the best things in life” is disingenuous. Excuse us, but if you’re paying $18,000 through the end of a RAC contract for $9,000 worth of goods, you are not getting the best in life. You are getting played and extorted.

BUNA’s Officer of Devil’s Advocacy keeps chirping up, “What about the people renting and using those refund loans? Are they innocent? Can’t they read terms and conditions? Blah blah blah, regressive politics blah…” True, no one needs a fuckin’ matching living room set at 77% interest. But, then, no one needs to be convinced by trusted spokespeople that the best way to prove one’s hardworking citizenship is by signing on with these moneylenders in the marketplace. WWJD, indeed.

Too, it’s hard to hate on people like sixteen-year-old students, at the start of their financial life and not fully fiscally literate, who end up facing a $5000 bill for a $340 laptop. BUNA thinks financial literacy should be a priority, even for people who don’t have a lot of money.

Thanks to service workers union SEIU Local 32BJ for the info and being on the case.

Here are the before and after photos from yesterday’s Ten-Minute Task (TMT) . . . almost hard to tell which one is which! Ten minutes isn’t a very long time, and I even went past that time when I forgot that the awful, loud, incessant beeping I was hearing was, indeed, the microwave’s timer. Thank you, #2 son, for gently pointing out that it was, indeed, the infernal timer beeping for everyone on the block and in outer space to hear (oh, and thanks for also pointing out that I was trying to lock your brother’s car with my car’s key after school; I appreciate that you didn’t laugh too loudly).

It’s fairly obvious that the family room clutter chair needs many TMT sessions, but at least I’ve made a start. Here’s hoping that the next 10 minutes I spend clearing its field is more fruitful. Looks like Lazy Mom Amanda did a better job than I did!

Kitchen Wednesday

Hump Day means I’ll be spending at least a half-hour in the kitchen, going through the mail, shredding, and tackling a task. I’m going to prospect for gold in the clutter stacker (pictured on the left), a too-convenient place to put paperwork and various sundry items that I don’t feel like dealing with at that moment. I’m sure I’ll excavate some relics among the few treasures. I’m also going to figure out the product on the right. It contains a Cable Photo Holder that I ordered from Photojojo. This is supposed to be an easy way to display photos on the wall; I’ll let you know what I think once I have it up in my office. It has eight magnets for displaying photos, memos, and cards that attach to the thin steel cable.

Surviving While Lost

Today and tomorrow might be the greatest two nights in the history of television: “Lost” is tonight, and “Survivor” begins its new season tomorrow night. We are huge ”Survivor” fans, having watched every episode (this is the 18th season). We truly enjoy seeing the different personalities in this reality show disguised as a social experiment. We rate the challenges, try to pick who will be voted out each week, and try to say the Jeff Probstisms at the same time he says them (as in, “Wanna know what you’re playing for?” “Immunity is back up for grabs.” “I’ll tally the votes.” “The tribe has spoken.”). Gosh, I’m getting goosebumps in anticipation! We’re sure “Survivor: Tocantins—The Brazilian Highlands” won’t disappoint.

Last night we disagreed with some of the “American Idol” picks, of course; seems like the show just has to choose some obvious looneys to ensure the show has enough drama. Maybe they’ll be booted tonight! As for “The Biggest Loser,” I have only one question: Did Subway pay for the entire episode?!? That had to be the biggest product-placement ploy yet! Well, at least my third husband, trainer Bob Harper, looked gorgeous during the entire show; made it all worthwhile! It’s nice that this season’s “TBL” features contestants who are much nicer than last season’s. It was a veritable lovefest last night when big Blaine was voted off (which he asked everyone to do). I’m sure at some point it might become cutthroat ($250,000 will do that to people), but I don’t think there will be any of the animosity of last season.

Pain in the neck

Before I could type today, I spent 15 minutes in therapy with our HoMedics Shiatsu pillow. The Mister had bought this over the holidays, because we all seem to have neck pain. Mine is brought about by two things: Working at the computer and stress. This time, I think the culprit  was stress. I felt that familiar stab of pain the other day in Walmart . . . when I walked past Jackson Hewitt’s tax preparation booth. I could swear I heard someone whispering, “Finish looking through those receipts for Romeo!”

Hello everyone,

It’s that time of the year again, and this year while it shouldn’t be too different from years previous it will end up completely different for some of us.

I decided that since California is not sending money to anyone this year, and is sending out IOU’s instead, that it was imperative for me to get my income taxes for both Federal and State filed ASAP. At the end of the day, as long as the taxes for State are filed by Feb 3rd, Californians are to expect a refund check, and not the IOU.

Unfortunately since we are in a deficit, and a recession, Im really wondering if we should actually expect much in terms from the Federal Income Tax as well.

For the record, my Federal refund is $1600 and my State is just over $225. While these are not the exact numbers, give or take a few numbers, I did want people to understand just how much some can expect back.

I suggest people select TurboTax or TaxAct if you are inclined to do your taxes on your own, and do it online, and direct deposit your check. If you are inclined however to use a tax person, I suggest Jackson Hewitt over H&R Block, and even suggest Liberty Tax.

GET YOUR MONEY BEFORE THE COUNTRY IS BROKE!!

We had you, wonderful viewers, email in tax questions and I went to Jackson Hewitt and had a very nice lady named Shonna answer the burning tax related inquiries you sent in.   =)

In the midst of this Q&A, one of our viewers named Don emailed in a question about a “First Time Homebuyers Credit”.   Shonna told me that if you haven’t bought a house in the past 3 years, and you bought one last year, you qualify for 10% of the amount the house is worth or $7,500, whichever is less!
I’m so freaking excited! I actually qualify for this, and I didn’t even know about it until today!

Plus…Shonna also told me that I may actually be eligible to write off my makeup (since it’s a special kind I have to buy for TV)!!! I’m excited that I live in a world where this is even remotely possible!!!

O.K., so there are the two pieces of info I learned today. One more likely to benefit you, dear readers, than the other, but still…I guess you benefit from the make-up thing too…without it, you’d have to see me au naturel, and believe me…NO ONE wants that!

PS. I don’t normally do this, but I was so impressed w/ the whole Jackson Hewitt thing, here’s a link to a $19.99 off coupon if you don’t want to do your own taxes this year!  I went down tha road last year and it took for flipping ever and I swear I almost got divorced!

PS: Pay attention to the last reason why you may not get a check. 

We are curious what every one will be doing with their rebate checks.  Leave a comment below and let us know what you plan to spend yours on or save it in.