TAN #203: TANese New Year - Horsing Around (Page 48)

I forget it's almost the deadline - I file in January!
My co-worker was asking the other day if I got my W-2 in my home mail. He did not seem to be concerned that he didn't get his as he can print off of the web - but I would be slightly concerned if I never got mine..? Primarily about identity theft but also if my employer didn't have my correct home address on file, what else have I missed?

my boss sucks.  the guy that sits next to me found a new position because of him.  i am so frustrated by working for people that will do nothing for my career - what is the point of me having all this ambition and desire and get an MBA only to work for terrible bosses who create a massive roadblock for me professionally.  sigh.  at least i don't have to deal with him on the day to day.

It's 2014 - I've been receiving my W2s electronically for about 6 years.  Maybe he assumed working for a high-technology company they didn't waste time on mailing paper W-2s anymore?  hahaa.

From what I understand the company is still legally required to snail mail it? IDK. I've gotten mine electronically for years now, too, but still receive the paper one in the mail.

Mine was handed to me at my job. I promptly scanned it and e-mailed it to my CPA (aka my dad)

At drill a few weeks ago, I was given a stack of W2s to hand out... from like 2011. 

Did my civic duty and reported for jury services yesterday.  Wow, eye opening.  Took all day just to select the people to hear the case.  I made it all the way to the final cuts then was dismissed.  Probably better in the long run since I have work stuff it would be hard to manage if I was in court all week.

never been summoned [knock on wood]

I don't think a paper copy is required.  Geezerette #3 did not receive a paper one.  She had lived in our apartment in Atlanta in 2013 until moving to another city in September.  It was her address of record with her employer in Atlanta.  We were looking for her W-2 in the apartment mail and did not receive one.  

Geezerette #3 (who is pretty close to Lisa's age) was remarkably blasé about not getting her W-2. My synthesis of the events was that her job ended in Atlanta and she moved to another city. She probably had requested that her W-2 be delivered to her email, but it went to her work email and she forgot the password to that account. Her W-2 went into an electronic waste can. We have been having the Geezerettes' taxes done for them since they were teenagers. My wife has a folder for each daughter and gathers their documents through the year. Their forms are more complicated than most individual returns. This is how we handled it when they were young and it hasn't changed since they grew up and moved out. I spent a full day figuring out how to get a new password for the employee account, finding where to go on their website to get a W-2, and finding an email to the accountant that could accept a secure transmission. It was a lot of work. All she had to do was follow the step-by-step instructions I sent in an email. I had been telling her since January that the accountant required us to have all documents in to him by March 15. It was April 2 that I took matters into my own hands. The end result, she was annoyed that I did it. It matters not.  She is still more fun to be around than practically anybody I know so I forgive her. Better yet, I knew that is the way it would be before I even started and didn't even give it a thought that it would go otherwise. In truth, I was quite pleased with myself for getting it done with a minimum of chaocity.

We are leaving for Brazil on April 16 for the Grand Geezerette's birthday (G1's daughter).  I shall forget all about taxes pretty quickly. 

TW

I know I'm going to sound awful, but since I deal with professional people all day, every day, I began to think MOST people have higher education and better jobs.  I was wrong.  Most seem to have just finished high school and MAYBE did a college course or two and have labor jobs.

Out of the 20 potential jurors, only 5-6 of us had higher education or white collar jobs.

I got a little frustrated with all the excuses people were tying to make to get out of the week long trial.  Sob stories and money issues.  The judge finally said "if I had to dismiss everyone that had issues, we would never have a jury".  In particular, the people the claimed that they didn't know English well enough...  Then when the judge took them to task on it, it was almost comical.  A Chinese girl that has been here 8 years AND has a degree from UNLV.  A Mexican guy who has been here 26 years who claimed he barely understood English.  I'm think they would respond "I have been here 3 years" or something. But 26?

Again, not trying to sound mean to the people they kept, but I found it interesting at the FINAL cuts, they let the Dentist, the Engineer, the computer programmer, the pharmacist and a couple of the other professionals from the jury and kept the student, the VIP bottle service girl, the photographer who didn't graduate HS, the poker dealer, the baggage handler, etc...  Seriously?  They dismiss the people that could probably make reasonable and knowledgeable decisions?  I don't get it.  But hey, I guess if they want to let the "smart" people go, good for me.  I can make money and do my job instead of $40 bucks a day listening to a frivolous law suit

It was a slip and fall case civil case so I'm sure they wanted people to decide on their heart, rather than head...    (I had pretty much decided I was deciding for the defendant unless presented with compelling evidence!)  So the city was "innocent" unless proven guilty!  Someone wanted to sue Las Vegas because one of the escalators was out of order and when they walked on them as what they were, STEPS, they tripped and fell and hit their head.  Now they say it's the City's fault for not having them working...  Garbage, IMO.  There's always elevators right next to them.

nm

I get mine electronically and only would get a paper copy if I request it.  I just download the PDF and print it out.

Yes.  It is different. One of the things about the IRS is that they have enormous power to claim assets to meet tax obligations without court proceedings.  It is a huge and powerful organization and they have better (not great) electronic measures to cross check returns against sources of income.  They don't catch the waiter that doesn't report cash tips.  But any company that provides you a salary or other source of income, the IRS gets the W-2 or 1099 associated with that income.  

There is also a cultural difference in so-called tax morale .  As percentage of GDP, Spain has much higher "shadow' domestic product than the US.  The US taxpayers comply and claim to want to comply at a higher rate than other countries in surveys.  Here is another look at other countries tax evasion statistics.  The key statistic is the size of the "shadow" economy as a percentage of GDP.

TW

They don't want smart people who can critically on juries.  They want people who barely speak English and have jobs and thinks the world owes them something ESP in a slip and fall case.........OH this POOR PERSON fell in  ____  They deserve a million dollars.

My in-laws had a slip and fall lawsuit on their business property in which the claimant's mother testified that he made up the claim.  The jury awarded him $250K anyway.  Had to shake my head.  

i'm embarrassed to live in a country where you can even get as far as having a jury trial for being a klutz.  i also agree with you on the "we are surrounded by people like us and forget that MOST people are not like us."

We also live in a country in which a major industry that was bailed out by the government resisted recalling a product that resulted in 13 deaths.  We do need to provide legal recourse for the consequences of negligence, but when we do we leave the door open for abuse.  It takes a bit of skill and judicial fairness to sort it out.  Most of the time it works.  Not always.

Warning, this will be a downer:

I am a little bummed out today. The lady that started the Tri team I race with (G.I. Jess Warriors for a Cause) has been battling Breast cancer for 5 years. She is a true Warrior.  Well, she is not doing well and has opted not to go through any more chemo treatments. The cancer has really taken over her body and they have called for hospice to come to her house and try to make her comfortable. She made this decision in mid March and now it is a waiting game. It is amazing how fast she has declined.

I halfway expect her to pop up and see her out running again because she has won the battle so many times, but I can also understand her decision. It is tough to fight for such a long time. I can't even deal with a cold being around for more than a week, so I can't imagine how one deals with something for over 5 years. She and her husband are a true Warriors in every sense of the word.

Her name is Jessica Hambrik and I would ask that you keep her family in your thoughts as she battles for life.

Sorry for the downer post...

Sorry to hear the news.  Cancer sucks and strikes down too many good people.

I  am so sorry for your friend.   Jessica sounds like a person who did everything right.  I will send a small donation to the Hambrik foundation. Thanks for telling us about it.

TW