Sunday, April 7, 2013

It's Tax Refund Time!

When I was in the 9-to-5 world, I always anxiously awaited my tax refunds. Sure, I'd be a good girl and pay down my credit card or other outstanding debt, but there was enough left over for a nice trip somewhere, or I'd be able to go antiquing for some new piece of furniture, or have a decadent spa weekend. I had something to look forward to every April.

Now, even though I get to do what I love every day, the tax refunds are considerably smaller. I just got back the last of them, from the state, and it barely made a ripple in my bank account. I was able to pay for my chapter conference, but still can't get myself to Atlanta in July for the big national one. And I'm debating between new rugs for the kitchen or a replacement side-view mirror for my Jeep. No trips to Australia or a new recliner. Sigh.

At times like these, I take stock of my life and realize others would kill for the opportunities I have. I can sit at home four or five days a week, and pound out my next story, without the interference of a job, a time clock, or a boss. I'm the boss. That sounds real nice. But being the boss also means responsibilities. I can't give myself too many days away from the keyboard or my social media contacts and still expect to sell books. So, the trip down under will wait another year, and I'll make do with the old recliner. My heroine is calling me to finish her story and give her the happy ending she so deserves.

5 comments:

  1. Straight into the bank, probably to be used for daughter's tuition. :-)

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  2. We've had our fun years and been able to use the funds for a trip, but not this time around. The nice thing about tax refunds is, there's always next year!

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  3. You can call this balance, I guess. You get the freedom to finish your work in your own time, but in exchange, you have to do the tax payments and other necessary monthly allotments by yourself, unlike regular employees. And you know in this case, getting a big tax refund is rare. That's just the part you get to miss, as no freelancer would intentionally pay higher than required. Although sometimes I’m kind of thankful that even companies have discrepancies in paying taxes. 'Cos it's like breaking a piggy bank whenever the tax refunds come. I have an instant savings for the one year that has passed. :)

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  4. A small amount of refund is better than nothing, I believe. It can serve as a little extra money you can use for whatever you would want to splurge on. Being your own boss sounds convenient, but filing taxes by yourself isn't. And I know you would want to have extra time for leisure and stuff, so you might want to hire a reliable accountant to help you out with your tax filing. Think --- vacation in Australia --- finally.

    -Elias Brasel @ OnCoreBookKeeping

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