kodokan

8 days after filing through TT, my state refund - all $25 of it - has arrived in my bank account, and the federal one will apparently credit tomorrow. That's blazingly quick!

LOVE doing my own taxes through software - using a Big Four firm last year took flipping ages to type it all into their organiser, get them to process it, correct the couple of howling errors they'd made (several accounts 'fell off' of 8938 somehow, overstated our contributions to the HSA, etc), get it filed, etc. The whole thing took months, rather than the handful of hours it took me to TT it; next year will be even quicker as I won't be tax software noob.

Bob

Finally got the state return...they sent a cheque, because there was a typo apparently on the return so they amended it and thus couldn't do a direct deposit

uk2sba

Got to say, I'm not comfortable giving my UK bank account details to a CPA or the IRS for Form 8938. You don't have to do this in the UK for anything. It's one thing declaring amounts you have and income, another to give all your most important details

durham_lad

What do you think the IRS or a CPA can do with your bank account details? Everyone you write a check to has the bank details on the check.

The IRS has all the details of all your US bank accounts that produce interest and such, as 1099's are sent to the IRS as well as the owner.

HMRC knows all the details of your UK bank accounts for the same reasons.

HMRC and the IRS share information under international agreements.

durham_lad

Filed my taxes last week. I owe the IRS so have scheduled a bank transfer for April, and am waiting for Louisiana IRS to refund me the money I overpaid.

RICH

I was going to say,they already know what you spend your money on, they are just asking to see if you tell the truth

durham_lad

Cash transactions make it very tricky for them to know what you spend your money on. That is why Louisiana banned the use of cash to buy secondhand goods, trying to get their hands on some of the taxes being evaded in the black economy.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...nd-sales.shtml

uk2sba

I guess you're right, still not comfortable with it though.

durham_lad

I know just how you feel, sometimes when I file my taxes I think about including the shirt off my back.

md95065

I would have thought that Louisiana could probably have achieved most of their law enforcement objectives by just making it illegal for public officials to use cash for anything ...

robin1234

If you bought the shirt in M&S you'd be quoting its value in pounds, then you'd have to decide whether to use the IRS exchange rate or the December 31 Treasury rate.

durham_lad

durham_lad

Absolutely. In 1992, before we were citizens and able to vote, there was a run-off election for Governor between ex KKK Red Dragon, David Duke, and and ex Governor Edwin Edwards, (known for his corruption). My boss at the time told me that he had never in his life been so depressed about voting, but he had to go and vote for Edwin Edwards even though he knew he was a sleaze-bag.

Edwards won the vote, became Governor and in 2011 was found guilty of racketeering, extortion and money laundering, and sentenced to 10 years in Federal prison. He was released in 2011 and this year he has announced that he is running for office as a Congressman to the US House of representatives.

When I did get to vote in '98 we used the new electronic voting machines, and it was said that Louisiana had sold the old machines to Mexico, but when they used them for an election there they showed that Edwin Edwards was the winner.

Bob

Just got a letter with the boiler plate for Federal taxes, saying there was either a error or they could not read our bank details and will instead be sending us a cheque...in a separate mailing.

In 3-4 weeks potentially.

WTF.

We do great on getting our refunds

Seems like everyone else has already gotten their mitts on their money

RICH

Speaking to you now from the the laptop bought with the refund