Tax Time

As most of you know, it's income tax time! Last year we discovered the wonderful joy of free online tax preparation software, which includes free e-file! This only works if you are using the basic software program, but it works great if that's all you need! I'm sure there is more than one option out there, but here's what we use. Just click the "Free Edition."

Maybe I'm the only one out there, but I do not take tax preparation software for granted. For the first 8 or 9 years of our marriage, I did our taxes every year by hand. That's right, just me, a pencil, paper, and a calculator. Frankly, I was too cheap to spend the money on the software to do it. We didn't have anything very complicated but it still took a while and I was always nervous about making errors. In fact, one year I got Aubrey's social security number wrong and we had to file a correction. What a pain.

Then six years ago, I had four children 6 and under, the youngest being only 4 months old. I was still deep in the depths of post partum depression, and we were getting ready to list our house for sale and build a new one. I couldn't even THINK about doing taxes that year. I finally got up the nerve to tell Kelly that I just couldn't do it. I told him I didn't care if he hired someone to do it for us or whatever, but I could not even look at the stuff.

To my utter and complete relief, he said, "Fine. I'll take care of it." He went and bought a $50 piece of software, and had it all done in about 15 minutes. I was astonished. And kicking myself for not doing that years ago! The next year we figured out that we only needed the $25 version - even better! And now they offer that same program for free on their website! Every year, I am very thankful for the software that makes it so much easier.

And for a husband who never gave the job of tax preparer back to me!