That One Time I...

... Decided Not To Be A Sadistic Asshole

My tax ordeal is over. Before I buried the hatchet, I ensured the blade would not land in between anyone's shoulder blades. Upon reflection, I've learned a few things about the process...

My tax situation is nearly as complicated as a Rubik's Cube. In addition to a 1040, there are a half dozen supplemental forms and their associated worksheets to fill out to ultimately determine how much tax I owe. That's a lot of work, even for someone with my intellect. 

Perhaps the smart thing to do is to let Intuit continue to do my taxes, and before I meet with them every year I should itemize all of my income sources and their amounts so they don't make any errors.

I was quite pleased with this year's results. My combined taxes owed were substantially less than the cost to renew Akeno's registration with the California DMV. 

That was quite a shocker, but there's a reason why I pay for full service with Intuit. They made me realize that qualified dividends and foreign tax credits are magical things that legally reduce your tax liability. 

I highly recommend discussing those topics with your tax pro if you hold mutual funds or foreign stocks, especially if you're nearing retirement. We're all playing the same game every April, so it's beneficial to educate yourself on the rules.

Remember, it's never acceptable to work the system but there's nothing wrong with making the system work for you.