We've been having the same H & R Block guy do our taxes since I moved down here.
I used them back home, because of all of my complicated stuff (investments my dad left me, I USED to have a business, which isn't a factor anymore, since I cannot get established here, plus the new complication of a rental property).
I asked Dave if we could continue, especially with the addition of a rental property to the complications, so he found us a local office that first time, and we've been going there ever since.
Our guy was just the guy we got that first time....but we've asked for him since then, thinking that we liked him.
He wasn't available this year...so we had someone else do our taxes yesterday....who discovered that our regular guy was completely mis-handling my rental property issues.
These guys are supposed to know everything there is to know about taxes, right? That's why I pay them over $300 to do the work, and do it right.
Our guy was the first one to deal with my having a rental property, and apparently he just did it the same way every year as he did that first year, that only included 3 months of rent income.
I didn't know any better, and assumed he was a trained pro who knew what he was doing. Right? Who wouldn't?
Anyway, apparently, there's a different form that's used for rental properties....a schedule E....that our original guy never used.
He just lumped my rent income into my regular income, and didn't allow for depreciation of the property value on a yearly basis, or the extra insurance I pay for on the place.
Hm. Interesting.
SO, our new rep did this return correctly, and is going to amend the years that were done wrong, including that first year that only has 3 months on it....and I should be getting an additional refund.
Potentially, a fairly substantial additional refund, since my expenses to own the stupid condo are more than I bring in with rent. The rent barely covers the mortgage payment, but I still have to pay the association dues, and the insurance, and the taxes, and the interest.
If nothing else, it will be like getting paid back for the taxes being done wrong for 3 years.
Since the taxes for 2012 have now been done properly, our refund this year will be bigger than expected, which is very, very good.
Another thing that's good? H & R is doing the amendments on their dime, because it was their mistake.
Part of our tax refund this year is earmarked to pour a patio in the back yard. We'll go ahead with that plan, just because it's been part of our plan since we bought the house. Having usable outdoor space in the back will be very nice, so we're moving forward with that idea.
The rest of it will go into my stupid condo account...especially any extra refund that may come due to the amendments.
We've been trying to rebuild that since I moved down here and had to use my "condo emergency fund" money to pay Dave's hospital bills from the heart attack, and subsequent re-entries into the hospital for this and that.
It's high time I got that money back where it belongs, in case anything happens with that albatross around my neck.
Still no extra for a vacation....no trip to Chicago...no real pizza, no Greek food, no Portillo's, no Cubs games....no family and friends....gotta pay down that debt from Louie's ordeal....
But maybe we'll go to Dallas on a day trip so I can shop at a freakin' Trader Joe's!
In other news, Annabel Lee is settling in nicely. She's too, too cute...so petite!
Jack is doing pretty well with her, too. Way better than he was doing after a week with Louie, back when we adopted him!!
She goes to meet the vet this Wednesday evening, to get her next round of baby shots, and to establish care.
Nothing else to report. Stayed home all this weekend, cooking, cleaning, laundry. Whee. Unfortunately, it went by just as fast as if I'd been busy the whole time.
I hate that. I hate that Monday morning is also an hour closer than it should be. Daylight saving time is stupid.
Oh well.
Off to see if the coconut lime custards are ready to come out of the oven!
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