[Newfie]

Hallelujah! The wire transfer came in! Only took 24 hours.

I agitation down, and a big one.

[vtsnowedin]

Hallelujah! The wire transfer came in! Only took 24 hours.

I agitation down, and a big one.

Congratulations. I'm sure that is a major relief.
Much calmer watching the sun go down with your mind at ease.

[Newfie]

G&T helps too.

[vtsnowedin]

G&T helps too.

Ah yes, bourbon and branch was a great help dong taxes.

[careinke]

Doing income taxes always makes me resentful towards the government. It's bad enough they steal my money, but can't they do it in a way that doesn't steal my time too?

Yesterday, I was walking hand in hand from our motor home up to the kids house with my three year old (soon to be 4!) granddaughter Ava. I mentioned I had to get ready to go see the "Tax Lady." Ava asked me what a "Tax Lady" does. Feeling a little grumpy, I told her the Tax Lady's job was to figure out how much money the government was going to steal from me.

Ava stopped right in he tracks with the most bewildered look on her face, and said accusingly "Papa your kidding me!" I looked her in the eye and said "Nope I'm not kidding, and Papa doesn't understand why either."

Three hours later I had an extension until 18 October, which will give me time to set up my coin tracker program for my crypto trades. Next year should be easier as I will no longer have to use spreadsheets.

Peace

[vtsnowedin]

I happily checked the"no" box on the crypto currency use question.

[theluckycountry]

No will have any trouble with crypto this year, no gains to declare, no tax to pay.

What gripes me is the general sleaziness of companies these days, from great to small they seem to have adopted a business model that refuses to take responsibility for screw-ups, whether it's parts that don't fit or new devices that don't function as advertised. I would have thought that after the covid screw-overs companies would be eager to make customers happy but they just don't seem to give a flying F once they have your money. Luckily down here we have a strong set of consumer safeguards and a body, the ACCC, that enforces compliance with the laws. Still you have to threaten them to get any action.

Of course this is another 'luxury' problem for the most part, but I see it as another nail in the coffin of our society generally.

[Newfie]

Below is the latest email from the NA dealer concerning my furler from NZ.

Here's what I know.

The packages were packed and ready for shipment on March 29. I finally got the quote from UPS on March 28 and requested an immediate pickup.

The latest from UPS is that there is no record of the packages being picked up on March 29. In fact, there appears to be no record of the packages being picked up at all.

I have an escalated request in with the international air freight department and I'm waiting to hear back from them.

To quote an ad from another age, "Is this anyway to run an airline?" I don't think so. (A small consolation is that FedEx, my carrier of choice in the past, quoted more than twice as much and weren't even sure that they could get to the packages to pick them up. The whole industry appears to be in shambles.)

More as soon as I know it.

[Doly]

What gripes me is the general sleaziness of companies these days, from great to small they seem to have adopted a business model that refuses to take responsibility for screw-ups, whether it's parts that don't fit or new devices that don't function as advertised.

It's a natural result of planned obsolescence and constantly creating new models. It's really difficult for companies themselves to keep up with whatever is their newest stuff. If they just focused on building a few things that do the job, and made them as good as they could, this wouldn't happen, but then, they wouldn't be constantly churning out new things, either, and that would be bad for business, the way most people think of business these days.

[evilgenius]

Doing income taxes always makes me resentful towards the government. It's bad enough they steal my money, but can't they do it in a way that doesn't steal my time too?

Yesterday, I was walking hand in hand from our motor home up to the kids house with my three year old (soon to be 4!) granddaughter Ava. I mentioned I had to get ready to go see the "Tax Lady." Ava asked me what a "Tax Lady" does. Feeling a little grumpy, I told her the Tax Lady's job was to figure out how much money the government was going to steal from me.

Ava stopped right in he tracks with the most bewildered look on her face, and said accusingly "Papa your kidding me!" I looked her in the eye and said "Nope I'm not kidding, and Papa doesn't understand why either."

Three hours later I had an extension until 18 October, which will give me time to set up my coin tracker program for my crypto trades. Next year should be easier as I will no longer have to use spreadsheets.

Peace

I can't believe you said that to a child! But, then, I suppose your parents said it to you?

Why wouldn't you, instead, stand for the lessons that civilization has taught us concerning the role of government in our daily lives? Why not teach about all of the possible ways we could be governed? Why not point out how the king, in a more selfish order, actually owns everything? Why teach them that they should always seek to be king, and not a part of something much greater?

[vtsnowedin]

Tax time and the Wife has started an LLC and is making out those taxes for the first time. (Showing a loss) We are wading through a lot of forms and schedules I have never had to deal with before. I must say the people creating these forms and writing the instructions for them should all be fired if not stood up against a wall and shot.

[Newfie]

It seems UPS has collapsed in New Zealand. My furler has been sitting in the manufacturers out dock for over 2 weeks. UPS keeps saying they will pick it up within 48 hours. Nothing has happened.

Shipment is being handled by the North American rep who I bought it through. When he tried to arrange shipment Fed-Ex told him they were not sure they could even puck it up. UPS said they could but now have not.

This screws me over in a few ways. But also points to some serious problems in shipping.

My conjecture is they are not picking it up because they have no place to put it awaiting shipment. But, I understand there are still employment problems down there. Maybe everyone, including drivers and sorters, want work-at-home jobs??

Anyway, this is causing me some problems and additional work I don’t need.

Bitch, moan, groan.

[careinke]

Doing income taxes always makes me resentful towards the government. It's bad enough they steal my money, but can't they do it in a way that doesn't steal my time too?

Yesterday, I was walking hand in hand from our motor home up to the kids house with my three year old (soon to be 4!) granddaughter Ava. I mentioned I had to get ready to go see the "Tax Lady." Ava asked me what a "Tax Lady" does. Feeling a little grumpy, I told her the Tax Lady's job was to figure out how much money the government was going to steal from me.

Ava stopped right in he tracks with the most bewildered look on her face, and said accusingly "Papa your kidding me!" I looked her in the eye and said "Nope I'm not kidding, and Papa doesn't understand why either."

Three hours later I had an extension until 18 October, which will give me time to set up my coin tracker program for my crypto trades. Next year should be easier as I will no longer have to use spreadsheets.

Peace

I can't believe you said that to a child! But, then, I suppose your parents said it to you?

Why wouldn't you, instead, stand for the lessons that civilization has taught us concerning the role of government in our daily lives? Why not teach about all of the possible ways we could be governed? Why not point out how the king, in a more selfish order, actually owns everything? Why teach them that they should always seek to be king, and not a part of something much greater?

Why would I ever WANT to be governed? Are those blue pills you eat sweet??

Peace

[vtsnowedin]

I finally finished my state and federal tax forms today. Between them I owe about $400. The state forms and instructions are, if anything, worse then the federal ones. One hit I took was capital gains that are not taxable by the feds are included in household income on the form where they try to make property taxes on your "Homestead" income sensitive. So ash logs I salvaged due to climate change and an invasive species infestation will cost me more in local property taxes next year.
On the other hand Vermont did not tax any of my social security while the feds taxed about half of it. As we paid taxes on the income before the SS taxes were taken out all those years, I can't see why any social Security payouts should ever be taxable by any level of government.
But I suppose I should not bitch too much as if you take my final Federal bill it is just 4% of unadjusted gross income. .

[careinke]

I finally finished my state and federal tax forms today. Between them I owe about $400. The state forms and instructions are, if anything, worse then the federal ones. One hit I took was capital gains that are not taxable by the feds are included in household income on the form where they try to make property taxes on your "Homestead" income sensitive. So ash logs I salvaged due to climate change and an invasive species infestation will cost me more in local property taxes next year.
On the other hand Vermont did not tax any of my social security while the feds taxed about half of it. As we paid taxes on the income before the SS taxes were taken out all those years, I can't see why any social Security payouts should ever be taxable by any level of government.
But I suppose I should not bitch too much as if you take my final Federal bill it is just 4% of unadjusted gross income. .

Blame those Damn Oligarchs skimming off a share of your production and profits which deprives you of the capital needed to grow economically.

How much time did you spend gathering all the documents, filling out all the stupid forms. How much energy did you spend being pissed off about being forced to do this work, and the irrationality of the present tax system? What is your time worth? Did you include that in the 4%?

Who do you think profits the most from this system, Bezos, Gates, Musk, Politicians, the US government?

Peace

[vtsnowedin]

Oh maybe sixteen hours for the wife to do the small business form for her first time ever and eight hours for me done in two to three hour segments plus a six pack of Bud for me and a couple of Gin and tonics for the missises.
Even if you have them done by others you have to assemble the documents and sit with them so there is no time free option.
Considering the value of living under the protection of the most powerful military in the world I don't bitch much about my income taxes. I do rail about the billions of government waste each year but it is hard to have the one without the other.
As to Bill gates etc. I'm sitting here typing on a computer using Microsoft software and I don't begrudge him the profit he gleaned from it. The fact he gleaned that same amount from millions of other computer users and that adds up to billions is not something to be angry about in spite of what Bernie and Lisardbreath say about it.

[AdamB]

Considering the value of living under the protection of the most powerful military in the world I don't bitch much about my income taxes.....

Indeed. Those rabble rousing Canadians might invade at any minute, and penetrate as far as Burlington before being stopped by local militias. Or do you rate your neighbors as the same class of gutless, gun fearing weasels that populate, say, New York City?

[vtsnowedin]

Considering the value of living under the protection of the most powerful military in the world I don't bitch much about my income taxes.....

Indeed. Those rabble rousing Canadians might invade at any minute, and penetrate as far as Burlington before being stopped by local militias. Or do you rate your neighbors as the same class of gutless, gun fearing weasels that populate, say, New York City?

Without years of faithful service and sacrifice by our military personnel we would already be speaking German or Japanese if not Russian.
If you know how to read thank a teacher. That you can read in English thank a veteran.

[AdamB]

Considering the value of living under the protection of the most powerful military in the world I don't bitch much about my income taxes.....

Indeed. Those rabble rousing Canadians might invade at any minute, and penetrate as far as Burlington before being stopped by local militias. Or do you rate your neighbors as the same class of gutless, gun fearing weasels that populate, say, New York City?

Without years of faithful service and sacrifice by our military personnel we would already be speaking German or Japanese if not Russian.

MAGA!!!! Ah yes...pining for the days when America was a world leader, apartheid country and statue of righteous indignation during WWII and the heart of the Cold War, ah yes, the good ol' days! I presume you didn't include worries about speaking Arabic, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Pashtun because that was us just murdering other folks for...you know... 'MURIKA!!

If you know how to read thank a teacher. That you can read in English thank a veteran.

Horseshit. As English colonies we certainly wouldn't have suddenly decided to start speaking French after the Revolution, win or lose.

Do we also can thank veterans, like say King George II, for getting all those other veterans killed in Iraq looking for invisible MWD's? Or were you MAGA folks seriously worried about the US being invaded and us being forced to learn Arabic?

[vtsnowedin]

Or were you MAGA folks seriously worried about the US being invaded and us being forced to learn Arabic?

Of course I was not worried about that as we do have the military so it was never in doubt.
Oh and by the way I have never been a MAGA person or voter.