SC people, take note!

[Capt Worley PE]

What a well thought out plan!

We filed paper returns for SC last year, and I'm pretty sure the state said they'd send us new forms and instructions if we filed that way. They didn't.

So, I went to the local librarary, and guess what...no SC forms. Looks like I had to go to the state museum, where the tax commission (or whatever it is called) is located.

When I got there, there were about five groups ahead of me, and I noted no forms placed outside the office AS HAS BEEN THE PRACTICE FOR AT LEAST A DECADE.

Well, turns out EVERYONE there was there for forms, and EVERY converstaion went like this:

Patron: Hi, I need the SC tax forms.

Taxman: Sure, here's a booklet with two forms inside.

P: Ummm...I need three more booklets, I'm picking up some for relatives.

T: I am authorized to give you two more copies of the return forms. You can make as many copies as you wish.

P: But I need the instruction books.

T: I can give you a number to call and they can mail you additional copies.

P: But why can't I just have the book?

T: Would you like the number or not?

Sad, isn't it? Does the state really believe everyone has access to a computer or something? I'm pretty upset in the first place about not getting one mailed to me.

But, the real problem is going to come closer to tax day as people rush and find they can only have one booklet. I know for a fact, the Sumter library is telling people to go to the State Museum to get their forms. Imagine how PO'd you'd be after driving from Sumter to pick up forms for people in you family, only to learn you can only have one. I predict bad, bad problems.

So, if you need them, go early and avoid the gunplay.

 

[Ble_PE]

I'm glad that I have an accountant and she e-files my returns for me.

 

[z06dustin]

I wonder if they do that both to cut costs on paper, and to encourage e-filing?

Capt, not that it's any of my business, but why NOT e-file? It's so much easier. This year I *had* to paper file due to some extra forms I had to use (really looking forward to that $10.5k tax return btw) and I destain it. E-file is so much easier.

 

[roadwreck]

Sad, isn't it? Does the state really believe everyone has access to a computer or something? I'm pretty upset in the first place about not getting one mailed to me.

conversely you could see a significant savings in only providing printed material to those who are going to use it, rather then printing and sending tax forms to everyone, even the people who are going to use a computer program or accountant.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Capt, not that it's any of my business, but why NOT e-file? It's so much easier.

I prefer to do it on paper. My taxes aren't really that hard; I am usually done within an hour, and most of that time is scanning for changes.

conversely you could see a significant savings in only providing printed material to those who are going to use it, rather then printing and sending tax forms to everyone, even the people who are going to use a computer program or accountant.

I think that's what they are doing and seeing how well it works out. I don't think it will work very well. There are a lot of people in this state who do not own computers and I have a feeling that late march, early April, we'll start to make national news because of this.

 

[benbo]

I wonder if they do that both to cut costs on paper, and to encourage e-filing?
Capt, not that it's any of my business, but why NOT e-file? It's so much easier. This year I *had* to paper file due to some extra forms I had to use (really looking forward to that $10.5k tax return btw) and I destain it. E-file is so much easier.

I e-file now, but it took me a couple years to get used to it. I still don't really like sending so much financial info over the internet, even though I know people could just as easily tamper with my snail mail, and I do my banking and bill paying and everything over the internet. But that took me a while to get used to also, and I'm still worried about identity theft.

As far as the e-file, I get my refund so much faster (I already have this years) I ultimately couldn't resist the temptation.

 

[Mutha PE PS]

Don't bother filing. There is not going to be any money for those who get a refund. The Employment Security Commission here has been losing $1million a month now for about 8 months.

 

[Dexman PE]

I still file paper returns. But it's more because the IRS refuses to get my birthday right. I have notified them every year for the last 5 years that their records are wrong, and each year I try to efile but get rejected because my birthday doesn't match.

This year I just gave up and didn't even attempt to efile. Sending paper returns doesn't take that much longer to get processed anyways (I already got my state return, and my fed should be within the next week or so).

 

[benbo]

Efiling, I got both my state and federal refunds in 4 days. Average is 8 days for TurboTax.

 

[Dexman PE]

State took 2 weeks. I expect the feds to take 3-4. I understand it's my money, but I don't have any burning need to have it tomorrow (considering I went all of last year without it and wasn't expecting it to begin with).

 

[MA_PE]

Not for anything, but one can easily see the cost savings in not having to print and distribute mass quantities of paper forms that will only end up in the landfills. Additionally, hard ciopy data must be reviewed and manually keyed into the system, where I assume that e-filed returns are are electronically processed into the system with sopt checks. Again significant labor savings. All these savings are savings to the gubbernment so they are ultimately savings to the taxpayer himself.

Integrating the "paperless" world is not easy, but I'm told it's called progress.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Not for anything, but one can easily see the cost savings in not having to print and distribute mass quantities of paper forms that will only end up in the landfills. Additionally, hard ciopy data must be reviewed and manually keyed into the system, where I assume that e-filed returns are are electronically processed into the system with sopt checks. Again significant labor savings. All these savings are savings to the gubbernment so they are ultimately savings to the taxpayer himself.
Integrating the "paperless" world is not easy, but I'm told it's called progress.

Oh, I see that, and I agree, but I don't think it was planned very well.

Outside of a few SC towns over 25K people, there is an awful lot of poverty. They don't have computers period. Then there are the luddites like me who refuse to do it on the computer and want paper. I'd bet that, easily, fifty percent of the populace needs or wants an instruction manual and forms, but the state didn't mail them one.

So, Farmer John gets in the pickup, and drives an hour or so to Columbia to pick up a tax for for himself, his parents, his widowed aunt Gertrude, and that nice little stripper that lives in the trailer just off Sweet Vines Road. Weell, he gets there and finds he can only have one instruction bok, and two copies extra of the forms. I'm thinking Farmer John isn't going to be real accepting of this fact.

And keep in mind that there are a lot of guns, and a lot of really hot tempered folk down here (as bore out by our wonderful murder rates).

I'm just saying that if someone shows up and asks for more than one packet, why not give them what they want?

 

[Chucktown PE]

Capt,

Option C would be to do what I do, print the forms out from home off of the following website and read the instructions in the PDF file.

Forms & Instructions

 

[csb]

I wonder if they do that both to cut costs on paper, and to encourage e-filing?
Capt, not that it's any of my business, but why NOT e-file? It's so much easier. This year I *had* to paper file due to some extra forms I had to use (really looking forward to that $10.5k tax return btw) and I destain it. E-file is so much easier.

Not that it's any of MY business, but why does the government owe you $10,500?

Oh, I see that, and I agree, but I don't think it was planned very well.
Outside of a few SC towns over 25K people, there is an awful lot of poverty. They don't have computers period. Then there are the luddites like me who refuse to do it on the computer and want paper. I'd bet that, easily, fifty percent of the populace needs or wants an instruction manual and forms, but the state didn't mail them one.

So, Farmer John gets in the pickup, and drives an hour or so to Columbia to pick up a tax for for himself, his parents, his widowed aunt Gertrude, and that nice little stripper that lives in the trailer just off Sweet Vines Road. Weell, he gets there and finds he can only have one instruction bok, and two copies extra of the forms. I'm thinking Farmer John isn't going to be real accepting of this fact.

And keep in mind that there are a lot of guns, and a lot of really hot tempered folk down here (as bore out by our wonderful murder rates).

I'm just saying that if someone shows up and asks for more than one packet, why not give them what they want?

Upside to it, Farmer John doesn't have a plane to fly into the IRS building...

 

[Supe]

He may have a crop duster!

 

[Flyer_PE]

Don't bet on it. I've landed on more than one grass strip set up right next to a farmer/pilot's corn field.

 

[Chucktown PE]

Don't bet on it. I've landed on more than one grass strip set up right next to a farmer/pilot's corn field.

Insert sexual inuendo here

 

[z06dustin]

Not that it's any of MY business, but why does the government owe you $10,500?

I bought a house, and I'm still in school half-time so tuition is deductable.

Thank you all for financing a few Vegas trips this year. My effective tax rate was below 10% for the first time in a very long time.

 

[Chucktown PE]

Not that it's any of MY business, but why does the government owe you $10,500?

I bought a house, and I'm still in school half-time so tuition is deductable.

Thank you all for financing a few Vegas trips this year. My effective tax rate was below 10% for the first time in a very long time.

Well go get yourself a nice lap dance on me and the rest of the U.S. taxpayers.

j/k

As little as you can pay the better. Good work. I'm always happy when I can screw Uncle Sam a little bit better and keep more of my own money.

 

[benbo]

This year I *had* to paper file and I destain it.

I would hope so. I would imagine you might be looking at an audit if you submit some stained papers.