Tax

I haven't done this in ten years, perhaps longer, but I was all set to try to prepare my own Income Tax return this year, instead of taking it to the accountant — I really was. I'll admit, though, this measure was driven in part by desperation — it is now, as I write this, the fourth week in March, and I was embarrassed to be bringing everything to the accounting firm so late. (This happened last year, as well, but two weeks earlier.) That, and the $400 it will cost would be far better spent elsewhere.

"I'll just use last year's return as a guide," I thought to myself, naively. "I know it won't be easy, but how difficult can it be, really?"

One look at the amortization schedules from 2007 put a swift end to that idea. (I couldn't even find a copy of my 2008 return, which had been filed electronically.) I have equipment that was purchased last year, and perhaps the year before — I'm not sure I'd even know where to begin to sort all that out.

Instead, I spent the rest of the day gathering the paperwork to leave with the accounting firm. Let this be their headache.