Is there any chance you forgot that yesterday was the
last day to file your Federal income taxes (unless you had requested an
extension)? It’s not nearly as dramatic when you add the part in the
parenthesis, is it? And considering how much lead time you have on the federal
filing deadline (and I think it’s true for state and municipal as well), it’s
not like the calendar stole a march on you, right?
I can remember our Dad, who worked in New York City and took the train (Pennsylvania,
then later the Penn-Central and even later Amtrak) from New Jersey every day,
having to file federal as well as State and
City of New York tax reports. He wasn’t alone, joined by tens of thousands from
places across Jersey and, back in the day, Connecticut Gold Coasters as well.
Commuters like Dad were heaven-sent for states and cities
scrounging for revenue-he used none of the goods and services he was helping to
pay for and they needed all the help they could get. I don’t remember if he was
still riding the train into The City when New Jersey finally got around to enacting
a state income tax under Brendan Byrne in 1976 (I always thought it was
earlier than that; must be getting old (for which I am most grateful)).
Every state has a “tax freedom date” that changes, rarely
for the better, annually. Here in The Land of Steady Habits, Connecticut, it’s Wednesday, May 13th (which folks on all
sides of the political aisle will talk about all the way to it, and past it, if
history is any indicator). Your mileage may vary but the rending of garments in
anguish and despair accompanied by loud lamentations probably not so much.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., once offered ‘taxes
are what we pay for a civilized society,’ but in light of decades of national
dysfunction, you might want to rummage around and see if you saved your receipt
to ask about a refund.
Figured you could use a smile today, especially if you did wait until the last minute to file. I could also offer you John Oliver’s observations, which are not only brilliantly
hilarious but also spot-on. Try not to laugh too hard, it can tax your
breathing.
-bill kenny
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