$961 this year coming back from taxes, compared with almost $1400 last year. True, I was un-taxable for 4 months because of a deployment, and paid an actual state tax, but the number still is a bit of a wake-up call. I am glad I am a Washington resident & therefore do not pay a monthly income tax to the state, so I guess I am used to having a nice little present from my residential area once a year.
I filed my largest charitable contribution ever this year too, which I won't name because I have SOME modesty. I have no idea how charity donations factor into taxes, so I don't know what sort of effect it will/won't have on my income tax.
I was expecting to get around $1,000 just because the economy is bad & President Obama needs my delicious tax dollars to help fix it. I hope he uses them well!
My plans for the cash are to use most of it to pay off a micro-loan I took out to buy a used car here in Japan. The leftovers will be used on a birthday gift I buy myself later in the year. Either a used trumpet so I can get back into music (depending on availability over here in Japan) or THIS:
Abbyshot
I LOVE the movie "Akira" and enjoy cosplay as a biker, so I want to get this jacket & some simple red Dickies & leather gloves to go with some engineer's boots I already own. The jacket is the expensive part of the outfit, but it's also the centerpiece, so that is to be expected.
If I can find a horn over here, though, I would easily go the musical route. I could busk at the local train stations with some of the local Japanese kids who play guitar, or sing. Easy beer money! Or for delicious food from one of the street vendors.
We'll see where my finances are when the check comes in, and what my options are. The loan is getting repaid no matter what, because Debt Is For Dopes! ^_^
'punk
I filed my largest charitable contribution ever this year too, which I won't name because I have SOME modesty. I have no idea how charity donations factor into taxes, so I don't know what sort of effect it will/won't have on my income tax.
I was expecting to get around $1,000 just because the economy is bad & President Obama needs my delicious tax dollars to help fix it. I hope he uses them well!
My plans for the cash are to use most of it to pay off a micro-loan I took out to buy a used car here in Japan. The leftovers will be used on a birthday gift I buy myself later in the year. Either a used trumpet so I can get back into music (depending on availability over here in Japan) or THIS:
Abbyshot
I LOVE the movie "Akira" and enjoy cosplay as a biker, so I want to get this jacket & some simple red Dickies & leather gloves to go with some engineer's boots I already own. The jacket is the expensive part of the outfit, but it's also the centerpiece, so that is to be expected.
If I can find a horn over here, though, I would easily go the musical route. I could busk at the local train stations with some of the local Japanese kids who play guitar, or sing. Easy beer money! Or for delicious food from one of the street vendors.
We'll see where my finances are when the check comes in, and what my options are. The loan is getting repaid no matter what, because Debt Is For Dopes! ^_^
'punk