Taxes Schmaxes

I have learned there are many things in this world that give me a headache...

One is waste.

Another is other people's waste that ends up costing me.

So when I see the display of TurboTax kits at the grocery store, or Walmart, or Costco, I want to bash my head against the shopping cart. I don't... but I do grumble, heartily disgruntled.

You see, you can get the exact same tax software without the waste of physical product (taking up physical space) online.

Yep.

And it's freaking easy peasy lemon squeezy, too.

Stupidly easy, and you don't have to pay until after you're done your taxes and are ready to file (which you can do online... again: easy peasy lemon squeezey.)

But is this advertised at the stores? No. Of course not—they're gaining a cut if they sell the physical product—why would they tell people to go Google TurboTax and follow the linky dink trails...?

(I suppose you could argue the physical product would be for people who have no internet access at home. Do these people even exist?!*)

So why does this make me crazy? Because I use the online software (have for the last couple of years, thanks to Sandi over at Spring Personal Finance—she's a genius, by the way. Also? Hilarious. And she makes cute babies, too).

So when I see the in-store-displays all I can think of is how the manufacturing, shipping, and displaying of said physical product IS JACKING UP MY GODDAMN ONLINE TAX PREP FEES!

Not to mention the landfill waste of software good for tax purposes for that year only...

::headdesk::

Seriously.

Also? My taxes are done... and aside from wincing every time I see someone toss one of those blue and silver boxes into their cart, I'm also done thinking about them.

Until that refund arrives, that is... then I dance.

(Possibly naked. If you're my neighbour, this is your official warning. If you end up blind, that's your problem. Good luck.)






*Clearly I know they do. I have elderly relatives. And infant relatives. And pets.

(Shut up. Pets are totally people—just ones without opposable thumbs... Oh my god, just think of how much of an asshole Hamster would have been with opposable thumbs. A goddamn unstoppable fuzzy jerk. ::shudder::)