What the hell is a 1099?!

Last week was a pretty big week for me in grown-up world. Not only did I learn a valuable lesson about why you don’t take your shoes off in bars, but I also filed out my taxes all by myself. And by all by myself, I mean with the help of an accountant who probably now thinks that my IQ borders somewhere in the high twenties.

Up until last week I thought filing taxes was as simple as creating a fake Facebook profile to stalk exes (okay…one-night stands). I fill out a slip of paper with my name, social security number, yearly earnings, bra size, favorite movies, and my vote on what color M&Ms should include next. Bada bing,  bada boom, I’m a functioning member of society.

But no. This process makes writing a 19 page paper on the causes and effects of “I only smoke when I’m drunk” look incredibly easy. First I had to fill out a million pieces of paper, then I had to track down W2′s, W4′s, 1099s, 13 Chinese take-out menus, and Colt 45s. And it’s not like I stored them all in one place.  Why would I ever do anything that would make my life less of a daily episode of Real World/Road Rules Challenge. Some were at home in Florida, some were at my grandmother’s NYC apt., some were buried 6 feet under cement in a “what? We’re making a graduation time capsule and I can choose one thing to put in? Okay, here’s some official, legal, looking documents that I doubt I’ll ever need” time capsule on the Syracuse campus. Read More »

While April 15th may seem far off, it’s coming quickly and that means it’s time to start thinking about filing those taxes. Sure, many of you may rely on your parents to take care of that business, but there are a lot of us who have to take care of it on our own. And it’s expensive and stressful.

But what if I told you it didn’t have to be either one of those?

eSmart Tax, an online tax service, is letting 2.1 Million people file for taxes for free this year! The only catch: your last name has to be Johnson. (I know, I thought it was some sort of gross boy-joke too, but there’s a method to their madness.)

But fear not: if you happen to be like me and have a name that no one can pronounce that is not Johnson, those eSmart Tax guys are looking out for you, too, by letting us give away three $100 Visa gift cards! Want one? All you have to do to enter is hop on over to Twitter and Tweet the following message: Read More »

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