It’s not much of a rant, but it’s a rant I know most taxpayers have from time to time. Why do I have to pay so much tax? The Beatles popularized a song about the nefarious Taxman. The only things sure in life are death and taxes. The April 15th U.S. Internal Revenue Service income tax deadline is soon upon us. My brilliant wife finished our taxes early, and I will mail our forms and payment to the IRS on Monday. Fortunately, this year we don’t have to pay much to the Federal Government. Unfortunately, we realized while doing our taxes that we need to pay a substantial amount of income tax to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Keep in mind that I stayed in Virginia temporarily and that my permanent home is Washington State. However, because I worked in Virginia longer than 183 days, I need to pay Virginia income tax. It slipped my mind because I do not need to pay state income tax as a Washington resident. Also, my employer did not require me to fill out a W-4 for Virginia, so I did not withhold any Virginia income tax last year. Consequently, we now have a big Virginia tax bill to pay. It’s manageable but still bites. I would have had to pay it anyway last year. It’s not fun though writing a big check to a place where you don’t legally live. If you’re assignment temporarily in Virginia for work, keep in mind that you will have to pay local income tax if you live in the Commonwealth.
On a happier note, this blog passed its 2,000th page view yesterday. That is astounding considering I haven’t done any advertising. Thanks to everyone who’s stopped by to explore World Adventurers since it launched in December. I hope you enjoy my daily, random musings about life and our adventures overseas. I also hope you find that this blog is a little different from other blogs. I try not to focus on a single topic and like to mix it up everyday. When we move to another country, the blog will go with us. It’s sort of like a James Bond movie without the suspense and beautiful women— it’s written on location in many different settings.
From the Things that Make You Go Hmm… Department: Wouldn’t wrinkle-free business suits be great? Would you buy one? I unpacked one of my business suits today. It’s very wrinkled. I will have to either iron it myself or have it pressed by a dry cleaner. I can’t live without the wrinkle-free shirts I bought at Men’s Wearhouse. The shirts never need to be ironed, relieving me from ironing them once or twice per week. I still have to iron those darn business suits. They wrinkle much too easily. Suits are easier to press than dress shirts, but I would pay a premium to buy a good, wrinkle-free suit. I’m sure that I’m not the first professional to feel this way. The future may of suit technology may lie in nanotechnology. It may be another 10 to 15 years, but I am convinced that wrinkle-free suits will eventually come to market. It’s a market waiting for a product.
