A little fun with the IRS...

Yes.  Over the past few months (almost a year) Justus and I were having a little fun with the IRS defending our 2010 tax return.  Between all of the paperwork that went in with our taxes, Arizona State University (ASU) managed to send up a red flag.  The IRS did not believe that Justus paid his tuition to ASU and therefore was not owed the education tax credits we claimed.  The amount owed plus interest accrued over two years was not easy on the eyes or stomach. 

So we played the bureaucratic games with the government.  We started with statements from our bank showing we paid, then we submitted statements from Justus' student account online, and then finally Justus spent several frustrating hours at ASU's cashier's/financial office to obtain a slip of paper showing payments received.  With the timing of it all, we ended up submitting this final paperwork just before Christmas. 

I was anxious through out the holidays and into January.  Justus had to keep reminding me that everything would work out and worse case, we could afford to pay the IRS what they claimed we owed.  Yesterday I checked the mail with much anticipation (like every single day since January 2nd) and was happy to find a piece of mail from the IRS.  Enclosed was a single piece of paper stating the amount owed: $0.00.  "Your issued has been resolved." Oh, happy day!

This or That?

This?








Or that?

My 2001 PT Cruiser (the one above is for sale on ebay for 1900 pounds plus shipping - any takers?) suffered a major loss this week. Both my radiator and A/C broke down on Tuesday. While these are expensive repairs, I'm grateful for parents who taught me the importance of saving money for a rainy day. Of course, I'd much rather use part of my savings for the camera (Nikon D3100 - something I want to buy). Just another example of why it is important to save money for unexpected expenses and emergencies. I'll just start boosting the savings pile again with my next paycheck. Someday, Nikon D3100, we'll be together. :)