Yet Another Damn Reason I Support the Fair Tax

So, today I went to Beaumont and played office tag to hunt up a blank W-2 so I could finish my business tax filing and begin my personal tax filing.

When I explained to the IRS woman (Fran) why I wanted the blank form, she said, "Sole proprietor? You can't do that."

She then explained to me that when their forms say, "You don't have to do this," what they really mean is, "You are expressly prohibited from doing this." In this case, sole proprietors cannot list themselves as an employee, cannot withhold unemployment, SS, Medicare, income tax, etc. from checks they cut to themselves, etc.

She does say, however, that so long as I don't use the W2, I can do a take-back on the withholding and unemployment paperwork I filed. I need to get copies of the cancelled checks- front and back- to show that yes, I did indeed pay what I claim to have paid. That'd be $540 back in pocket...

... and taking what I paid myself and the taxes off the books, WLP goes from in the hole to a substantial profit for 2007.

Which means I probably qualify for the Earned Income Credit.

Which means more fucking paperwork.

And there's still the threat of penalties.

Jesus Christ. All I wanted to do was (a) separate business from personal finances without incorporating, and (b) start paying into Social Security again.

The system is set up to actively discourage people from becoming entrepreneurs.

And to drive poor boys who don't read bureaucratese well absolutely NUTS.

Yet Another Damn Reason I Support the Fair Tax

So, today I went to Beaumont and played office tag to hunt up a blank W-2 so I could finish my business tax filing and begin my personal tax filing.

When I explained to the IRS woman (Fran) why I wanted the blank form, she said, "Sole proprietor? You can't do that."

She then explained to me that when their forms say, "You don't have to do this," what they really mean is, "You are expressly prohibited from doing this." In this case, sole proprietors cannot list themselves as an employee, cannot withhold unemployment, SS, Medicare, income tax, etc. from checks they cut to themselves, etc.

She does say, however, that so long as I don't use the W2, I can do a take-back on the withholding and unemployment paperwork I filed. I need to get copies of the cancelled checks- front and back- to show that yes, I did indeed pay what I claim to have paid. That'd be $540 back in pocket...

... and taking what I paid myself and the taxes off the books, WLP goes from in the hole to a substantial profit for 2007.

Which means I probably qualify for the Earned Income Credit.

Which means more fucking paperwork.

And there's still the threat of penalties.

Jesus Christ. All I wanted to do was (a) separate business from personal finances without incorporating, and (b) start paying into Social Security again.

The system is set up to actively discourage people from becoming entrepreneurs.

And to drive poor boys who don't read bureaucratese well absolutely NUTS.