TAXES!!!!!

I am so......rrrrrrrrrrrrrr....annoyed!

We just received a letter stating;

"Assessment issued to adjust 2007 School Property prebate to increase 2006 Household Income by Business Income, Line hm, of $9208.00.   Business Losses cannot be netted out for Household Income purposes. "

Attached was a bill for$600.59.  The third attached sheet listed HS-122 as filed prebate at $2,236.00 ~ as adjusted $1,774.00 equalling a change of $-462.00

At first I was overwhelmed by the wording trying to figure where I go from here.  There were statements of; "You have the right to appeal this assessment within 60 days." and "We urge you to pay this bill within 15 days to avoid accrual of any additional charges."

Oh, did I mention that we recieved three of these packets.  Each for a different year, each one with the opening statement holding 2 years in the paragraph just to confuse me.

I put it aside without studying too much last night.  I figured I would tackle it today with no distractions.  After reviewing more in depth and pulling out my tax paperwork, I went online to pull up HI-144 line h instructions.  It was clearly stated there that you could NOT take a loss on that line you had to enter "0".  Turbo Tax, the software I use, automatically took our two businesses (sugaring & Larry's normal job) and combined them.  It was clearly stated there that you could not do that.  So....as much as I hate to admit it....the state is right....we do owe money.

Now, since this is dating back as far as 2006, we also owe penalties and interest!  Bringing our grand total to $1238.15 owed to Department of Taxes. 

I posted my annoyance on Facebook and a friend informed me that we could respectfully requdst abatement of the penalties as we have been filing in good faith using an approved online tax-filing product.  So I did just that.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping they comply.

Jeesh.......!

Now we get the sugaring weather and the trees are leaving out!

Can you believe the temps?!  I know THIS is the normal temps of April and that teasing stuff we had was not the norm!  If this had come 3 weeks ago, it would be ideal!  That week of 70-80 degree weather, where I actually rode with the top down on my car one night was the end of sugaring!  If that week had not existed, we'd still be going strong probably! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, that week was nicer than some Augusts we've had.  I mean, I actually put my insurance back on my car.....the first of April?! 

We had a good year of sugaring though.  We made 18 barrels, not too shabby.  In fact, the last night boiling, it was so warm in the sugarhouse the doors had to be left open.  It's so DRY here that he would only boil at night so he could keep an eye on the sparks, as to not start a fire.  That happened 4 years ago; a spark landed in the crotch of a tree, on top of some old leaves, it smoldered and before we knew it the woods had a little glow.  Thank goodness a visitor walking down to the sugarhouse noticed it.  We quickly shut down and got out the hoses, buckets and chainsaw.  If that had gone undetected I hate to think what would have happened. 

We started washing pipeline on the 3rd of April.  All six of us, teams of two, just like tapping.  Did a bit more Easter, after church.  That left Larry with a couple 100 to putter at through the next week after work.  Everything is all cleaned up now.  All we have left is to replace the wood and Larry is pulling out logs as I type.

Now I'm just looking forward to non-stop summer temps!  And to get rid of the cold I seemed to have caught this weekend!