LOST!!! - City of LA Business TAX Filing!
Apparently the Universe does not think I have ENOUGH STRESS in my life....
Today I received a heart-attack inducing Notice of Hearing from the City of Los Angeles.
Apparently they NEVER RECEIVED my business tax filing which was mailed well before the February 28th deadline.
Unless I come in for the hearing or "take care" of this filing by May 4th, they will REVOKE my current business certificate and I will not be able to do any business (failure to comply is a misdemeanor).
Now, my normal filing always results in an EXEMPT status every year due to being a Creative Activities exemption -- but if it is filed after the deadline, if I recall correctly, that exemption is no longer accepted! And, not only will I have to pay about $2,000 in business taxes to the City, but there are PENALTIES, up to 15%!
So then, after I completely fell apart, wailed and bawled for about 20 minutes in hysterics (I am an absolute lightweight these days, ANYTHING of a negative and official/finance-related nature pushes me to weeping), I finally collected myself and started to look though all my tax paperwork, found it, saw the fax from the accountant to me with the filled out form dated 2-16-2011, and my own copy of the final mailed version, re-copied from her filled out sample form. And I wracked my brain, and I am sure I mailed it, if not the day after, then the next day after that (a Friday), for sure.
And then I started to look for the mailing receipts for postage for THIS YEAR, to find the mailing info details...
...and I could NOT find the receipt -- I always mail all official paperwork with a Certificate of Mailing at least and often Return Receipt.
After panicking some more, and going through more heaps of paper, I realized something horrible...
This year, I had a particularly high NEGATIVE BALANCE in the bank at that time (latter part of February), so INSTEAD of mailing it with some kind of postal confirmation, I simply used a stamp -- and handed the stamped envelope to the Post Office window clerk.
YES, I COULD NOT AFFORD A CERTIFICATE OF MAILING.
That's how bad things were around then, I did not even have a spare dollar or change for this!
And, this was about the same time when I just heard from Bank of America about the mortgage load modification rejection, AND I was dealing with the new short sale/foreclosure lawyer, AND I was dealing with the annual 1099's filing for all the authors.
So, basically, now I am either screwed where I will have to pay penalties, or I don't know what.
I am going to be heading to the nearest LA courthouse/regional office in Van Nuys some time this coming week, and will bring all the copies of the lost filing that I have, and HOPE TO GOD they do not request proof of mailing. (And, since my business certificate expires anyway in August, and I will be in Vermont by then, I don't know if need even bother to renew the certificate, BUT I have prepared and printed out the paperwork anyway, just in case.)
PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!!! OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO!!!!
*drained from weeping*
Today I received a heart-attack inducing Notice of Hearing from the City of Los Angeles.
Apparently they NEVER RECEIVED my business tax filing which was mailed well before the February 28th deadline.
Unless I come in for the hearing or "take care" of this filing by May 4th, they will REVOKE my current business certificate and I will not be able to do any business (failure to comply is a misdemeanor).
Now, my normal filing always results in an EXEMPT status every year due to being a Creative Activities exemption -- but if it is filed after the deadline, if I recall correctly, that exemption is no longer accepted! And, not only will I have to pay about $2,000 in business taxes to the City, but there are PENALTIES, up to 15%!
So then, after I completely fell apart, wailed and bawled for about 20 minutes in hysterics (I am an absolute lightweight these days, ANYTHING of a negative and official/finance-related nature pushes me to weeping), I finally collected myself and started to look though all my tax paperwork, found it, saw the fax from the accountant to me with the filled out form dated 2-16-2011, and my own copy of the final mailed version, re-copied from her filled out sample form. And I wracked my brain, and I am sure I mailed it, if not the day after, then the next day after that (a Friday), for sure.
And then I started to look for the mailing receipts for postage for THIS YEAR, to find the mailing info details...
...and I could NOT find the receipt -- I always mail all official paperwork with a Certificate of Mailing at least and often Return Receipt.
After panicking some more, and going through more heaps of paper, I realized something horrible...
This year, I had a particularly high NEGATIVE BALANCE in the bank at that time (latter part of February), so INSTEAD of mailing it with some kind of postal confirmation, I simply used a stamp -- and handed the stamped envelope to the Post Office window clerk.
YES, I COULD NOT AFFORD A CERTIFICATE OF MAILING.
That's how bad things were around then, I did not even have a spare dollar or change for this!
And, this was about the same time when I just heard from Bank of America about the mortgage load modification rejection, AND I was dealing with the new short sale/foreclosure lawyer, AND I was dealing with the annual 1099's filing for all the authors.
So, basically, now I am either screwed where I will have to pay penalties, or I don't know what.
I am going to be heading to the nearest LA courthouse/regional office in Van Nuys some time this coming week, and will bring all the copies of the lost filing that I have, and HOPE TO GOD they do not request proof of mailing. (And, since my business certificate expires anyway in August, and I will be in Vermont by then, I don't know if need even bother to renew the certificate, BUT I have prepared and printed out the paperwork anyway, just in case.)
PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!!! OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO!!!!
*drained from weeping*