[Life] Refunded!
So I did my taxes tonight. I've used TurboTax Basic since last year, and it seems to be working out well. This year I signed up to get my W-2 form online, too, rather than waiting for it in the mail. Now, a little background: Last year, due to some sort of screw-up with my withholdings, I ended up owing $14 on my federal return and $140 on my state return. So shortly after I paid that off, I went and changed my withholdings to hopefully cover everything I would end up owing.
Well, it turns out I did something right -- maybe even too right. On my federal return this year, I withheld about $300 more than I owed (taking into account a credit I got for paying for my college courses). And I earned $5,000 more in 2008 than I did in 2007, which was apparently enough to get me a recovery rebate credit -- I fall under the category "Those who received less than the maximum". I got half of the maximum $600 last year, and it seems I'm getting the other half this year. Plus there's my state refund, a far more modest but still very welcome $75.
So if TurboTax and I got everything right -- and believe me, I've gone over it several times -- I'm going to have a little under $700 coming my way in the next two to three weeks. (I do owe a couple hundred to the city of Lansing, but somehow I think I'll be able to cover it.) I was expecting I'd get something back, but wow. I'll be putting some of it toward the room for this year's Dragon*Con, and the rest is going right into savings! (Although I'm still toying with the idea of getting myself an Inspiron Mini 12 for use in class and out of the apartment.)
And now, it's time for bed. I've got a nice big to-do list to start working on tomorrow, right after I sleep in. Ah, how I love mornings that I don't have to get up at quarter to 6. On. My grammar is weakening, it must be bed time. Night, all!
Well, it turns out I did something right -- maybe even too right. On my federal return this year, I withheld about $300 more than I owed (taking into account a credit I got for paying for my college courses). And I earned $5,000 more in 2008 than I did in 2007, which was apparently enough to get me a recovery rebate credit -- I fall under the category "Those who received less than the maximum". I got half of the maximum $600 last year, and it seems I'm getting the other half this year. Plus there's my state refund, a far more modest but still very welcome $75.
So if TurboTax and I got everything right -- and believe me, I've gone over it several times -- I'm going to have a little under $700 coming my way in the next two to three weeks. (I do owe a couple hundred to the city of Lansing, but somehow I think I'll be able to cover it.) I was expecting I'd get something back, but wow. I'll be putting some of it toward the room for this year's Dragon*Con, and the rest is going right into savings! (Although I'm still toying with the idea of getting myself an Inspiron Mini 12 for use in class and out of the apartment.)
And now, it's time for bed. I've got a nice big to-do list to start working on tomorrow, right after I sleep in. Ah, how I love mornings that I don't have to get up at quarter to 6. On. My grammar is weakening, it must be bed time. Night, all!