Is anybody else very pleased with their tax refund this year?

lydia1959

14 years ago

We knew we'd get a bit more back this year because of the education credit (DD is in college), but we weren't expecting double! Should be enough to pay DD's rent, food and ultilites at school for most of the year plus I may be able to siphon enough out to also replace our bedroom carpet. State refund was about the same as usual... enough to let DH and I take a couple 3-day vacations.

We went to Jackson Hewitt (at our local Walmart) this year. Even with a lot of interest and dividend forms to add on as well as some deductions, the fees we paid were much less than we did to H&R Block several years ago. Very happy with Jackson Hewitt's service! (There's a $20. off coupon at their website too!)

We do usually do our taxes ourselves online, but this year we had cashed in a lot of savings bonds for education so we wanted expert help.

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Comments (29)

Pawprint
14 years ago
Good for you!!

Anytime I get money back - I'm pleased! Yes for me!
Mystical Manns
14 years ago
No refund for us this year ... but the stage is set already for next year!
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mcmann
14 years ago
I'm impressed that you've finished your taxes. I'm still waiting for 1099's so that we can do ours. Wells Fargo said they'll mail them on or before 2/20.
nodakgal
14 years ago
Haven't had a refund for years!
We always pay in.
DH doesn't even worry about getting things to the taxman til mid March.
:)
mary_c_gw
14 years ago
A couple of times when our son was in university, we did get a refund. It was small, since I adjusted our withholding. But mostly I prefer to owe the IRS.

We're usually in the "owe $100-$500" arena. Huge refunds (meaning the IRS has been making interest from my money) don't appeal to me.
glenda_al
14 years ago
Get mine prepared with AARP free. March 4, yea
alisande
14 years ago
Like Mcmann, I'm still waiting for 1099s. But I never get a refund, so I'm not too excited about the whole thing.
lydia1959
Original Author
14 years ago
We don't mind letting the IRS borrow our money for a while, it's like having an extra 'savings account' (considering one of my savings accounts only earns 1.5% interest.. it's not like we are losing much money). I might be in the minority thinking that way... but we love the big chunk of money (big to us anyhow) this time of year which is usually used for home improvements, but with DD in college the past 2 1/2 years, the recent refunds have went towards paying her dorm and living expenses. It works for us.

State refund money is usually not very much... but it's always been our vacation stash. Good thing we don't want to travel very far! lol
carol_in_california
14 years ago
We haven't gotten anything back for a long, long time.
It certainly would be a big surprise.
3katz4me
14 years ago
I don't do my taxes until later in March but I'm not expecting a refund - will probably have to pay as usual. Since I started getting "professional help" with my taxes I'm now able to manage this more closely so the government does not get the benefit of using my tax overpayment, interest free, throughout the year. So I'm now pleased if I don't end up with any refund.
bee0hio
14 years ago
Oh, yes. I thought we'd have to pay a few dollars, but was very pleased that, instead we're getting back just over $1k. That was quite a surprise. There were a couple of new things this year that impacted us. I did ours with TurboTax online as our taxes were much less complicated (reflective of less income, boo hoo).
FlamingO in AR
14 years ago
We're in the "waiting for forms" catagory, too. Some of them don't come until almost April, so we file near the deadline.

I'm glad you're happy, Lydia! Cash that check quick, while it's still good. ;)
monica_pa Grieves
14 years ago
i'm with Mary c...I pay enough taxes, be darned if I'm giving my money tax-free for months to a year - they sure have never given me any interest free loans.
gardenspice
14 years ago
I got my last 1099 on Tuesday, but I thought they were to be mailed by 2-15 this year. So, I'll probably do my taxes this weekend. several "puts and takes" this year, but as long as I'm close, I'll be happy.
marygailv
14 years ago
My son-in-law takes mine to his accountant, so I haven't seen the final results yet, but I always have to pay and I hear you have to pay more because of receiving the stimulus check, so I'm hoping I have enough set aside.
bigfoot_liz
14 years ago
well i haven't really calculated it, my dad's a CPA, that's what i pay him for. but DH has been bugging me that the college credit of $2K is really his $$ (whatever, i pay for everything lol) so i'm guessing he knows all the ins and outs of it lol. i already know what amount i was getting back before that credit, how that credit works i don't know, i'll find out soon thou i'm fed'xing the paperwork to my dad tomorrow ~ liz
lydia1959
Original Author
14 years ago
Liz, for a student who is your child .. it looks like you just get up to $2500. tacked on to your refund depending on how much you actually paid for tuition (books and fees count too I think) minus any scholarships. It may be different if your DH is the student. The man that did our taxes did ask us who the student was as if that would make a difference.
chisue
14 years ago
Can't file until the last mutual fund statement comes in. NEVER pay ahead of time; just pay minimum estimated to preclude a penalty. Unless you have a very simple income, don't assume that a 'free' or cheap tax preparer is your best option.
maryanntx
14 years ago
We were going to have to pay this year until I found out something else I could deduct. So it looks like I might get a $149 refund. Yeah! that sure is better than paying.
curlysue
14 years ago
Very happy, my DD is also in college. She is a sophomore and as of right now has 0 student loan hanging over her head. We had just applied for the low interest student loan and were waiting for the letter so that we could contact the school to tell them we only wanted a partial loan-when I found out how much my refund would be, I canceled the loan. Made me feel so good to know that as of right now she has no student loan. So many people have so much debt because of student loans that in some cases these people are in their late 20s or early 30s still paying student loans. Thank you Uncle Sam
angela_nor_calif
14 years ago
What refund? We pay a lot every year. I wish we got a refund.
linda_in_iowa
14 years ago
I am happy with the refund I am getting. I bought a new car in August and can deduct the sales tax. I also got a new energy efficient back door and can deduct the cost of that. I did my taxes online with TaxAct.
bigfoot_liz
14 years ago
dh does qualify and i'm guessing since he told me that $2500 was his lol he knew all about that, already ;-)) jeez i can't believe that's they way that credit works... i guess there is an upside to no scholarships for adult students even w/ perfect GPA's in honors BS/MS engineering :-/

my dh has been getting govt low-no interest loans for his junior/senior yr and will for the 1 yr of MS left. personally i don't care, the average starting pay for a UCF MS honors engineer is $90K and $30K in loans can be paid off in one yr w/ that income. every single person he has known over the last 3 yrs that has graduated from the engineering program has gotten a job before graduation, we're not in the least bit worried on that. we already own our home, 1 new car(paid off), his 10 yr F-150 (paid cash) and i'm still up 200% on my house. we've been living solely on my income for 2.5 yrs now so once he's done we're set for life lol. or atleast till i go back and get my MS in biotech, can't have my DH controlling all the income lol ~ liz
Silverdove
14 years ago
When I did my taxes, I realized that amount that had been withheld was nearly twice the amount of my taxes.

So I decreased my withholding for this year. I'll feel like I'm getting a pay raise!
whidbeykathy
14 years ago
I think the last refund we recieved was 16 years ago.
monica_pa Grieves
14 years ago
Wasn't someone posting financial hardship on another thread (Jury), that they were unable to serve on a jury because they couldn't afford to lose even a day's pay, to be a citizen?
kframe19
14 years ago
I've not seen a tax refund in 15 years from the Feds.

I try very hard to make my Fed. bill and my state refund balance out.
bigfoot_liz
14 years ago
uhh monica if you go back you will see i did say i could lose 1 day but certainly not 2 weeks worth... i also did say that every $$ coming in goes right out plus another $1000 a month, ea month, for the last 24 months, from savings, to cover what student loans do not cover ea semester. DH only gets $6K a semester, tuition runs $4500, books and CAD program rights another $4-5k, mandatory UCF insurance $250, parking $150... he gets nothing for summer so that another $2500 in tuition, $2K in books... all the shortages go on an interest-free credit card and i pay $1000 a month towards that from savings. savings has not be added to at all since 2007 when DH quit working to finish his honors BS/MS and 2 months later i got my income cut 23%. any refunds we get go straight to savings to replenish the losses.

sorry if you think i'm not a good citizen lol because i refuse to take on more financial hardship...i have worked since i was 13, had fulltime employment continuously since the age of 18, moved out on my own at 18, put myself thru 10 yrs of college w/o a single loan or any aid, started a 401K at the age of 19, bought my own house, have no credit card debt of my own (dh has the college debt), buy everything needed for my DH, myself and 2 elderly dogs, pay my utilities and mortgage on time and have never ever even had a parking ticket let alone any other offense. not to mention i will never be a burden to society by collecting social security or medicare, as i was raised to believe there will be no $$ left for my generation (X) and i have planned my whole financial life around that.

or maybe it's because i'm the child of a 3rd generation chicago political family that you think i'm not a good citizen lol ;-)) ~ liz
sheilajoyce_gw
14 years ago
Refund? What's that?

Is anybody else very pleased with their tax refund this year?

Comments (29)

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Is anybody else very pleased with their tax refund this year?

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