So last night in the office...

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

I'm a tax preparer, and the other day I posted about this nimrod who's living and working in Sweden as an American citizen. He's complaining all the time about the "socialist" government of Sweden while simultanously accepting thousands in unemployment from the Swedish people because he lost his job and won't leave their country. Ungrateful jerk.

So last night I'm working with a woman who I saw last year. She moved from Michigan in 2006 because she lost her job in Detroit and was desperate for work. Add to that she's divorced and had the worst attorney on the fact of the earth -- she's paying half of the mortgage on her old home, while her ex- is living there pending the sale. She's owns a condo (which she purchased after the divorce) that's sitting empty since she moved and now she can't sell it.

So she's paying 1.5 mortgages back in Detroit and rent in Milwaukee. She's being fucking eaten alive by all this; her retirement plan is bursting like the Johnstown Dam. Last year she owed $10,000 in taxes, mostly on the tax and penalty for tapping her IRA to pay the mortgages and the rent. And did I mention she has a nine-year-old daughter?

In the past six months, both her ex-'s house and her condo have been forclosed on. She's lost everything in part because the bank refused a "short sale" on the condo of just $7,000. She she poured another $12,000 of her life savings into making her payments until she finally gave up and let the bank take it. They'll sell it for thousands less than what they could have had six months ago. And since her ex- is in bankruptcy, the whole idea of getting any child support is pretty much out the window.

Shhhh. There's a rumor that we "might" be in a recession.

So she comes into the office last night scared to death that she's going to owe another $10,000 (she's still making payments on last years' tax bill). When I tell her that she's getting a refund, she practically burst into tears at my desk. She calls her daughter to come in from the waiting room and says, "This is Mr. Ritchie and he just did you mother a huge favor." The kid smiles and gives me a big thumbs up.

I swear to God, some days I'd do this job for free.

[underpants]

1. That god for George W. Bush

:patriot:

:sarcasm: of course

great story.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

2. She was number three...

I've had three clients who have been foreclosed on already during 2008. I'm already brushing up on the tax rules for bankruptcy and foreclosure -- I'm going to be seeing a lot of this year.

[SOteric]

3. Don't let your employers know

that you've put that last statement in writing or you'll be hearing far more than you care to about the recession at your next performance evaluation.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

6. I'll deny everything...

[DS1]

4. Nice

I hope it was a significant one

[bertha katzenengel]

5. It's a thankless job, I'd imagine.

Sounds like you got some thanks last night. :thumbsup:, indeed.

[skygazer]

7. That's so sad

I'm glad you gave her at least a bit of happiness in what must be such a stressful life. :(