Taxes and E-Reading Trauma

Taxes and E-Reading Trauma

Finally finished doing my taxes—latest I’ve ever left it. This is the first year I’ve had to deal with my son being in college, which requires forms I’m not used to. The fact that the IRS no longer sends out instruction booklets to the libraries didn’t help. I hate looking things up online, especially when you have to go to different sources for the information you seek. Give me pages to physically turn. I can do that and find what I want swiftly and efficiently.

In a long online document, you try to scroll down quickly and the visual disappears until you stop, so you have no idea how far you’ve gone. No doubt there’s a straightforward way to do it, but I haven’t figured it out yet. I resisted computer/social media stuff for years. In bowing to the inevitable, I’m doing it and have learned a lot but still feel like I’m playing catch up.

Toolbars and Icons

I barely understand either toolbars or icons and, half the time, have the screen angled so the light hides the icon I’m supposed to click on, presupposing I know that’s the one I want for what I’m looking for. And what the hell (please excuse my frustration) is a widget? I don’t pretend to understand how to call up the exact toolbar I want at the exact time I want it. Who decided to make it more confusing and place icons all over the page? And yes, sometimes they stare me in the face and I still don’t see them. My son despairs of my ability to learn.

E-filing

Anyway, I rant. I was talking about taxes. They’re done, federal and state, math checked, signatures in place, each accompanying form attached, envelope sealed. I successfully e-filed a couple of years ago. The next year I changed my email address and the IRS wouldn’t accept it. I couldn’t find anywhere to tell them of the change, so they’re getting paper. I’m not sure how much postage is required. We’ll take them to the Post Office and have them weighed.

Okay—first I have to tear open the envelopes and fish out the forms. I forgot to copy them for the records.