Taxing time

So I've done my taxes a couple of weeks ago and it feels great. Another task to tick off my list of "Things To Do". I have done my part as a law abiding citizen and submitted my forms online to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and then just a few clicks here and there to print out the confirmation. This year, as it happened last year as well, I've over-paid on my monthly taxes with my salary. Ka-ching! Last year I received a refund of over a thousand bucks. Nice. After thorough calculation, this year I too get a refund but of a lesser amount (just a few hundred bucks, due to a shorter employment time on my part). A little extra goes a long way to fatten up my thinning wallet these days, with the spiraling economy not yet looking optimistic.

Then just yesterday, I received a letter from the IRB informing me that they have received my online submission but will need to check thoroughly before sending out the refund this year. Are they wondering why I am getting a refund two years in a row or is it just a new method of sending out letters to acknowledge that they have received my forms? They sure did not send me an acknowledgment letter last year, so why now? With looming issues of "save our planet" and reducing usage of paper materials...I am wondering myself.

Just then it clicked. Am I being monitored? Did I miss a year of filing my taxes? Are they suspicious of my declarations in the forms? All kinds of questions arise when it come to issues of money owed to the government. In moments like these, I take a breather and go make myself a warm cup of Earl Grey tea and put a dollop of honey for taste. As I slowly sip my tea, my good sense tells me that I am only a small fry compared to what other taxpayers earn. Why would the IRB want to come after me when there are countless individuals, businesses and corporations who advertently or inadvertently skip filing taxes when they make more than I do? They are the ones who should be stressed and nervous when they do not file taxes or announce properties and monies earned from them.

It does get taxing in the months leading up to the deadline when trying to find appropriate receipts for the "purchases" that is tax deductible. And we keep telling ourselves why haven't I kept those damn receipts with my tax file to make things easier for times like these! I am in glee knowing that I have done that. So, thanks to my tea and a little quiet time, I let go of my tension and pat myself on the back for completing my taxes on time and wait patiently for my refund.

Cheers.