^^^ Same thing for phone those ‘free’ phone upgrades. You still pay tax on the full retail value.
Just mailed in my first quarter estimates. I don’t even notice the taxes I pay on my moonlighting earnings, since they are taken out of my pay. But writing those $1500 checks for income and self employment taxes on my primary earnings is painful… seems more like “real” money than the money that just never gets to me from the other job.
A little perspective… “How the states suck the fairness out of America’s tax system”
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83284150/
“Get a great deal on a hotel until you get the bill and see all the taxes.”
Don’t blame the feds for those. Most are local taxes like a tax collected to support a project that the locals themselves would hate to pay for. Like a pricey sports arena…
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/taxes-may-still-be-on-deck-after-safeco-field-paid-off/
Came across this interesting link - the info might be useful for people who need to have a proof that something was sent and received:
@BunsenBurner, I didn’t blame the Feds and still not sure how you “inferred” that from my comment.
Hey, no one is implying that you are blaming the Feds. Just is case people are wondering why those pesky line items appear on the hotel bill… 
Some of our visitors were genuinely surprised that they were paying for my stadium. 
Do you think it’s wise to convert part of our backyard to a working farm so that next year we’ll have to file Schedule F to Form 1040? If so, that would make a complete set for us (Schedule A, B, C, D, E and SE for 2014). All we seem to be missing is Schedule F.
I’m very relieved the tax return is on its way, Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested.
@BunsenBurner , Certified Mail has evidentiary weight, in particular with the RRR.
Yes, AttorneyMother! You absolutely have to get that done to have a full set of forms.
Sigh… The folks at SF IRS never return receipt cards. But they certainly cash the checks quickly!
@BunsenBurner , that’s odd about the SF IRS center. We get ours back with a receipt stamp, albeit always a few weeks later. I just cleaned out some years’ worth of tax files and didn’t miss any.
That said, the cashed check is RRR enough!