The Taxman Cometh...

Yup, it's that time again...

well, for those of us who pay sales tax it is (depending on when you decided to set up your tax year, etc.). For me, it's January to December, which means that my sales tax info is due January 31st.

I try to be an organized person. I try to keep up with all the details of my business and for many years, I was ahead of the game... monthly totals worked up by the next month, making it very easy for me to see how the business is going, making figuring tax amounts a breeze...

But about three years ago, something happened. I don't really know what, but with the kids getting older and doing more and with me trying to work at three or four different projects at a time, the monthly accounts fell by the wayside. This year seems to have been the worst. Today, I just finished the monthly totals information for MAY 2008.

Yup. I'm seven months behind at the moment. I know I'll get it done before the 31st, but it will be a rush to do so, making me panicky and rather cranky until it's done.

THIS YEAR, I PROMISE TO DO BETTER!!!

(Of course, that's what I said last year & the year before that).

I know, in my head, that one of the reasons it's been harder to want to get this done is that looking at the numbers is downright depressing. It's the same old-same old you've heard from everyone else in the U.S. of A. -- times are getting harder and money is not being spent.

That goes for book dealers too.

No matter what, though, the taxes must get done (the state of California is VERY good about getting their due...especially this year) and I WANT to do my duty and pay them. So I'll soldier on through the rest of the paperwork to get it done as quickly as possible. (picture, in your mind, me standing proudly in front of a slowly waving flag ... you know, like the president does... while patriotic music is whiffing in the background.)

Have a nice day.

Me, I'll be pounding the adding machine buttons and muttering under my breath...