Tax Returns are evil

But the joy you get afterwards when you find out ho much money you get from them is so much better. I only got $305 from last year, but this time around, I've got $1,287. That's enough for me to buy a New 3DS, pre-order Type-0 HD, and dump plenty more into my savings. I didn't think I'd get so much either. I'm happy right now, but that took a darn long time

 

I can only dream of such a return :(

 

How so? What's your total income? Mine wasn't actually that high, and I figured it was higher then last time since last time I'd only worked at my job for about 4-5 months, plus I got about $897 back from school expenses

 

$916.67 ($875 from your theater job and $41.67 from your magazine job) a month is pretty good, at least for those types of jobs.

 

Ah, gotcha. I forgot it was part-time and just divided those by 12.

But yeah, this is why I can't wait to have a job and would rather work than go to college, though we already have just about everything set up for college (need to take my placement test on February 18, go to an orientation, etc.), but it's not finalized, so we can cancel anytime without having to pay back anything since I haven't used loans yet. But now I'm actually looking forward to it a bit if things with a job don't work out before then.

It's also more independence, even if you're still living at home like me. One of the things I'll likely help out with is the utility bill, which ranges anywhere from $110 to $185, though it's usually no more than $150 when we have high bills (heat in the winter; water in the summer), but there are times when it gets pretty high, like the $182.10 bill we got today for December 22, 2014 - January 26, 2015. -_- The weather wasn't exactly that cold, it was just wet, which made the heat pump go into its defrost cycle a lot. It also beats the previous record of $176 and some cents during one of the bill cycles in the summer because we couldn't keep up with the lawn and used a lot of water. xD

 

At least I'm lucky and not paying for any bills except for phone bills. Other than that, I just have about $1300 classes every semester, and ridiculously expensive books because they're always only in new condition.

I also wouldn't have gotten so much if I let my parents claim me as a dependent, though technically I put they can, but won't in the sub-selection, but after my dad told me to switch that, I got my money back from school, so instead of $87 from my retirement savings, I got almost $900. Without all that, I would only have gotten about $359, which is only a slight bit more then last year

 

Oh yeah see I'm always claimed as a dependent, that affects things, but my mom then gets a larger return.

 

Apparently making $7000 is enough to make that my dad couldn't claim me as a dependent. So I'm surprised you get claimed, since you seem to make more than me

 

am i the only one who finds this discussion mildly inappropriate?
maybe that's just personal feelings regarding money talk
anyway. carry on.

 

I think it just varies. Over here you're considered an independent at age 23.

 

Well, there's different applications for it. This is copied directly from Turbo Tax on who you can claim as a dependent

I live with my parents all year, I'm not dependent on anyone else, not married (shouldn't be, I'm only 20), am a U.S. Citizen. The only things I don't qualify are the last two. My dad told me that it's mostly dependent on the gross income you make more than anything else

 

Well, that's what it is for college applications, at least.

 

I never got anything like that on my college applications, and I've taken plenty the past few years. I'd say it's a state-by-state thing, but it's not like something like tax returns would change by state, unless you're doing state taxes. But we're getting into the realm where I know nothing about anything, so I don't really have much to say past the quote on what can be claimed as a dependent

 

Er. Not college, exactly, but the financial aid process.

 

I don't really know, my sister is an accountant and she and my mom do their thing together do idrk. My grandparents do my taxes up until I'm 21 because technically I have a trust fund
It's complicated

I'm not super private about money things, I understand why other people are of course.

 

So basically wait until after my 24th birthday to file my taxes.
Wonder how angry my parents would get at me if I did that. XD

 

ITT: KHV discusses adulthood.

 

Lose a few hundred dollars every year without getting it back. Love that idea, let me know when you wish to have that money you could have gotten back.

Just remember this, it's lovely when you see that amount you get back from school if you're a independent.

 

Now there's something. I'll get the popcorn.