Transcription of Document FFDoc-1270.pdf

Thursday, 4/14/77, 9:30 PM

(Dear) "You Dumb Bastard"!!

I started my tax returns back in Jan. when I could do it at my leisure, when I was in the mood. Got all the figures together & a rough draft & then tired of it and put it away. This year's deduction didn't promise to do me any great favor, but I hadn't quite crystalized the finals & my decision - deductions versus standard. Last year I labored untold hours, in my own dumb way, figuring both ways, and would up deciding the standard was to my advantage - like $65's worth. So that's what I submitted.

This month, realized I had to complete the '76 form but didn't worry cause it was pretty well prepared. THEN, I went to my brother-in-law's first communion - & my "big", "smart" (?), world-wise & money-wise, conservative, careful, precise, economically-oriented, computer-minded, DUMB, brother, whose opinion I have always respected like it came from the right-hand-of-God, advised his siblings on how they could, if they chose, claim deductions on the "estate" in which they share! Oh, happy day!!

I debated bothering with the whole damn thing - but being a taxpayer who is highly resentful of Uncle Sam's cut of her hard earned dollars, I decided to give it a whirl. Sooo - spent 3 evenings recently re-vamping, recalculating, and came to the honest & economical conclusion that the itemized deductions were the way to go this year. That left me not much worse off with the "feds" than last year, but owing the wonderful state of Maine $265 in cold cash ($215 already deducted paydays), an increase of $80 over 1975. That really irked me, but was offset by an estimated overpayment to the feds that would almost meet my first estimated payment for 77. So I cursed the state, and thanked the Lord for being in a "paying" position that I selfishly resent - BUT delayed posting said federal & state forms because I couldn't get to the bank for a necessary withdrawal from Peter's savings to put in Paul's checking, until Friday.

So tonite's chore was to tidy up the forms, sign them, prepare withdrawal & deposit slips, and tomorrow AM finalize the whole schmeer. Got home at 6:15 PM, took in the mail, got out a beer, and sat down to enjoy a note from Gen, a package of slides Jeanne had developed, and a letter from Ashley Drive. The latter was opened last - 'cause I wondered if I was overdue in my mortgage payment, or if you'd just discovered a whole new obligation we all owed. I'd prefer "either of the above" to the retraction you made! - and just in the nick of time, If I cared a damn. The whole lousy idea that I should start re-doing the whole computation set my teeth & my tongue on edge & I swore till the air was purple. Worse than that your opening surmise was that Joe, Dot, and Ron "couldn't care less"!! Believe me, I CARE (and incidentally, I resent getting middle-billing in that salutation - you're a m.c.p. who put his male sibling first!) I spent a good hour swearing at the mistake and deciding how to handle it. Couldn't face redoing all those instructions and lines-so-&-so, and adding, & subtracting, & doing percentages - but there was also the spectre of I.R.S with its righteous audit and more bucks down the drain. What Won??

My lack of courage to do the whole thing over is what won out. Soo - good ole 1040-'76 is going on its trip to Andover - as is. I'll risk the audit and the underpayment and any other mistakes an audit might show up. But I'll also risk "dishonesty" if I'm not audited. That bothered me, but not enough to outweigh the horror of starting all over. And I guess my rationalization is that, if your mail were one day later, I would have made the "244" deduction based on your expert advice!

I'm tempted to wonder how you confused profit & non-profit - & dread the thought that you were all ready to claim deductions, and discovered the error, & had to start over. It shouldn't happen to anybody!!!

I hate you for the moral problem

but

you're still one of my favorite brothers.

Love and happy returns, Dot

Fri 11PM - "Shit & molasses"! as Unk always said - I went thro' the banking operation this AM when I was in town, had to delay copying & mailing till after 6PM. Then just delayed - I daresay that's significant - 'cause an hour ago I decided to recalculate the 1040 minus 244 deductions, just for the hell of it! Wound up owing $40 more, not 37 but you were close. So, of course I'll send in the "honest" return. And in case you're wondering - yes $40 bucks extra is important to me.

And you are on my you-know-what list for letting me think I could save $ that I can't. I shall NOT recognize you at family functions (like Loretta's wedding) - if you have a reunion I may come to be with my family & yours but plan no hob-nobbing with a brother who can't tell his profit from non-profit deductions. And you can come with Anna & kiddos to our wedding but you do realize I'm going to be awful busy!