Jobs and Taxes

There are things they don't tell you before you set out to become a freelance writer. Things about money, and how while there will be more of it than you anticipated, it will rarely actually find its way to your bank account. You will (in theory) have three thousand dollars, for work tendered, but it will be floating out there in fiscal never-never-land, and you will not be able to touch it. Instead you will call your parents for a loan, and write a check to your landlord you're praying sideways won't bounce, and grumble quietly to yourself about the flippancy of people for whom you work, who have money. They even have your money. But you can't have it.

I have discovered something significant, however. I have never in my life known how to write out my taxes. I realize I am not alone in this, but it seems that it should not be such a great mystery. I'm a single woman, writing. I know where all of my 10-99's are. I keep my receipts. I'm not a subset of some larger corporation. Me, myself, is as complicated as my finances get. I ought to be able to manage this.

I was recommended the Nolo series, who write law books for you and me and everyone you can imagine. They also do something that I highly recommend everyone do when discussing numbers with me: they talk down to you. A lot. And it's wonderful. Hopefully I won't owe the government anything this year. I don't see how I can. I didn't make anything last year.