Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Illegal Kickbacks

It is not often that I get a good laugh when I do my taxes. This year was one of those rare exceptions.
Let me set this up for you. I work at a company where we are all "independent contractors", since no one is really directing our work and it works out that we can pay less taxes that way. As a result, I get a 1099 form to do my taxes instead of a W-2. Getting a 1099 means you have to fill out certain forms the IRS requires of small business owners, but this year I saw a new question that wasn't on there last year. I don't know if it's because of the current climate of corruption on both capitol hill and the corporate world, but there, on the form where it asks for miscellaneous forms of business income, in between where it says do not include contributions to charity or political parties, it says, and I quote: "do not include illegal kickbacks".

I pause now to allow you to laugh most heartily.
.
.
.
.
.
.

done? ok, I'll wait some more...
.
.
.
.

So did turbotax see that I was a Utah filer, and knew that if anyone would report their illegal kickbacks, it'd be some dumb businessman from Utah? Is there some kind of new law where if you report these illegal kickbacks to the IRS on your return then you are then immune from prosecution? Or was this some guy at Turbotax having a little fun at his otherwise mundane job?


2 comments:

JennyW said...

What I want to know is where is all the money from these illegal kickbacks you've been getting and how soon can I spend it?

JonF said...

On a similar note, I just deposited a check that said something like: "Warning, do not accept if security watermark or invisible fibers are not present."