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Is it more difficult for aspies who are not accountants to fill out income tax forms.
Poll ended at 20 May 2012, 1:42 pm
Yes 25%  25%  [ 1 ]
No 75%  75%  [ 3 ]
Total votes : 4

outlander
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20 Feb 2012, 1:42 pm

I had a bit of a meltdown this morning trying to verify what my wife had put on the state incometax forms that we have to file. She is very good at things about book keeping but she occasionally misinterprets and instruction or makes a math error as she prefers to do the arithmetic by hand. So then I use a spreadsheet to check the math and verify that the numbers she has chosen to enter meet the criteria on the form and in the instruction book.

The problem is that the form and instructions were written by incompetents who do not seem to understand that each instruction needs to be accurate and specific, especially if those filling out the forms can be prosecuted or at least penalized for screw-ups. Also in my experience, bureaucrats seem to think that they are never wrong and do not care how much of other people's time the monopolize.
-- They will put the instructions half on the form and half in the instruction book.
-- They will tell you to get a number from your federal form but neglect to say where or even what the amount is designated as. -- They will use multiple forms that cannot be filled out in sequential manner but must be done in parallel requiring jumping back and forth between forms and
-- it is anybody's guess what forms you will need or what array of information to gather before hand and they will use terms that they never define.

Please forgive me if this gets a bit wordy as I am still trying to cool out from the experience.

I was just wondering if other aspies find filling out income tax forms as traumatic as I do. I know that they can be frustrating for NT's but I am thinking that they are maybe more so for aspies. We tend to follow rules but the rules are written so sloppy and byzantine that they are incomplete or contradictory and written in bureaucrat or accountant jargon that remains undefined.

And of course I am outraged at the professional tax preparers who try to rip off their customers. My wife worked for a (the) major name tax company firm and was appalled at the way they ripped off many of their customers with hidden fees and bad advice. And required multiple office visits because people did not know what to bring the first time.

Ok, I probably need to go and do some deep breathing and relaxing exercises, but I just wanted to know.


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kestrel
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20 Feb 2012, 1:51 pm

I find tax forms almost as aggravating as job applications. For the reasons you've outlined already. I get this persistent, irascible feeling whenever tax season approaches because I know I will have to suffer through filling out endless, vaguely defined paperwork. :twisted:

Quote:
Also in my experience, bureaucrats seem to think that they are never wrong and do not care how much of other people's time the monopolize.

As far as they're concerned, the only job a filer has is to file paperwork with their office, I think.

I'm cursed because I am apparently good at finding tax credits other people might have missed, so everyone in my family asks me to do their taxes for them. I would like to hide in the woods until tax season is over.



infinitenull
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23 Feb 2012, 9:36 pm

I say no... and the reason is, I love how it is like a puzzle... requiring logic and math which are both things I am good at. I've filed my taxes by hand twice, but the reason I don't now is because I used to get hung up with e-filing myself... and now all my stuff is on turbo tax...

So I like that I can go back and reprint lots of returns from them so I keep doing my taxes through them...

So I would say non-math/logic/puzzle minded aspies... sure absolutely... but for someone like me, I think my aspergarian nature makes me better suited for it...


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CockneyRebel
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23 Feb 2012, 9:49 pm

There's a member at my clubhouse who does supported work filling out income tax forms on a computer for the rest of the members. I get her to do mine for me.


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kg4fxg
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23 Feb 2012, 9:54 pm

Seems like I fill out forms like this everyday.

B