A couple of years back, I decided I was going to see what all the fuss was about and buy a decent bottle of single malt scotch. Nothing crazy expensive, just something that was recommended by a friend.
I didn’t like it, at all. Like trying to drink rubbing alcohol filtered through half-burnt wood. Blech.
But the Great State of Connecticut has driven me back to the bottle.
See, we made the unforgivable sin of using our mailing address in Connecticut when we filed our 2003 tax return, ’cause in April 2004, when we filed, we were living in Connecticut.
Somehow, that triggered the computers in the Department of Revenue Services a week or so ago, and we got a notice requesting that we pay a couple grand in tax, penalty, and interest, or provide documentation that we were not, in fact, idiots who couldn’t figure out how to file a state tax return. The fact that we filed a Partial Year Resident Connecticut tax return for Tax Year 2004 listing details of the move didn’t seem to have any bearing on the case.
So, I spent this evening digging through the final half-packed boxes of paperwork from the move (which coincided with not only a job change but also a birth), looking for evidence to substantiate our position that we aren’t idiots or criminals. I copied, typed up a nice letter explaining that “No, we aren’t idiots or criminals”, copied everything again, and have the package ready, labeled, and stamped to take down to the post office to get sent certified mail within the 30 day deadline given to us by the state.
Based on prior experience with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, I estimate that I have at least three more rounds of correspondence with them before they agree that we are neither idiots or criminals. Unfortunately, this time I do not have Navy Legal Services on my side, nor a set of official Active Duty Military orders sending me to Connecticut. No, we came here on our own volition, which likely is a check box on the “Is the filer an Idiot?” worksheet that the fine folks at the Department of Revenue Services are completing with respect to our case.
It’s not that I’ve got any objection to paying taxes. In fact, I’m actually happy to have moved to a state that charges an extortionate income tax (Connecticut) instead of a state that charges an extortionate sales tax (Texas). In Connecticut, I’ve at least got an annual reminder of what I pay for the privilege of living here, whereas with Texas I kind of had to guess. But the schools are good, the roads are decent, and the state parks are phenomenal here, so honestly, I don’t mind paying what’s due the state.
I do mind being retroactively billed under the assumption that I am a criminal or an idiot, though.
Stupid Taxes.
Oh, and I did run today – two whole miles! Yippie! The boy and I did 4+ on River Road on Saturday.