why I no longer do my own taxes

[deird1]

Did you know that, if you don't cash a cheque for 15 months, it expires? True story!

I found this out, of course, by trying to cash one - from December 2009. The bank teller said sorry, but "...all you have to do is call up the company, and ask them to re-issue the cheque for you! Simple!"

All I have to do. ALL I HAVE TO DO. Those were her words.


*sighs*


I came very close to saying "Look, Lady, last year all I had to do was walk into a bank and hand you a cheque. Now I have to do something FIVE TIMES HARDER."

I have been carrying that blasted cheque around in my handbag for a year, and every time I see it, it serves as a wonderful reminder of my disorganisation and ability to fail at life. And now? Now I have to carry it around for another year, to remind me that I cannot even do simple things like getting money from my dividend people to my bank, and I still fail at life, and I really really suck. Every single time I look into my handbag.


I thought this through for a few minutes. And thought through how much grief that silly cheque had already caused me, and how much more it was going to. And then I walked over to a bin, RIPPED THE CHEQUE INTO PIECES, and threw it in.

I suddenly have a whole year of stress and failure that I won't have to go through. Personally, I think that's worth the whole $16.06.

Comments

[glorious-pancake-morning.blogspot.com]

You is badass!

In unrelated news, here's a job link I sent you on Facebook but then I was like, but Mez hates Facebook and so Imma put it here instead. Good luck woman.

http://www.seek.com.au/Job/publishing-editor-secondary-science/in/melbourne/19650893

[deird1]

Yay! Thankyou!

[louise39]

You are correct - the check probably wasn't worth the gas or your time [except satisfaction].

Most dividends and tax refunds etc. can be electronically transfered now. It saves them mailing a check, too. I haven't gotten a paper check in years! It usually can be be done by a phone call. Of course, that's another problem!

[velvetwhip]

*hugs you*


Gabrielle

[urania_calliope]

I had one for $3.48 I never bothered to cash. Seemed silly to even bother with a return like that.

[guy-who-reads.blogspot.com]

We sometimes get insurance refund cheques in my daughter's name (the elder daughter); she is 8, and cannot legally endorse cheques, nor is she on either of the bank accounts. We can, probably, get them to issue the cheque in the name of either me or my wife, but the hassle isn't worth the amount of the cheque, frankly.

[zeborah]

The dividends I get are on a handy (opt-in) system where they're automatically used to buy new shares. It is quite awesome.

[brin_bellway]

I could have sworn that by the age of eight I was signing the backs of my birthday-present checks and depositing them into my savings account. I certainly wasn't much older than that. Do you have to be eighteen? Was every bank teller I have ever given a check to bending the rules? Country differences (American until thirteen, then moved to Canada), stricter rules for some types of checks?

[6p00e54ee1ad278833 [typepad.com]]

A lot of business-issued checks actually indicate that they are void if not cashed or deposited within 90 days of the issue date.

And yeah, it probably wasn't worth the hassle for you for only $16 and change.

[guy-who-reads.blogspot.com]

The thing is, it's not her savings account - she could probably sign and put the money into her account, if she had one. The other thing is, the money is intended to refund money we spent on her insurance.