Dear State of Michigan,

Dear State of Michigan,

1)So here’s the beef. We paid you a bunch of money in taxes this year.

~Okay, fine. I guess in Michigan we’re “rich.”

2) So we bought a tax program to make life a little easier. And it said we owed you another $317.

~Hmmm. Really? I don’t know about that!

3) So we did the tax forms by hand, just to verify.

~Unfortunately, I found that the tax program was right. Man, that stinks. All that work for nothing!

4) So then, to make life easier, we pay $19.99 plus tax (?!?) to efile.

~Still not sure why I had to pay again to efile, but okay. And we won’t even discuss the “mandate” to efile.

5) So then, we are notified that we must print form 123 and mail to address XYZ with a check.

~Got it. One check, one paper, one envelope and one stamp.

6) Oh! But we must also print form 234, sign and date it, and mail to address ABC. Within 3 days.

~Great. Got it. Another stamp and another envelope. I can do this.

7) Oops. Forgot to sign that paper.

~There goes another envelope. Luckily the stamp was salvageable.

8) Now I’m a little confused. We efiled to make this EASIER…right?

~But this efiling cost us $19.99 plus tax. And then 3 envelopes and two stamps. And a whole lot paperwork and confusion.

9)Ah, but now we have everything ready to go, so let’s go walk the half mile to the mailboxes and mail this.

~Whew. That was harrowing. I am grateful that is over! Filing taxes has NEVER been this much work!

10) Let’s check that address one more time, just to be sure. WAIT! What is this? It says it must be sent by certified mail! WHAT?!?!?

~You cannot be serious.

11) So let me think about this again.

a) Used tax program.

b)Feared (hoped) it was wrong, so did taxes by hand.

c) Nope wasn’t wrong, so decide to efile after all.

d) Pay another $19.99 plus tax to efile.

e) Then had to print and sign forms and use two stamps and 3 envelopes.

f) Find that we must now send certified mail.

g) Think…we could have just printed, signed and mailed the tax forms (or used the ones done by hand) to begin with and actually come out WAY ahead both in time and money????

Oh yeah, State of Michigan. I do not like you much at all. You may win this round, but we are not through yet! (In fact, maybe I'll just go ahead and have triplets next year. Surely with 7 kids we cannot OWE money to you!!)