Death and Taxes

How many more areas is my ex going to creep into in my new life? Just when I think things are good, I am really standing strong, I am becoming that person I want to be, I have my new life in some semblance of order, BAM! Today was dealing with taxes. What is that saying? “The only two sure things in life are death and taxes.” Ugh!

My divorce was final in 2009, but we were court ordered to file our taxes jointly for the year 2009. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! It is hard to file taxes when only one person is turning in their tax information and documentation. You guessed it – I could not file my taxes on time because my now ex was not upholding his responsibility and getting his paperwork to the accountant.

This became a snowball effect. One year is late, which leads to the next year being late, which leads to the next year being late, and so on. You get the picture.

As I struggled to find a reliable, discrete, qualified person to do my taxes, the penalties and interest accrued. I finally found what I thought was the right person, and we began to battle the endless paperwork and the IRS. Never fun.

You see, I am still partners with my ex in an LLC. My ex is the statutory agent of said LLC, so all paperwork goes to him. Yes, I know – how did that happen.  Well, to keep the story short, I took the matter to court, where a judge actually told me he saw no problem with it even after I provided evidence of not getting notifications, necessary paperwork, or allowed access to anything with the LLC. Our legal system leaves much to be desired, but that is for another rant.

As I write letter after letter to the state within which I live, as well as the IRS explaining said situation, I keep getting notices of penalties and interest.

This has gone on for years. I finally paid what I thought was unfair, that which I should not owe just so I could move on and get past all this crap.

So then what happens? I don’t receive my K1 from said LLC for the year 2012 until January 2014. Here we go again.

So we begin the uphill climb with the IRS and state showing evidence of this being out of our control, and in the midst of it, my tax person quits.

Oh my gosh. Yes, I blame my ex for all this! If he would just stand up and do what is right, oh yeah, and legal, then I would not be in this mess.

Here I am seven years later in search of yet another new tax person to take on my battle.  As I spent today gathering all the information I had already given to my previous tax person, as well as all the correspondence I have received as of late, I am pushed further toward that dark hole I used to know so well. I really don’t want to go there, but those thoughts of why me, why does my ex keep moving on and up and happily, while I go around in circles.

But I gathered said info and I am ready for my meeting with a new CPA. And as much as I hate that even now my ex has the power to creep into my life, I stand tall with overflowing files knowing he is a creep and I am not.  

So, IRS if you are reading this: I am working on it the best I can. I am not avoiding what I rightfully owe. I am just trying to not be run over by that mack truck again.