A Taxing Time For Farmer H

I've been waiting to file the taxes this year. Waiting for all the pertinent documents to arrive. The law says they have to be here by January 31. As you can see, I have given them an extra three weeks grace period.

Thursday afternoon, I had a phone appointment with Social Security. In gathering information that I might possibly need, I noticed that we did not have a 1099 income statement for Farmer H in with the tax documents. So at the end of my appointment phone call, I asked the gal if Farmer H needed that 1099, or if the information would automatically pop up in the system when I was filing.

"He will need that 1099. They were sent out in January. It doesn't look like an actual letter. I can't describe it. It's different. But if he didn't get it, he can stop by our local office and ask for one. We can print it here."

Yes. I remember from last year. This form comes in a postcard-like folded form, where you have to tear off end tabs and unfold it. We did not get one this year.

I called Farmer H, who just happened to be driving home from Bill-Paying Town.

"Where are you now?"

"Almost to the Sis-Town exit."

"Can you go by the Social Security office and get a copy of your 1099? I'll need it to file the taxes."

"I didn't know I needed one of those."

"Everybody needs one to show their income, to file taxes."

"Well I know how much I get every month."

"You don't get a statement every month. You don't know the withholding for Medicare. You THINK you know. But you don't have exact amounts."

"Okay. I can go by there."

"Don't take in your pocket knife! They'll make you put it in a tub."

Anyhoo... Farmer H came home with a printout of his 1099 form. I didn't ask about his experience. But he DID volunteer that the guy he talked to said they'd been printing a LOT of them. Apparently, those forms didn't get sent out as normal. 

Heh, heh. If you can't trust the government, who CAN you trust...