Wednesday was tax day.  I had our appointment on April 8, and had left the prep materials with our advisor,  One problem: one 1099 had gone missing.  The good news was we would likely be getting a refund on both federal and state.  I had no idea why.  There were some peculiarities in some of our line items this year, and I thought we’d be paying in.

We’re in the class that likes refunds.  So I wonder why the unexpected bonus this year.  Let’s say it’s between $1 and $1,000,000 – take your pick where we are on the continuum!

I think the “bonus” is a one time bump thanks to the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed last year.  The bill gives a one-time bonus, while the tax cuts for the rich are permanent.  In other words, let the schmucks celebrate their present while they have it; the rich derive their far more substantial benefits permanently.  At least that’s the narrative.

Of course, there Is another reality facing all of us who have to live 365 days a year.  It is a death by a thousand cuts, more for groceries, stamps, gasoline, etc., paid for by cutting back on luxuries like vacations or new stuff, or added to already too much credit card debt.  Absorbing the added cost on scads of imported items.  This is a reality we are individually and collectively supposed to ignore.

We happen to be middle class lucky duckies: social security, medicare, pensions, even 401-k.  Yes, we earned it all, but all the same we were lucky duckies: we had the opportunity and our employers gave a damn about the workers when we were employed.

Those days are gone unless there is another uprising of the working class.  It is a stretch to imagine it happening, but not an impossibility.

POSTNOTE April 17: Signed the tax documents on Thursday.  The refunds were perhaps four times what I had anticipated.  I’ve handled the tax end since my first return in about 1964, and over the years I’ve tried to keep a balance between withholding and tax obligation – usually I’m fairly close.  I was way off this year, and I think its the tax policy rather than dementia!

I noted that the President was out and about singing the praises of people who live by tips – there is no taxes on tips, I guess.  The implication is that they should be grateful.  But for every dime they save for this one-time benefit, the Scrooge McDucks of the country, the Uber-wealthy, will get thousands of dollars in permanent tax reductions.  When will we learn?