Sky Pilot
January 30th, 2003, 12:19 AM
hey you may have heard the radio ads about the state of mass tax amnesty. it's been extended to feb 28th because of the "tremendous response" to the program.
well, let me tell you the mass dept of revenue is a savvy bunch of tax collectors. you see, you only get the advertized amnesty from interest and penalties if you APPLY for it BEFORE you send in the return. if you hear the ad, and figure, gee, i'd better get that return in before it's even more late, then you pay the penalties and interest. no amnesty.
yes, this is how they trick us. >:(
so i just paid $40 in penalties and interest (i'm not exactly high income--figure it out) because they tricked me (yeh, yeh, i know i was late in the first place because of me, but they still tricked me). if they ran the ad to say, whatever you do, don't pay your late taxes until you make the formal application for the amnesty, then that would be a public service. i think they are trying to trap people. "tremendous response," right. how many thought they'd get amnesty only to get the bill a couple of weeks later.
i can only imagine my reaction if i was some poor soul who hadn't filed for a few years and then heard about this great opportunity to come clean without getting whacked on penalties and interest. except you DO get whacked unless you work for the mass dept of revenue or are omniscient (that's all-knowing, knuckle).
well, let me tell you the mass dept of revenue is a savvy bunch of tax collectors. you see, you only get the advertized amnesty from interest and penalties if you APPLY for it BEFORE you send in the return. if you hear the ad, and figure, gee, i'd better get that return in before it's even more late, then you pay the penalties and interest. no amnesty.
yes, this is how they trick us. >:(
so i just paid $40 in penalties and interest (i'm not exactly high income--figure it out) because they tricked me (yeh, yeh, i know i was late in the first place because of me, but they still tricked me). if they ran the ad to say, whatever you do, don't pay your late taxes until you make the formal application for the amnesty, then that would be a public service. i think they are trying to trap people. "tremendous response," right. how many thought they'd get amnesty only to get the bill a couple of weeks later.
i can only imagine my reaction if i was some poor soul who hadn't filed for a few years and then heard about this great opportunity to come clean without getting whacked on penalties and interest. except you DO get whacked unless you work for the mass dept of revenue or are omniscient (that's all-knowing, knuckle).