what a morning

So. I went out early and mowed the lawn (it wasn't 3' high, but it was getting to the point where it needed it. Took a break after that and went and got  my mail.

Which then put a screeching halt to getting the backyard done.

Because there was a letter from the IRS. Claiming I never reported some capital gain (or rather: my tax preparer did not) and so I owed them....well, roughly half the contents of my savings account, as it would turn out. (A goodly chunk of that was penalty and interest, which, even if I still owe them money, Jackson-Hewett should cover, because it's their screw-up and I paid for the guarantee).

So, first of all, I checked to see when the local office was open.

It isn't.

That's the problem with living in a small rural area where most people file simple 1040s. I called the national office and was told the nearest office open was in Addison. As in, Addison, Texas. As in, practically in Dallas. As in, two hours from me through hellacious traffic. They opened at 11. (It was now about 10:30, and that half-hour was the longest one I've spent in a long time)

So, while waiting, I tried to see about getting an extension. Did I mention that some "payment" was due by the 19th? (The letter LITERALLY arrived the day I left town, three weeks ago).

What they don't tell you on the letter, is that you have to do that by mail. Nope, they give you a 1-800 number to call, so you fight your way through a phone tree (I had to try three separate times because I kept following the wrong Choose Your Own Adventure). Just to be told, "Send your letter explaining why you need more time, and a copy of the front page of this, to such and such address" and I was like Forget That.

(I briefly considered how much of my stuff I could sell, quickly, to avoid depleting my bank account too much. Of course I have nothing all that valuable.)

Fortunately my friend Laura is a CPA, she offered to have me call her (and scan the documents and send them). She reassured me - if anything, maybe the IRS will owe ME, because the "unreported capital gain" might well be a capital LOSS (it was an energy partnership) when you look at the cost basis (and that *looks* like it's correct, but I'm a bit less sanguine than she is about "you'll get money BACK!").

Finally called the Addison office. Womp womp: "I'm with a customer, let me call back." So, a long wait. I did find my 2017 return, which is a freaking miracle given how disorganized I've been of late.

Waited a while more. More communication with Laura (having found the cost basis details mattered).

Finally, a call back. I made some noises about "I can't drive to Addison today, I have a near-migraine" (I do, but also I don't want to drive in Friday Dallas traffic). She laughed and said "You won't have to; I'm in Denison."

OH SNAP.

Yeah, she's at the Denison office and I know *right* where it is (it's blocks from the big Albertson's) and I can meet with her at 9 tomorrow. So hopefully this will get sorted.

Also, my uncle (who is the person handling my stock account) said that sometimes the company in question is bad about keeping things on the books after they've sold, so it could be a NuStar issue and not a Jackson-Hewett issue....but golly this is complicated.

But yeah. Not getting in to the office today and tomorrow doesn't look good either.

I've also told myself if I get this sorted, and especially if I come out of it not owing the staggering amount the IRS says I do, I am going to go to the ULTA. I need a couple of items anyway, but if I feel like I can afford a small treat I might buy a few other things as well.