Not Getting A Tax Rebate Check? Ask The Expert

A number of fallible readers have submitted questions to me about the new tax rebate plan which, along with almost every political candidate in the universe, promises to put “money in your pocket.” It behooves me to respond in this space.

Alicia from Arkansas writes: “Dear Katy, My mom and dad would be divorced by now if they’d ever gotten married. If they were divorced, everything would be cool. Only one of them could claim me on their taxes and then I’d know for sure that I’d be getting my chunk of change. (I am 12 and have my eye on a wii.) As it is, I don’t know which one to play, Mom or Pop, since I have no idea who will end up getting my piece of the American pie. What do you think?”

Dear Alicia, As always, play both parents to the hilt. Now more than ever, in this precarious economic environment, you need to protect your own interests (read:wii) by pitting them against each other while making each of them think your loyalties are unwavering. I predict before summer you’ll have your wii. Congratulations! With strategic skills like yours, you obviously have a bright future ahead of you.

Sam from San Diego writes: “Katy. It’s like this. I make a lot of money, see? And I’m an American citizen, too. OK, so most of my income goes unreported, but I DO have a valid social security number. The thing is, I stopped believing in the constituionality of the income tax when I started making a lot of money. You might say I’m a conscientious objector. Yeah. That’s it. I sure would like to get my hands on one of those checks, though. What can be done for me?”

Dear Sam, It’s more a question of what can be done TO you, but all is not lost. If you can find it within your obviously well-honed conscience to claim a mere $3000 worth of your enormous income on your taxes, you will receive the highest possible rebate. It might not be enough to pay a lawyer when the IRS gets ahold of you, though. Weigh your options carefully. That’s what freedom is all about!

Betty from Buffalo writes: “Katy, I never thought I’d be writing to you. I have been a lurker until now, but I have to speak up. I am 77 years old, and my only income is Social Security, or as that cutie Al Gore calls it, ‘So-security.’ However, I have three of my low-life middle-aged sons sharing my efficiency apartment and they make money hand over fist. Can I claim them as dependents?”

Dear Betty, Isn’t motherhood the best? Under the current save-the-economy plan, stay-at-home moms are not penalized for having no income. God and Uncle Sam (not to be confused with the aforementioned Sam) gave you children for a reason! Claim those kids, Betty, and pocket a cool $900 for your trouble. Gotta love that revolving door, eh?

Jose from Houston writes: “Dear Katy, Just so you know, I would gladly be a legal immigrant if I weren’t already an illegal. I send all of my wages back to my wife in Mexico. Cash money, baby, sealed with a kiss. So far, this has worked fine, but now my “wife” in Houston is kicking up a stink. It’s just that in 2007, she earned no income due to a temporary disability. She’ll go back to work for us in 2008, no problem-o, but how is it fair that we won’t be getting a tax rebate?”

Dear Jose, It’s not fair. Unfortunately, there will be those solid, dependable wage-earners like yourself who still somehow manage to fall through the cracks of this patched-together stimulus program. If you’d had the foresight to obtain an invalid Social Security card and to be paid in a form other than “cash money, baby,” in an amount equalling at least $3000 for the year 2007, you still could have sent most of your dollars to Mexico. However, in that scenario you and your Houston “wife” would have had an additional $1200 to help speed her recovery with a nice vacation. Remember, Jose, planning is everything!

Candy in Kansas City writes: “Dear Katy, I am single (widowed, actually) filing jointly. You read that right. Gerard died 17 years ago, but somehow the corporation he worked for failed to get the message. Anyway, I’ve been depositing his pay-checks (complete with annual cost-of-living and merit raises) every two weeks since his untimely demise. Now I’ve got a real mess on my hands. Gerard’s pay has escalated WAY beyond the allowable amount for tax-rebate purposes. I have no earned income of my own, and there’s a Kate Spade purse out there with my name on it. What should I do?”

Dear Candy, You are in luck! See that box on your 1040 called “Married, Filing Separately”? Check that puppy. Now all you have to do is come up with a spare W2 form from McDonald’s or somewhere (surely you have a little friend who can assist with this project…), fill in your “income,” and you’re home free. Please do accept my belated condolences regarding your husband.

If you have a question about the chances of a rebate ending up in your mailbox, don’t hesitate to comment here. I especially enjoy helping those of you who, for whatever reason, feel that it’s JUST NOT FAIR. Any of it! I feel your pain.

Posted by Katy on 01/26/08 at 02:01 PM

Fallible Comments...

Gee, they're giving us back some of the money that they've stolen from Americans since 1913. How very kind of them.
Posted by Suzan on 01/26/08 at 04:11 PM
Suzan, The way I see it, they're STILL going to have to steal it from someone, in order to "give some back" to others. Unless there's a whole bunch of money sitting around in Washington somewhere. Is there? I thought even the supposedly "lock-boxed" Social Security fund is essentially empty. There is no actual MONEY, right? It must be begged, borrowed or stolen, unless I REALLY don't understand how our economy works....I think I feel a Dear Suzan letter coming on!!!! :)
Posted by Katy on 01/26/08 at 04:26 PM
Suzan, Also, in the article I link to at the top of my post, a citizen is advised to think of the rebate as "an advance on your 2008 refund," which you WOULD have gotten in 2009 if there hadn't been The Great Economic Stimulus Program of 2008! If THAT'S true, there's going to be a LOT of unhappy campers in spring, 2009, without enough of a refund to go...um...camping.
Posted by Katy on 01/26/08 at 04:35 PM
You are correct. There is no money. We are totally broke as a nation and have to stop kidding ourselves.

The Fed prints money out of thin air. The US sells treasury bills and buys the worthless money, or they borrow money from China and Saudi Arabia and US citizens pay the interest on those loans with our income tax. So I really don't know where they're getting the money. Maybe they borrowed it from China again.

Watch the movies, "The Money Masters." or Fiat Money System, or "America Freedom to Fascism" -links below." They explain it a lot better than I can.

The Money Masters is also available on DVD. We have a copy that we constantly loan out.

Movie Links:
Fiat Money:
http://bullnotbull.blogspot.com/2007/02/fiat-money-system-dr-bill-veith-with.html
The Money Masters:
http://bullnotbull.blogspot.com/2006/09/money-masters.html
America Freedom to Fascism:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173&q=america+freedom+to+fascism&hl=en
Posted by Suzan on 01/27/08 at 06:31 PM
Suzan--Thanks for the links. I am very interested in the subject of fiat money. BTW, are there ANY countries in the world that still base their economies on "real" money? Like, if the US is in hock up to its eyeballs to China, does that mean China is NOT broke? I COULD ask my economics professor friend to read my questions, but then he'd know I'm REALLY not bright. :)
Posted by Katy on 01/27/08 at 06:58 PM
Good question. I'll do some research. I think that Switzerland is still on the gold standard. The problem is, the world uses the U.S. Dollar as its reserve currency, and if it continues to depreciate, then we're in for a big meltdown.
Posted by Suzan on 01/27/08 at 07:07 PM
Okay, I'm still hopeful. We make less than the $150,000 amount. (Good Lord! We don't even come close to $100,000, let alone $150,000.) Plus, we have the two kids. I'm going to patiently wait for the check. I think it will come, I think it will come....
Posted by Bridget on 01/28/08 at 08:16 PM
Great read!!! Thanks for sharing. This would be a great help. :)
Posted by Pinoy Negosyo Online on 08/01/08 at 01:45 PM
This has got to be the biggest waste of money the government has ever come up with...I mean WTF?
Posted by Joey on 08/04/08 at 10:32 PM
Very good article, well said. I'm definitely going to pass on to a few folks :-)
Posted by Grant Money on 08/17/08 at 03:27 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Not Getting A Tax Rebate Check? Ask The Expert A number of fallible readers have submitted questions to me about the new tax rebate plan which, along with almost every political candidate in the universe, promises to put “money in your pocket.” It behooves me to respond in this space. Alicia from Arkansas writes: “Dear Katy, My mom and dad would be divorced by now if they’d ever gotten married. If they were divorced, everything would be cool. Only one of them could claim me on their taxes and then I’d know for sure that I’d be getting my chunk of change. (I am 12 and have my eye on a wii.) As it is, I don’t know which one to play, Mom or Pop, since I have no idea who will end up getting my piece of the American pie. What do you think?” Dear Alicia, As always, play both parents to the hilt. Now more than ever, in this precarious economic environment, you need to protect your own interests (read:wii) by pitting them against each other while making each of them think your loyalties are unwavering. I predict before summer you’ll have your wii. Congratulations! With strategic skills like yours, you obviously have a bright future ahead of you. Sam from San Diego writes: “Katy. It’s like this. I make a lot of money, see? And I’m an American citizen, too. OK, so most of my income goes unreported, but I DO have a valid social security number. The thing is, I stopped believing in the constituionality of the income tax when I started making a lot of money. You might say I’m a conscientious objector. Yeah. That’s it. I sure would like to get my hands on one of those checks, though. What can be done for me?” Dear Sam, It’s more a question of what can be done TO you, but all is not lost. If you can find it within your obviously well-honed conscience to claim a mere $3000 worth of your enormous income on your taxes, you will receive the highest possible rebate. It might not be enough to pay a lawyer when the IRS gets ahold of you, though. Weigh your options carefully. That’s what freedom is all about! Betty from Buffalo writes: “Katy, I never thought I’d be writing to you. I have been a lurker until now, but I have to speak up. I am 77 years old, and my only income is Social Security, or as that cutie Al Gore calls it, ‘So-security.’ However, I have three of my low-life middle-aged sons sharing my efficiency apartment and they make money hand over fist. Can I claim them as dependents?” Dear Betty, Isn’t motherhood the best? Under the current save-the-economy plan, stay-at-home moms are not penalized for having no income. God and Uncle Sam (not to be confused with the aforementioned Sam) gave you children for a reason! Claim those kids, Betty, and pocket a cool $900 for your trouble. Gotta love that revolving door, eh? Jose from Houston writes: “Dear Katy, Just so you know, I would gladly be a legal immigrant if I weren’t already an illegal. I send all of my wages back to my wife in Mexico. Cash money, baby, sealed with a kiss. So far, this has worked fine, but now my “wife” in Houston is kicking up a stink. It’s just that in 2007, she earned no income due to a temporary disability. She’ll go back to work for us in 2008, no problem-o, but how is it fair that we won’t be getting a tax rebate?” Dear Jose, It’s not fair. Unfortunately, there will be those solid, dependable wage-earners like yourself who still somehow manage to fall through the cracks of this patched-together stimulus program. If you’d had the foresight to obtain an invalid Social Security card and to be paid in a form other than “cash money, baby,” in an amount equalling at least $3000 for the year 2007, you still could have sent most of your dollars to Mexico. However, in that scenario you and your Houston “wife” would have had an additional $1200 to help speed her recovery with a nice vacation. Remember, Jose, planning is everything! Candy in Kansas City writes: “Dear Katy, I am single (widowed, actually) filing jointly. You read that right. Gerard died 17 years ago, but somehow the corporation he worked for failed to get the message. Anyway, I’ve been depositing his pay-checks (complete with annual cost-of-living and merit raises) every two weeks since his untimely demise. Now I’ve got a real mess on my hands. Gerard’s pay has escalated WAY beyond the allowable amount for tax-rebate purposes. I have no earned income of my own, and there’s a Kate Spade purse out there with my name on it. What should I do?” Dear Candy, You are in luck! See that box on your 1040 called “Married, Filing Separately”? Check that puppy. Now all you have to do is come up with a spare W2 form from McDonald’s or somewhere (surely you have a little friend who can assist with this project…), fill in your “income,” and you’re home free. Please do accept my belated condolences regarding your husband. If you have a question about the chances of a rebate ending up in your mailbox, don’t hesitate to comment here. I especially enjoy helping those of you who, for whatever reason, feel that it’s JUST NOT FAIR. Any of it! I feel your pain. Posted by Katy on 01/26/08 at 02:01 PM Fallible Comments... Gee, they're giving us back some of the money that they've stolen from Americans since 1913. How very kind of them. Posted by Suzan on 01/26/08 at 04:11 PM Suzan, The way I see it, they're STILL going to have to steal it from someone, in order to "give some back" to others. Unless there's a whole bunch of money sitting around in Washington somewhere. Is there? I thought even the supposedly "lock-boxed" Social Security fund is essentially empty. There is no actual MONEY, right? It must be begged, borrowed or stolen, unless I REALLY don't understand how our economy works....I think I feel a Dear Suzan letter coming on!!!! :) Posted by Katy on 01/26/08 at 04:26 PM Suzan, Also, in the article I link to at the top of my post, a citizen is advised to think of the rebate as "an advance on your 2008 refund," which you WOULD have gotten in 2009 if there hadn't been The Great Economic Stimulus Program of 2008! If THAT'S true, there's going to be a LOT of unhappy campers in spring, 2009, without enough of a refund to go...um...camping. Posted by Katy on 01/26/08 at 04:35 PM You are correct. There is no money. We are totally broke as a nation and have to stop kidding ourselves. The Fed prints money out of thin air. The US sells treasury bills and buys the worthless money, or they borrow money from China and Saudi Arabia and US citizens pay the interest on those loans with our income tax. So I really don't know where they're getting the money. Maybe they borrowed it from China again. Watch the movies, "The Money Masters." or Fiat Money System, or "America Freedom to Fascism" -links below." They explain it a lot better than I can. The Money Masters is also available on DVD. We have a copy that we constantly loan out. Movie Links: Fiat Money: http://bullnotbull.blogspot.com/2007/02/fiat-money-system-dr-bill-veith-with.html The Money Masters: http://bullnotbull.blogspot.com/2006/09/money-masters.html America Freedom to Fascism: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173&q=america+freedom+to+fascism&hl=en Posted by Suzan on 01/27/08 at 06:31 PM Suzan--Thanks for the links. I am very interested in the subject of fiat money. BTW, are there ANY countries in the world that still base their economies on "real" money? Like, if the US is in hock up to its eyeballs to China, does that mean China is NOT broke? I COULD ask my economics professor friend to read my questions, but then he'd know I'm REALLY not bright. :) Posted by Katy on 01/27/08 at 06:58 PM Good question. I'll do some research. I think that Switzerland is still on the gold standard. The problem is, the world uses the U.S. Dollar as its reserve currency, and if it continues to depreciate, then we're in for a big meltdown. Posted by Suzan on 01/27/08 at 07:07 PM Okay, I'm still hopeful. We make less than the $150,000 amount. (Good Lord! We don't even come close to $100,000, let alone $150,000.) Plus, we have the two kids. I'm going to patiently wait for the check. I think it will come, I think it will come.... Posted by Bridget on 01/28/08 at 08:16 PM Great read!!! Thanks for sharing. This would be a great help. :) Posted by Pinoy Negosyo Online on 08/01/08 at 01:45 PM This has got to be the biggest waste of money the government has ever come up with...I mean WTF? Posted by Joey on 08/04/08 at 10:32 PM Very good article, well said. I'm definitely going to pass on to a few folks :-) Posted by Grant Money on 08/17/08 at 03:27 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Quotes To Live By Previous entry: Hello Mother, Hello Fodder << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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Not Getting A Tax Rebate Check? Ask The Expert

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri