What You've Done Today - Always You Must Meddle, Looking For Trouble Where None Exists.

[Guard Dog]

Earlier this year I wrote those goddamned money grubbing bastards in the IRS the biggest tax check I've ever written. But I did have a very large capital gain last year. 

[Bartimaeus]

I've been setting up a network logger/filter on my home network, and I just forced the Roku to go through it (although it took some some router hackery because of course it did). It has sent over 16k "call home" user activity logging attempts in less than 24 hours, which is absolutely dwarfing all other devices combined. What the hell? Though I don't have an Alexa/Google Home or any other such device like that - all of these kinds of "smart" devices presumably do stuff like that.

Edited April 9, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[Gromnir]

11 hours ago, Hurlsnot said:

With what I owe in taxes, the IRS could build a decent gaming rig.

unlikely makes you feel better, but we could buy a 2009 subaru forester xt with what we paid in state and fed taxes this year. our business losses from the great recession were being carried forward for a considerable time during which we paid zero tax, but that finally dried up this year.

am selling properties this summer and am gonna run into same issue as @Guard Dog 'cause the capital gains is gonna be... significant. new ferrari portofino range.

HA! Good Fun!

[Sarex]

1 hour ago, Bartimaeus said:

I've been setting up a network logger/filter on my home network, and I just forced the Roku to go through it (although it took some some router hackery because of course it did). It has sent over 16k "call home" user activity logging attempts in less than 24 hours, which is absolutely dwarfing all other devices combined. What the hell? Though I don't have an Alexa/Google Home or any other such device like that - all of these kinds of "smart" devices presumably do stuff like that.

All the smart devices snoop your network, and send the data home. It's probably mostly for ads, but either way it's creepy as ****. The simplest way to get around that is to set up a guest network and connect your devices to that, if your routers lacks advance settings capabilities.

Edited April 9, 2022 by Sarex

[Hurlshort]

1 hour ago, Gromnir said:

unlikely makes you feel better, but we could buy a 2009 subaru forester xt with what we paid in state and fed taxes this year. our business losses from the great recession were being carried forward for a considerable time during which we paid zero tax, but that finally dried up this year.

am selling properties this summer and am gonna run into same issue as @Guard Dog 'cause the capital gains is gonna be... significant. new ferrari portofino range.

HA! Good Fun!

It does not make me feel better. I owe the state 2 gaming rigs. Honestly it isn't terrible, I knew I would owe because I did a fair amount of instacarting, but it is still no fun. Also none of my federal deductions seem to really work at the state level.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I owe 2 or 3 gas tanks of tax this year. The benefits of a 5 figure income I guess.

2 hours ago, Sarex said:

All the smart devices snoop your network, and send the data home. It's probably mostly for ads, but either way it's creepy as ****. The simplest way to get around that is to set up a guest network and connect your devices to that, if your routers lacks advance settings capabilities.

I try to limit smart device as much as possible because of this. One time I saw a guy bash a smart printer in with a bat when it made a sound he didn't recognize, more and more I think he had the right idea.

[Sarex]

I'll bet you guys that I have the smallest salary here and my tax is probably bigger than anyone's here.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

7 minutes ago, Sarex said:

I'll bet you guys that I have the smallest salary here and my tax is probably bigger than anyone's here.

Back in the days before PoE was released, there was a real life monk who posted on the forums asking to make the game less occult. I'm not sure about the financial prospects of monks or their tax situation, but I imagine it either isn't good or surprisingly decadent depending on which church he monks for.

Anyway, I don't know. I live in a place where local taxes are all on sales and property so it's harder to track than just income. Pretty much anytime I buy anything other than groceries there is a 8.5% tax slapped on.

[Sarex]

Just now, KP wants Blue Velvet said:

Back in the days before PoE was released, there was a real life monk who posted on the forums asking to make the game less occult. I'm not sure about the financial prospects of monks or their tax situation, but I imagine it either isn't good or surprisingly decadent depending on which church he monks for.

Anyway, I don't know. I live in a place where local taxes are all on sales and property so it's harder to track than just income. Pretty much anytime I buy anything other than groceries there is a 8.5% tax slapped on.

Over here it's something like 60% (so more that I make) on the salary (that includes pension fund, unemployment and medical insurance) and 20% on everything you buy. Capital gain from selling property is 15% but there are some rules in which that can be avoided.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

1 minute ago, Sarex said:

Over here it's something like 60% (so more that I make) on the salary (that includes pension fund, unemployment and medical insurance) and 20% on everything you buy. Capital gain from selling property is 15% but there are some rules in which that can be avoided.

That's more than me. On the other hand, most of my taxes go to bombing brown people abroad or buying cops tacticool gear and I'm on my own for retirement and medical. Rockin in the free world.

[Sarex]

3 minutes ago, KP wants Blue Velvet said:

That's more than me. On the other hand, most of my taxes go to bombing brown people abroad or buying cops tacticool gear and I'm on my own for retirement and medical. Rockin in the free world.

Hey, someone has to spread democracy.

[majestic]

Fun, tax comparisons. I'm currently sitting at 40% of my income going towards taxes and social security. For that I get commie stuff like universal healthcare, pension plans, good public education, no tuition fees at our universities, decent roads, a power grid that doesn't explode when usage spikes, not the worst deal in the world.

[Sarex]

1 minute ago, majestic said:

40%

[Azdeus]

16 minutes ago, majestic said:

Fun, tax comparisons. I'm currently sitting at 40% of my income going towards taxes and social security. For that I get commie stuff like universal healthcare, pension plans, good public education, no tuition fees at our universities, decent roads, a power grid that doesn't explode when usage spikes, not the worst deal in the world.

I don't mind paying 30% taxes, but I don't like waiting until 3.5 months for an X-Ray, 4 months for an orthopedic specialist and I've got a waiting time for 2025 for different specialist.

[Malcador]

48 minutes ago, majestic said:

Fun, tax comparisons. I'm currently sitting at 40% of my income going towards taxes and social security. For that I get commie stuff like universal healthcare, pension plans, good public education, no tuition fees at our universities, decent roads, a power grid that doesn't explode when usage spikes, not the worst deal in the world.

Yeah well....you don't have a strong military!  Suck on that.

[Gorth]

My effective tax rate is somewhere around 35% (averaging out the income brackets, which gets taxed differently for each bracket you pass through). I do have a private health insurance in addition to that, costing me around $300 a month. It's technically optional, but if I don't have it, I get taxed more to the point where there is no difference money wise. It just gives me the perks of a private health insurance. Still nothing compared to the very expensive German mandatory health insurance

 

Funny thing, when you compare tax rates in European countries, there are things they sometimes don't tell you. Both Germany and England have some hefty "hidden" taxes. In Germany it was the health insurance, which is not part of the official tax rate, but it's also not optional (and the amount you pay depends on your income). In England it was the local council tax. Bloody hell that was a lot

 

Edit: Tax rates in the Scandinavian countries (I'm not familiar with Finland and Iceland) sounds like it's very high, but compared to aforementioned, it includes more

 

Edit2: I better correct myself, I'm not actually sure if the Aussie health insurance premiums are income dependent, I might have mixed that up with the German health insurance which was...

[Gromnir]

1 minute ago, Gorth said:

 

Funny thing, when you compare tax rates in European countries, there are things they sometimes don't tell you. 

since you brought it up, am curious 'bout property taxes other than the US. when we were in europe we were not a land/property owner, and we were focused on teaching/studying, so were never a subject o' interest. in the US property taxes vary considerable from state-to-state and the rules regarding what one actual pays is less than straightforward. for instance, 'ccording to zillow, one o' our neighbors has a smaller home on a much smaller lot than us and the estimated value o' the property is near $200k less, but they is paying $2000 more a year in property tax in part 'cause they bought their home more recent. our assessment is kinda/sorta grandfathered in thanks to prop 13 and as such am paying relative less per square foot/acre. all kinda rules and exceptions. public schools get money through property taxes, which is why wealthy US communities have more money to spend on students, but school tax is part o' the "local" aspect o' property taxes and may vary a bit. also, california, perhaps contrary to expectations, is relative low compared to most states insofar as property tax, thanks in large part to the aforementioned prop 13.

converse, our income tax, state and fed, is gonna be relative high as california's franchise tax board takes a serious cut, although our income tax is nevertheless quixotic relative low compared to those who earn similar amounts w/i ca 'cause is near all ira. am nevertheless paying a fair amount in property tax, but again, if we were in another state we might be paying 2x (or more) as much property tax.

HA! Good Fun!

[majestic]

10 hours ago, Gorth said:

My effective tax rate is somewhere around 35% (averaging out the income brackets, which gets taxed differently for each bracket you pass through). I do have a private health insurance in addition to that, costing me around $300 a month. It's technically optional, but if I don't have it, I get taxed more to the point where there is no difference money wise. It just gives me the perks of a private health insurance. Still nothing compared to the very expensive German mandatory health insurance

 

Funny thing, when you compare tax rates in European countries, there are things they sometimes don't tell you. Both Germany and England have some hefty "hidden" taxes. In Germany it was the health insurance, which is not part of the official tax rate, but it's also not optional (and the amount you pay depends on your income). In England it was the local council tax. Bloody hell that was a lot

 

Edit: Tax rates in the Scandinavian countries (I'm not familiar with Finland and Iceland) sounds like it's very high, but compared to aforementioned, it includes more

 

Edit2: I better correct myself, I'm not actually sure if the Aussie health insurance premiums are income dependent, I might have mixed that up with the German health insurance which was...

Yeah, well, if we separate that then that's 18% for social security (health insurance, pension plan, insurance against loss of employment, etc.) and 22% income tax. In the end the difference is of no consequence to me, but it is for the state of course because the social security part goes to the state insurance companies and pension funds.

9 hours ago, Gromnir said:

since you brought it up, am curious 'bout property taxes other than the US.

Our land tax is an annual 0.2% with some leeway for the municipalities, but it can never exceed 1% of the calculated unit value. The unit values are currently based on hitherto unvalorized rates from 1973. Basically you're taxed at a maximum of 1% per year for property unit values based on a fraction of 1973's market prices. It's so little that there's a special provision in the tax law stating that when the land tax does not exceed 75€ it is to be collected annually instead of quarterly.

There's also no inheritance tax, and a 30% profit tax on selling real estate that (i.e. the difference between buying and selling price). There are tax exceptions for older real eastate and for property used for residential purposes. In other words, it's a tax levied on the sale of investment properties, not people's homes.

[LadyCrimson]

We actually seem to get a smallish tax refund these days from both Fed and state, which I was surprised by. I guess it's that employee tax form choice  where they will take out more taxes so hopefully you won't owe anything vs. choosing a bit more initial take-home and likely owing in April. Or something.  Even so, I would have expected to owe a similar amount vs. refund.

Hubby went to being an official employee a while back (vs. independent contractor), mostly because the health insurance package was so nice vs. our aging selves, but still gets hourly wage + overtime rate vs. "annual salary" and it's been nice to not have to keep track of the ginormous amounts/rules/forms for taxes/soc. security (literally half of the fed tax aspect, really) that isn't automatically already taken out when self-employed. Writing those tax checks really makes you  "appreciate" what the total of those taxes really are.  >.>

Edited April 10, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[LadyCrimson]

Spending this week pushing to pack "everything" - get it done. Won't take it all up now, but don't have to think about it anymore.

---old Xmas cards: realized one of my cousins looks a lot like (the older) Geena Davis.
---it's amazing how much the digital/net age has altered my perception of "what needs to be kept."
---houses feel a lot bigger when there is little in them
---box of my old journals from age 11-early20's.  Y'know in the movie Seven, the villain's notebooks full of small cramped writings? Yeah, that's what they look like. Thankfully I didn't turn out to be a serial killer.

So seems like, unless hubby's remote work stuff doesn't work out/he doesn't like that situation (or we win the Lottery) we've finally committed to which house to be in, at least for a few years. Goodbye postage-stamp house. We didn't especially love you, but you worked well for many years/served us well.

Edited April 12, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Gorth]

Life... to be continued: