Taxes, Taxes, Taxes

Yes, yes, we all know. It’s that time of year. Taxes are due. And even though I filed ours back in the middle of February, I’m still having conflicts over it.

In the state of Pennsylvania, there is a tax known as the Local Services Tax (LST). And you more or less get hit with it twice – once for the borough (township, municipality…whatever) you live in and a second time for the one you work in. What does it do? Nothing that I’ve figured out. The streets are still teeming with potholes, the roads are barely plowed and the sidewalks not at all and most of the parks and town property are run down with weeds. All I can figure is we’re paying the people that sit in the tax office and collect the thing…and don’t know how to process it.

For you have to file a return with the agency that represents the town you live in. And if you lived in two that year, you have to file it twice for each town. Because each town wants their fair share. Which means counting days, figuring out who gets what and then trying to explain that to them. But do they understand? Apparently my letter and very detailed spreadsheet helped one agency. The other? Well, let’s see…

I had to fax them quite a bit of information this week. And when I called to make sure they had received it, the extremely rude woman on the other side of phone asked for my name, account number and address. I gave it all to her and her response was: “I have a Texas address on file for you.”

“Texas?” I nearly shouted into the phone. How in the world?!?!?! I have NEVER put one of my Texas addresses on anything the state of Pennsylvania has ever received. Not that it isn’t somewhat public record, but I moved to Pittsburgh from Minnesota. The first year I filed taxes here, I wrote that down very explicitly on the silly LST filing – complete with address. And they have a TEXAS ADDRESS?!?!?

All I can say is, no wonder they can’t process the tax forms. They can’t even get an address right.

And why in the world do I pay this stupid thing anyway?!?!?!