Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

No lazy lima beans here

Kent Kimes, Weekly Surge Editor

 

As I write this column, I have our packet of tax info, chock full of forms and deductions all set to deliver to our tax preparer.

Yes, we use a tax preparer – not going the D-I-Y (do-it-yourself) route on this, because frankly, I don’t know all the ins-and-outs of tax preparation and hoops and loopholes like a CPA does.

It used to be pretty easy – get a W2 from my employer, go get the tax forms from the Post Office, or use a CD-ROM (remember those?) program, plop in the numbers, and bam!

Oh, but that was many moons, mortgages, 401Ks, capital gains, tax deductible non-profit contributions and dependents ago.

I recall that my wife and I filed separately the first couple of years we were married, but eventually began joint-filing after learning that you can generally get more back from good ol’ Uncle Sam that way.

But this year isn’t quite as complicated as some previous ones as we learned to save those Goodwill donation slips, daycare year-end statements, etc.

Yet roughly a decade ago I had my first fairly complicated tax preparation experience as I was laid off in the first quarter of the year and began a successful and lucrative career as a freelancer. I did two things that proved to be beneficial: Since I wasn’t getting taxes withheld from my payments, I socked away a lump sum to eventually pay the piper (although it wasn’t enough); and I hired a CPA. I wound up on an IRS payment plan brokered by my CPA, but that was clearly better than the alternative, because you don’t want to be caught as a tax cheat, just ask Wesley Snipes.

Fairly recently as I was trawling through my e-mail inbox I perused a notice from Fresh Brewed Coffee House in downtown Myrtle Beach, and an item caught my eye.

It was a January event entitled, “Art of Business: Tax Tips,” described in the press release as a chance to “Learn valuable tax tips for artists, musicians, and small business owners from the owner of Taxpectations: Wendy Cassera.”

It made me think back on my freelance days when I considered myself an artist of sorts…OK, I was a hustler shilling for a buck, but still this seminar intrigued me.

I then thought about the freelance writers I work with on a weekly basis to produce Surge, and many of them are local artists, musicians, small business owners and multiple-hat-wearers when it comes to earning a living.

And it’s not simply our talented stable of correspondents, through the years I’ve come in contact with many D-I-Yers making their way along the Grand Strand, outside the button-down collar 9-to-5 paradigm, along with folks who hold down more than one job (which reminded me of that old “In Living Color” sketch about the hardest working Jamaican family – but I digress).

So, thank you Fresh Brewed Coffee House, we’re taking your idea and modifying it a bit for this week’s cover story, authored by none other than such a specimen, freelance writer/comic book-producer, Lee Newman. It’s geared toward folks who are doing it their way, not beholden to The Man.

Turn to page 12 to read his report, as he rounded up some tax experts, including the aforementioned Cassera, to offer up some tips for these folks who don’t get a traditional W2 or have a single source of income, and garnered advice from some locals who have learned how to navigate the oft-tricky world of tax filing. Also, there’s a sidebar detailing identity theft concerns and the pros and cons of filing electronically vs. paper.

Better get crackin’ – the deadline for filing is April 17.

DEAD DOG FIRE

As we went to press, I was saddened by the news of the fire early Wednesday that appeared to gut the Dead Dog Saloon in Murrells Inlet. Many memories at this place, and although I’m certainly not a regular, I have enjoyed the venue’s annual 9-11 event and loved last year’s show by former Drive-By Truckers singer/songwriter Jason Isbell. Let’s hope the Campbell family can rebuild.

SHIFTING CONTENT

You may notice that a few of our regular items - Hot Pour, Happy Hour Heaven and Pod Picks - are not in this week’s issue.

They will return next week, so don’t fret.