Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.
- Pueblo Blessing
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Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004 - 7:50 p.m.
WARNING!!!! if you know me personally, you may read my diary, but if you do, you take the chance of hearing things you don't want to know, misunderstanding what I've written and being hurt by it. If you are unsure if it is ok to read, save yourself and me the grief and heartache, and ask first!!! Please note that this is a DIARY, ie my subjective feelings, hearsay, suppositions, and outpourings of ranting of the moment. It does not represent objective news, the whole of what I think of a topic or someone, or even a thought-out representation of any of the above. Keep that in mind. Thanks. * Here is a Diary Etiquette Read Me.
The Taxman is Right but his Representatives are Clueless
ACK!!
I got up today at 11:30 am, how's that??
And then thought I had tons of time.
LOL!
I spent til 3:30 pm dealing on the phone with "issues"... mostly of the income tax variety. They had sent me a "final notice" letter while I was away, and so I called today and the guy was an absolute ass. After speaking with other people, I am guessing he is defensive since he is in charge of my "file" but knows nothing. Everytime I asked him something he accused me of not letting him speak. And then he talked over me every single bloody time I talked. You know what? If someone is explaining something and you ask them questions at the same time, 1) they will not understand what you have said and 2) it is YOU who are interrupting, not them who are "not letting you speak". I think conversational convention allows that you do not ask someone questions while they are explaining something on the phone, but perhaps wait for the end of a sentence. If someone has time to say "will you let me speak will you let me speak" about 40 times, ie every time I shut my mouth. They had lots of time to speak, they just didn't say "so what is your phone number" they said "will you let me speak". Stupid fucker. Do NOT ask me what my phone number is while I am explaining who I have spoken to already. Do NOT talk over me. Do NOT repeat do NOT hang up WHILE I am explaining the order of events, or to whom I have already spoken to in your department.
Do you know that if you say "could you tell me why?" and pause for them to answer, that that is considered not letting someone speak?? Strange, but I thought that was encouraging them to speak. I think he hated being asked why when he was not in possession of that information so he had to talk over me and put me down instead of telling me "I'm sorry that is not my department, I'll let you speak to my supervisor".
Strangely enough I spoke with about seven other people in different branches of the tax department before and after I spoke with him and not a single one told me I don't let them speak when I ask why. They either told me why, or said "I'm sorry I don't have that information" or even, voil�!! told me that mr. snotty talkovereveryone is not possession of that information. And then they gave me a number to call.
Every single other interaction with various people, call departments and branches went completely civilly, fine and when I answered questions, the people did NOT ask me their next question WHILE I was still talking. I wish I could strangle that guy with his phone cord.
He was like a doctor I once had. He told me he didn't explain what he was doing because I asked him a question. Have you ever noticed that men in authority HATE when you ask them questions. Some of the ones they hate the most are "but why?" "what do you mean by that?" and "If you don't know, could you steer me to someone who can answer please?".
Funny, but women and men not in authority seem to have absolutely no problem with those questions. They tell you why, they explain what you need elucidated or expanded, and they steer you to someone else who can answer the question if they don't know or it's not their job, instead of treating you like a pain in the ass 5 yr old, instead of a taxpayer who would like to get to the bottom of the thousands of dollars the government says you owe.
Anyways, after much calling around I FINALLY got to this guy's supervisor... no mean feat since only his phone # was on the letter I got, and from the supervisor I got a clear step by step description of what to do to straighten out my problem, including names and departments and phone numbers and dates of procedures and call backs.
Ah yes, imagine how well a conversation can go if people take TURNS talking. And actually listen instead of cutting me off, and then ask and answer questions like a human being. cripey.
Anyhews. the final verdict.
It is my accountant who doesn't know enough about the applicable laws so the verdict is that I owe the complete and full revised amount. It was someone in federal tax and not in provincial tax who knew this. One can apply a Registered Retirement Savings Plan amount payed in the first 60 days of a year to the previous year's income tax, or the current year's income tax. One has the choice. One can even divide the amount, and claim part of it the previous year (we fill out our forms in April for the previous year) and part of it the current year (ie if I pay in Feb 2004 I can apply it to my 2003 income tax or my 2004 income tax or part to each).
BUT what my accountant did was not kosher. She applied it to the previous year of federal tax since I needed the credit. And since i didn't need it as a provincial credit, she applied it to the current year to the provincial. Cannot do. All to the previous year or all to the current year. Which is what the govt did and we have been trying to undo for the past 5 months, going around in circles with different officials and offices.
End of story. I need to find another $2000. oh yay. That's the price of the whole dog gang book AND the lost sock book with another $200 added. Maybe I should dedicate the books to the tax department. "to the tax department for whose pockets I drew this book". yay.
On the same front... today in the paper was a survey that said that the majority of Quebec residents want to keep the level of services we have now instead of getting a tax cut. And as much as I whine, I agree.
I don't need to cringe when I call an ambulance or poke my eye out.
Here after all that nasty bitching tax man shit, is a funny website: Smashmytelephone.com. Yup, it is exactly that. With pretty girls! Go get im!
cheers
wenchie
back to work....
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previous meanderings - future past
Goodbye Michael. May your next life be kinder to you. - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Taking Care of Your Cows - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Saint Joseph robs the cradle and eats spaghetti - Sunday, Jun. 14, 2009
sticky notes and broken irises - Friday, Jun. 12, 2009
The FOODCOMMANDER - Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
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