BINXGOOK IS PISSED!!!

[binxgook]

O.k. so I went down to my local ISP yesterday to pay my phone/cable/internet bill. I've got one of those package thingy's. So my package is priced at 89.99/mo. and I went to pay this amount. Lady tells me I owe 115.00??

I asked why and she said thats the price of the plan I have??? I told her it was not and she checked into it. Turns out the difference in the 89.99 and the 115.00 is all FUCKING TAXES/FEES!!!!! 25.00 dollars in taxes on 90 bucks. Maybe its just me but jesus christ that seems like alot of taxes to be paying. I asked her what the taxes/fees were for and it was the same ol' run around...a fee for this ....a fee for that...1.95 for this |shocking|
Like I said maybe its just me but it seems like gang rape of my checkbook

[Kinky]

is that the first time you had to pay the bill for the package? there is a reason why the prices for those packages are so low... gotta read the fine print

[Cleo]

I figure the government is getting about 50% of what I make in taxes. Could be worse, I could live in one of those other countries.

[cd34]

Originally Posted by binxgook

Turns out the difference in the 89.99 and the 115.00 is all FUCKING TAXES/FEES!!!!! 25.00 dollars in taxes on 90 bucks.

Hotels are notorious for this. A $200 room ends up costing almost $260 around here. One hotel I know of charges a parking fee (even if you don't have a car), resort fee, room tax, per call, etc. Even the Phone Company around here does that. They quote you the bare minimum price, and you get $7 in tax for that $10 line, E911 fees, PSC Regulatory fees, etc.

The worst thing is, if you ask them up front what the total cost will be, they can never tell you.

Originally Posted by Cleo

I figure the government is getting about 50% of what I make in taxes.

You need a new accountant then. My effective tax rate has been <10% including tax preparation costs for years. That includes property tax, but excludes sales tax.

[Cleo]

How are you paying so little? Income tax is 30% right off the top.

I was including sales tax and fuel tax and all the other taxes in my guessament.

[binxgook]

Originally Posted by kinky

is that the first time you had to pay the bill for the package? there is a reason why the prices for those packages are so low... gotta read the fine print

Yes, I just switched to these guys about a month ago so this was the first payment I had made to them

[cd34]

Originally Posted by Cleo

How are you paying so little? Income tax is 30% right off the top.

I spend an hour every quarter, and a few hours in October on the phone with my accountant to make sure that I do things in the most tax advantaged way possible.

I do have 2 corporations and one LLC (soon to add another LLC) that things get assigned to based on the 'work'. Its not too bad since everything is handled in a few quickbooks files from a paperwork standpoint. This year, in November he told me what I was going to owe in April, I accellerated some purchases that I hadn't intended to make until Feb and wiped out a considerable amount of tax. Not that I still have the money, it was used to buy equipment, but, better to buy the equipment than to send it to Uncle Sam.

Most of what I do is done based on tax consequences. I figure the more that I can keep and use to grow my business, the quicker I can grow. Sometimes my accountant gets mad because I'll do things because they need to be done, and if I had structured it a little differently it would have made his life easier.

One day, maybe I'll have enough money that I won't care as much about each dime.

[Cleo]

You sound far better at doing accounting type things then I am. At least I have far better design skills then you.

Actually I suck at financial stuff, it just puts me to sleep hearing about it.

Also I didn't have any tax right offs, still working on this, see the above sentence, but now I have a mortgage and hurricane loss which seems to be helping… I guess.

[cd34]

I used to write accounting software in a past life. I regret not taking business courses, so, everything I have learned has been through experience or paying accountants to teach me. A lot of it is seat-of-the-pants, make it work then figure out a better way to do it.

Everyone has better design skills than I do.

I know a guy that was making a lot of money, I told him how he should at least try and shelter it, but, he didn't want the burden of the extra paperwork, so, he pays his %. He probably earns 5x what I do, and I would bet that he probably brings home maybe 2x what I do. In a few years though, I believe the investments I have made in theory and concept should allow me to eclipse him in net worth and take-home pay. The irony is that in 2001 I made an investment and committment to a particular fiscal lifestyle which made me 'poor' and now he doesn't talk to me because I'm not 'wealthy'.

I would rather not have a mortgage, but, it is the cheapest money I'll ever see, and barring any substantial income shift, I have much better uses of my money than the tax adjusted 1.7% interest I pay on the home loan. Spousal unit also refuses to let me pull cash out of the equity for expansion, so, I just work harder. One day, it will pay off.

[Cleo]

Too bad that Photoshop doesn't do financial, I'd probably get to keep more of my money.

[Verbal]

Originally Posted by Cleo

Too bad that Photoshop doesn't do financial, I'd probably get to keep more of my money.

lol

[Brav]

Originally Posted by Cleo

Too bad that Photoshop doesn't do financial, I'd probably get to keep more of my money.

Maybe after the merge with Dreamweaver they will merge with an accounting software...

[cd34]

A local guy used Photoshop to make checks and cash them at the local bank. Maybe that's what Cleo means.

[Cleo]

The end of the world as we know it is near

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by cd34

A local guy used Photoshop to make checks and cash them at the local bank. Maybe that's what Cleo means.

O% taxes and retirement features 3 hots and a cot

[Rorschach]

taxes <===

[digifan]

Wish I had to pay only what you do... I pay much more for my adsl alone...

[ecchi]

RE "Wish I had to pay only what you do" - Who the hell do you buy from ? When I read the first post I wondered why binxgook paid so much (my phone/cable/broadband is about half that). I assumed that binxgook buys an enormous number of extra channels for his TV (sports porn movies etc) whereas I only take the basic package (I gave up the porn and movies years ago, never had the time to watch, and I rarely watch sport on TV). But you pay more than that just for connection ?