malkav11

For years my taxes have been extremely simple. Get my W-2, go fill out form 1040EZ (or call the TeleFile line, when that still existed, or these days, go put the info into TaxSlayer's website and have it spit out a return.). I've hardly had to decide a thing. I make a single hourly wage with no complicating factors - no interest to speak of on bank accounts, no inheritance, no lottery, nothing except my job. I have no dependents. I don't give to charity. I don't own property to speak of, nor have I ever been self-employed. I wasn't eligible for any tax credits (still am not.) Etc.

More fool me, I thought that was still true. Little did I know, but my starting to pay rent changed all that. You see, Minnesota allows renters to claim a partial refund of property taxes paid on the building in which they live (and their income? doesn't make sense to me but that's what it says), based on the rent they've paid in that tax year. Provided that they meet three criteria - they live in Minnesota, they're not a dependent (I may not technically have been for a while now, but I feel my financial independence started with my beginning to pay rent, so this is the first time I've filed a non-dependent tax return), and they make under some arbitrary number - 50-ish thousand, I think. I'm -way- under that.

So I have some property tax refund coming to me. How much? Beats the fuck out of me, but something. And when did I find this out? Today. And when did I file my state (and federal) tax return? The Friday before last. -sigh-

Maybe next year I oughta talk to a specialist.