April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, Humpty Dumpty proudly shows off a cravat given to him by the White King and Queen to celebrate his un-birthday. An un-birthday, quite simply, is one of the 364 days of the year on which it’s not your birthday (365 in a leap year). Now the federal government, which seems to model many of its policies on Carroll’s book, has created the un-holiday. To commemorate a certain un-holiday in April, we may now file our tax returns as late as the 18th rather than the 15th.
The explanation is simple, in a Humpty Dumpty sort of way: the District of Columbia celebrates Emancipation Day on the 16th, which is all well and good given the significance of that day. However, the 16th falls on a Saturday, and, after all, what’s the fun of celebrating a holiday if you don’t get a day off from work? So many DC employees will be off on the un-holiday, the day before Emancipation day. And it would be unfair, so the thinking apparently goes, to ask DC workers to file tax returns on an un-holiday, so it was decided we could all wait until Monday, the 18th.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining about having three additional days to file my tax return. I’ll just chalk it up as an un-birthday present from the IRS.
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May '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
And here's a big LIKE for this post.
Jul '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
The real "emancipation day" is the day that I stop working to feed the government and start receiving my pay free of onerous taxes.
I calculate that day as about, oh, July 15th.
Who says we don't still have slavery in the United States?
Nov '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
Kenneth, your remark about slavery got me thinking. When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt, the book of Genesis says that Pharoah demanded 20% from them in taxes.
As a working man, don't you think that's a pretty sweet deal? Pharaoh seems to have gotten greedier of late,
Jul '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
Perhaps the government is just giving Us non-government workers a few more days to earn more money to pay them taxes.
Jul '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
Dammerman: Kenneth, your remark about slavery got me thinking. When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt, the book of Genesis says that Pharoah demanded 20% from them in taxes.
As a working man, don't you think that's a pretty sweet deal? Pharaoh seems to have gotten greedier of late, · Jan 29 at 4:10pm
Man, I'd vote for Pharoah in a heartbeat!
Dec '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
Emancipation Day? That's a holiday for DC government workers? You're kidding me?
Please tell your loved ones not to die on April 15th and I'll take the day off.
Oct '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
Re, Kenneth
As for "The real "emancipation day" is the day that I stop working to feed the government and start receiving my pay free of onerous taxes. ".
Plan and with any good fortune, move to another country. Then adjust....to new fortunes and opportunities.
Dec '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
I reported this almost three weeks ago. http://ricochet.com/member-feed/Irony-Alert
Oct '10
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
What's odd about this "holiday" is that the observed date is moved to the preceding Friday (April 15), not to the following Monday as seems to be the practice with virtually ALL other holidays (to give a 3-day weekend ending with a Monday rather than a 3-day weekend starting with a Friday, the latter of which is virtually unprecedented).
So because the observed date is Tax Day, the filing date is moved to the next business day, or April 18. Why the observed date is moved up and not back is anyone's guess. As for me, this ticks me off, 'cuz I'm a tax guy and the LAST thing I want is to give procrastinating clients 3 more days to get me their tax stuff. That means my post-tax-season vacation is delayed by 3 days.
Thanks, D.C.!
Re: April 15th, Tax Day...Not!
Oh, dread. My birthday happens to fall on April 18, so your post, Pat, plunges me into confusion. If the IRS gives me an un-birthday gift on my birthday, will it cancel my birthday out? Do I get to skip turning a year older this year? Save me, Pat, save me! I'm sliding down the rabbit hole....