* * * * *
Of course it's a catch-22, it's the 1040!
Well, tis' the season, when the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) [1] crawls out
of its hole and charges a ton of money regardless the state of its shadow. So
I'm all set to fill out the 1040-EZ [2] when Bunny holds up a 1099-DIV I
received because of some stock I own. “I think you should fill out the normal
1040 [3],” she said. “You don't want to get into trouble for not reporting
$26.35 of income.”
“I see you learned how to hyperlink your speech,” I said.
“Ha ha.”
“Sigh. I suppose you are right.”
So I'm reading the instructions when I see the following:
> Use Form 6251 to figure the amount, if any, of your alternative minimum tax
> (ATM). Also see the Instructions for Form 6251 to see if you must file the
> form.
>
“1040 Instructions [4]”
Okay, I think, let me check the Form 6251 instructions to see if I need to
bother filling this out …
> Who Must File
>
> Attach Form 6251 to your return if any of the following statements is true.
>
> 1. Form 6251, line 31, is greater than line 34.
> 2. …
>
“Instructions for Form 6251 [5]”
Let me get this straight … I have to fill out Form 6251 before I can know if
need to fill out Form 6251 …
I always did find it amusing to fill out the full 1040 [6] (but I'm outside
the Alternative Minimum Tax income range [7]—that is, if Wikipedia is to be
trusted).
It also turns out that the extra $26.35 of extra income did not bump my
income to the following line in the 2012 Tax Table, although if it did, I
would have owed an additional $14.
Woot‽
[1]
http://www.irs.gov/
[2]
http://www.irs.gov/file_source/pub/irs-pdf/f1040ez.pdf
[3]
http://www.irs.gov/file_source/pub/irs-
[4]
http://www.irs.gov/file_source/pub/irs-pdf/i1040.pdf
[5]
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i6251.pdf
[6]
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451626657/conmanlaborat-20
[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_Minimum_Tax#Avoiding_AMT
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