What Your Money's For

So in 1993 2003 we got some kind of $400 instant rebate from the IRS for having a child. Like a dope I deposited that check and forgot about it, and when we did our 1993 2003 taxes we claimed the full child credit. (The $400 was just an advance on our tax bill for the year.) Now we're getting dinged for the $400 plus interest and penalty.

The real story, though, is what happened when my wife went down to the IRS office to gripe about getting a temporary handout that we didn't ask for and didn't need, and that only caused us more paperwork headaches. The response from the woman at the desk: "The President provided these credits because he wanted to stimulate the economy."

Glad to be of help, W! But next time, include a note with the check telling me how to spend the free gift: I suspect putting it right in the bank probably didn't do much for the GDP.