I'll do it Later

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Tax Day. I call this I'll Do It Later Day. Millions of Americans will file at the last minute, as they usually do. Others will file late and some won't file at all. Many Post Offices around the country will be open until Midnight, waiting for the "waiters".

Procrastination is a big part of the reason Y2K will turn out to have more of an impact than it otherwise would have. So many countries in this world of global interconnectedness did not even have awareness until very recently. Russia, for example. Y2K is an example of a potential cataclysm that was largely preventable - yet procrastination will not be denied. Is this part of Human Nature or is that too much of a generalization?

So just as some places will be open until midnight today waiting for those who waited, there are those millions who are also waiting in the Y2K queue to do whatever it is they intend to... and they are intent on doing it later. That is, if they are intending to do anything at all. The Y2K happy-face mainstream spin-media (for the most part) certainly does not contribute to the sense of urgency that some of us feel, which only proves to the I'll do it later crowd that later will be OK. The fact that there are already some shortages of "cottage industry" supplies, longer and longer food storage delivery schedules, and it is getting later and later, just does not register with the procrastinators. I'm not sure what, if anything, actually does register. They are of the opinion that later will be soon enough. They are wrong.

Just as with so many other aspects of life, people may not get off their butts and take action until necessity forces them to. Naturally, by then it may be too late. Later will turn out to be never, as so often it has in the past. The procrastinators will be the most surprised, that this time, later didn't wait.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), April 15, 1999

Answers

I got my refund Monday...would've gotten it sooner had I filed electronically :-) It would be interesting to see if a correlation existed:
- Do GI's tend to file early?
- Do those who procrastinate filing their taxes tend to be DGI's/polys? - Are GI's busy preparing and they've put off filing their taxes?

That would make for some interesting readng, IMO.

-- pixmo (pixmo@pixelquest.com), April 15, 1999.


Pixmo,

In answer to your question, do GIs tend to file earlier? I think you solved that question for yourself. You have all ready received your refund. I never get a refund, ever. Because I always owe the government, I tend not to file before 1130 p.m. on the 15 of April. On the other hand, I am quite well prepared for any crisis that may arise in the next several months.

-- Tom (nomail@nomail.com), April 15, 1999.


Rob, your excellent post is timely ;^) and oh-so-true. Y2K is the made-to-order Civilization Cruncher, galloping toward machination Death Knell in full view. Seeing they see not, don't wanna see, don't bother seeing, don't have will or time to see or act. Manana, maybe, nah.

Apple, with it's blazing iMac (333/6!), just announced proudly they've got their JIT inventory down to 1 day. Very profitable. Those who are procrastinating and figure they will easily replace their computers during the Christmas price wars -- think again.

xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), April 15, 1999.


Tom, I agree. I did my taxes at the beginning of March. I am mailing the check today. While procrastination marks a lot of late filers, sometimes its just cash management.

BTW, I am not waiting for the last minute to prepare for Y2K.

-- Margaret (janssm@aol.com), April 15, 1999.


Well, I GI and I've waited until the last minute to do my taxes even though I'm getting a refund. Guess I could say that I've been too busy prepping... Now, if I could just find that stray 1099...

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), April 15, 1999.


Refund or not, I've always filed and paid early. Actually, I'd rather not get a refund, for if I do get one, that means that the government has been using that money interest-free for all that time...money that I could've used for investment, or whatever...

-- Pixmo (aka Tim) :-) (pixmo@pixelquest.com), April 15, 1999.

pixmo

no, sorry, your theory doesn't hold up in my situation. i'm one of the biggest GI's here, and i have to struggle daily with my procrastination. i'm mailing my tax forms today, and i'm gettin a hefty refund (did change my w-4 for next year, though, getting as little deduction as possible)

my wife, on the other hand, does most emphatically not procrastinate, but she's expecting 'a bump in the road.' [we have a lot of compromises ;-)]

nice try, though

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), April 15, 1999.


I think I'll get around to starting to begin to procrastinate .... but later.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (Cook.R@csaatl.com), April 15, 1999.

I think that I don't have to work on my GI credentials here. We normally file Aug 15. We normally file the extension on the 12th or 14th of April and the actual taxes on Aug 15. Has something to do with the filing system in Chaos Manor Mid-west. (All of my filing cabinet drawers are labeled "M")

Chuck

-- chuck, a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), April 15, 1999.


Funny - my drawers are all labelled "Sears 30-32."

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (Cook.R@csaatl.com), April 15, 1999.


"Y2K procrastination will not be denied!"

Should be a tee-shirt, Rob.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 15, 1999.


ROTFL! Robert, you really ARE skinny!! :-)

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), April 15, 1999.

ROTFL. Hey Gayla, how do you think he get's into dem twotwos, or was it fourfours?

Diane: Tee shirt - I like it. Maybe we should start a thread with our favorite Y2K saying for a Tee shirt or something - could be fun don't ya think?

OK youz guyz, now how about some more discussion on the actual topic. Anyone want to take a shot at the human nature part of the question?

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), April 15, 1999.


Rob -

Human nature? There are 2 types - the ones who do the unpleasant stuff first and get it out of the way -work before play types. And there are the play and maybe the unpleasant stuff will go away and if it doesn't - then I'll do it types - whether it is Y2k prep or taxes. Personally, I eat my veggies first but wish I was a cake first sometimes.

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), April 15, 1999.


I was audited 15 years ago. It was every bit as bad as you've heard. I was terrified. My net was $11k that year, the amount in question was a little over $300. Now that I again have free-lance income, I simply CANNOT face dealing with the necessary business expense forms. We picked up and mailed the tax return yesterday. . . (And our little income tax return company is not computerized--all done by hand!)

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 15, 1999.


Oh my God, my taxes are due today aren't they....

-- Apple (villarta@itsnet.com), April 15, 1999.

Oh, give me a break! Are you trying to say that you have never procrastinated?

Get off your high horse!

-- If I mail it today it ain't late now is it? (April15@int.late), April 15, 1999.


FWIW: Here is an excerpt from the latest Y2K article on the gold-eagle site that is related to this thread.

"Many people will continue to ignore Y2k right up until December 31st, 1999. They will deal with Y2k by buying some bottled water and bread on New Years Eve. And they will panic en mass during early January. Some will begin the personal preparations that will help them to weather Y2k with a minimum of disruption to their lives. These are the people who have been vaccinated against panic by the comfort and assurance of knowing they are reasonably prepared. And a few will completely drop out of society into fortified rural villas convinced that a new Dark Ages is upon us. If a new Dark Age does descend, these fortified villas will be targeted and looted systematically by company level military units. This is the lesson of the Roman Empire: a fortified villa cannot stand against 300 armed soldiers/barbarians."

The article is called "Y2K - Panic now and avoid the rush" by Doug McIntosh and the url is

http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_99/mcintosh041599.html

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), April 15, 1999.


Guys! What are you thinking of! What about the famous and wonderful AUTOMATIC 4 MONTH EXTENSION? I will do my tax return when I get good and ready, after the rush. So what if they charge me a little interest, who cares.

That's what makes income tax different from y2k: delay is still an effective tactic.

Steve Kovaka

-- Stephen Kovaka (kovaka@usa.net), April 15, 1999.


Procrastinate, let's see. I guess I should look it up in the dictionary, but this thread is kinda fun. Maybe when I'm done.. No, that's right, I've got to go get that stuff I was supposed to get on Monday and forgot. Well, I'll look it up tomorrow, if I remember ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), April 15, 1999.

Depends on what kind of year I'm having. Some years I can't wait to get it over with and I do it in January. Other years, sleeeeep sleeeeeep, zzzzzzzz snorrr (like this year). Sorry, I'm not going out there to fight the mob tonight.

Anyway, what ARE the consequences of filing on April 16th? How bad can it be? :-)

-- Debbie (dbspence@usa.net), April 15, 1999.


Hope this works! :-)

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), April 15, 1999.


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