The Problem with Not Doing Your Own Taxes

By Bridget Alameda

Tax season comes but once a year. Every spring I take less than an hour out of my life to do my taxes and, two weeks later, I get a sweet check from the government. Yet many of my degree-pursuing colleagues mail their tax forms home to Daddy to take care of this less-than-daunting task.

Two major excuses always seem to pop up among college tax-payers. First: “My parents already do everything else for me, so why not add my taxes to the list?” I alternate between feeling pissed off by your lack of personal responsibility and feeling afraid that, at some point, you will attempt to contribute to society. The second excuse: “Taxes are hard, and I’m lazy.” I’m convinced you are just misinformed. All it takes is a quick Google search for “free tax filing online.” Boom. Tons of free sites pop up. You can sit in your pajamas on the couch and file your taxes—you just need to know how to read.

These sites are completely legit. But if Google search tax filing isn’t your style or you don’t want to buy any software, Whitman students provide another option. Every year, the accounting students of Beta Alpha Psi will do your taxes for free in the atrium of Whitman. If filing taxes really does scare the shit out of you, let the newly certified pros handle it while you sit back and relax. Take the initiative to get your taxes done for yourself and you’ll be one step closer to independence.

Spend one measly hour figuring out that damned W-2 form, and the money you saw slip off your monthly allowance will find its way back to you. Gain a little independence, get over your misconceptions, and stop pretending to be lazy. After all, taxes are the only life-certainty besides death.