The Tax Man 1-16-09

1-16-09 The Tax Man


It’s time to get ready, for the Tax Man Cometh. That is an icy thought, to be sure. Is that what Jane Kenyon was talking about in when she said, “There is nothing I can do against your coming. When I awake, I am still with thee.” I know it isn’t but I like the quote, anyway, because we can apply it to anything causing melancholy.
Mark Twain did have some words specific to the tax man. He said, "The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin." The dark side of Twain is very cynical, isn’t it? There’s a place for that. When it’s accurate and it makes us laugh, it gives us a new perspective and a jumpstart to get up and do, once again. It’s as though we benefit vicariously from the person who was brave enough to be honest. I would love to hear his thoughts on current events. What would he think of bailouts for the big guy but not for the little one? What would he say about an economy that made fixing your septic system unaffordable? His chosen pen name seems to speak of our current events, marking the location somewhere between safe and dangerous waters.
I don’t know what he would have to say about the tax credit that the State of Massachusetts offers for repairs to septic systems but I would venture a guess that he would have been interested in it. His house in Hartford, Connecticut had seven flushing toilets! That must have been the talk of the neighborhood on Farmington Avenue in 1873! I haven’t had the tour of the house yet. When I do, I’ll let you know what the guide says of the septic system receiving and treating the contents of those seven toilets (and the tubs and sinks)! I believe he left the house because of debt troubles long before he had to worry about septic system failure.
For those of us who stay in the home, though, and have to repair the septic system, at least there is some good news come tax time. Each year, shortly after the holidays, our 1099 slips start arriving in the mail and we are once again reminded of why we having the expression “a very taxing situation”.
Worksheets and schedules are not my cup of tea and if your heating bills are anything like mine, you may need something besides Valentine’s Day to lift your spirits. Well, I can at least make some people happy with this information. If you repaired your septic system in the last five years, you are eligible for a tax credit. That’s even better than a deduction. When you are done with all the figuring and deducting, you get to subtract the whole credit from what you owe in taxes. The credit for repairing your failed septic system is up to 40% of the cost. You can claim a whopping credit of $1,500 each year, with the maximum aggregate of $6,000.
Speaking of credit, I would like to thank Mark Alpert, CPA, for bringing this tax tip to my attention many years ago. The Halifax Board of Health now gives his worksheet on septic repair tax credits to homeowners when they pick up their Certificate Of Compliance. Thank you, Mark and thank you, State of Massachusetts, for recognizing the importance of protecting our water supplies. And thank you, writers and poets, for your courage to speak and the inspiration to act.

Cathleen Drinan is the health agent for the Town of Halifax, MA. She is interested in poetry to inspire awareness and action on any and all public health topics. She can be reached at 781 293 6768 or cdrinan@town.halifax.ma.us