Mar 4, 2008
{ More Tax Stuff }
-ExcellentA patron came over to my desk with a handful of forms and asked me which one she needed. I told her I wasn’t trained to answer any tax questions but if she knew the exact name of the form that she needed I could help her find the form.
“It ends in 99. I remember that.”
“You have a handful of 1040s there. If you know exactly which form you need I can help you find it on the IRS website.”
So…. She called her husband, who was doing their taxes and he told her to get a 1099 MISC. form from the website. When I pulled it up there was a message saying something to the effect of: “This form is for information purposes only, YOU CAN”T FILE THIS FORM.” It’s a scan-able form. You need an actual hard copy from the IRS.
I showed her the message and explained that she would have to call the IRS, as we didn’t have any hard copies of the form.
“Print me two copies.”
“You can’t file this form, it’s for information purposes only. I can print it for you if you want it, but it’s for information only.”
“I want two copies.”
So I printed her two copies, and didn’t charge her because she had left her money at home and I wasted about twenty sheets of paper. She then looked at the forms and said:
“I can’t file these?”
“No. That’s what the message on the front says.”
“Then why did you give me these?”
“……….”
Now. To all Library Users: Quit Being Stupid! Do not expect the library to be able to find your social security number for you on the Internet because you forgot it. Do you really believe that a stranger should be able to find your personal information that easily? Do you want me to have access to your personal information? And aren’t you the one who was in here last week bitching to me about identity theft and how you aren’t going to pay your library fines because somebody else has been using your library card? THINK, DAMNIT. If you give your identity to a stranger it isn’t really theft anymore, now is it?
And when did the library put up an H&R Block sign above the reference desk? I’m not a CPA. I don’t know what form you need. I don’t give a shit whether you get your three hundred dollars from the government or not. Ask me if I can help you find a book – that would be refreshing. We even have books on TAXES.
| PermaLink | | |
