Revenue & Finance

Got a nasty-gram from the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance. I called the phone number on the letter and pretended to be an adult. I don't feel as much fear as I used to even tho IDRF is the state-size equivalent of the IRS. Whoever I talk to is just an employee doing a job; they have very little power.

Anyway, IDRF wants to collect sales tax from 2005. They're estimating $350.00/quarter. That would be $5000.00 in sales per quarter. Something to smile about in this; if the store had $5000 in sales I'd still be in business. Why, with $5000.00 in sales, I could have paid myself wages, instead of allowing $5.00/day to eat a lunch of some kind.

I think enough time has passed that I can get out my account books and records for the business and look at them without drowning in tears. I still feel sad, but I don't feel helpless.

One of the good things about being self-employed: no job hunting. No applications to fill out, no resume, no references.

And what have we learned from all this? Never to own a business again. The State of Iowa has myriad taxes and penalties for doing so. Having to quit owning a business was very depressing; no one wants to admit that they've failed at doing something, least of all me. It was a really-o, truly-o, genuine learning experience.

A learning experience is not the same as a mistake. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.