Mr. Handyman and a Nice Lady at the IRS

The last Estimator has come and gone. He was from a place called Mr. Handyman, and I like the company, and feel comfortable with this guy, too. Of course, you never know until the work is actually done. But most of this is just insurance company stuff anyway. We'll get paid for the actual damages, then decide what to fix, and what not to fix, and how much we think we can do ourselves.

Here's what we'll do so far: He'll schedule a come-back time to fix the remaining plumbing problems, and the rest of the hurricane repairs will be estimated, not performed. So I'll submit a receipt for the completed handyman work to Citizen's, and an estimate for the rest.

Good thing, too. I can barely scrape up enough to pay for the plumbing repairs.

BUT! I already got an email confirmation that my e-filed taxes (well, Walter's that is) were accepted. They say the refund should hit the bank account in two weeks.

In the past, they've always beaten that estimate. First they said six weeks, last year three weeks, now it's two.

In order to e-file, you have to provide your last year's AGI as verification that you are who you say you are. Computer challenged k thought she printed out last year's 1040, last year. Not. I pulled it out to get the AGI, and saw that the printer ran off the page - so the lines were printed correctly on the left (eg. it said the *salary, wages, etc* bit just fine ) - but the numbers were left off.

Rats.

I called the IRS. Now remember, these are Walter's taxes not mine. We're not married any more, he's my ex-husband. Sometimes this makes people not want to discuss Walter's private information with me. (silly people!)

So I have an IRS power of attorney on file there - I forget the form number - but could they find it? No. I had a jackass on the phone: Can't I fax you folks a copy of this Florida Durable Continuing Power of Attorney? It's the most all-encompassing POA there is, surely it's good enough, even for the IRS. Okay, he says, fax to this number, to my attention, and I'll call you back.

He never did.

Walter was asleep, so I had to wait until morning to ask HIM to call the IRS.

He told me the nice lady was very careful. She didn't just want his SSN. Who did he work for in 2004? Who holds our mortgage? Stuff like that. Finally satisfied, she gave him the number.

I liked that. Walter too. On stuff like this, I WANT them to be very careful who they give this private information out to.

Now, me, I had left the almost-completed e-file 1040 up on my computer screen all night. Then I went off to the dentist in the morning. I talked to Walter in the waiting room and asked him to please get me that AGI asap, I sure did want to file for that refund, the sooner you tell me the sooner we get the money! - making one of the other patients, hearing me on the cell phone, crack up. So Walter called me back as I sat in the dentist's chair, sucking down nitrous oxide, waiting for the novacaine to take effect. I wrote the AGI down on my little paper dentist bib. And giggled.

I LOVE my dentist.

And then I went to Sam's, and the bank, and finally home. Where the e-file form was still up on the screen, yay! I plugged in the number and filed.

So satisfied with myself, I am!

***smug*** ***smug*** ***smug***

:-)