The crazy season has started

[MerryRaven]

Tax time.

I am a Librarian.  I am not a tax consultant.  I am not qualified to tell you what form to use.

We have basic forms.

We have instruction booklets.

We have books on how to do your taxes.

We have access to the internet and can get forms for you on-line, if you can tell us what form you need and we will print it for free. 

You can get on the internet yourself and have access to all this information and also print the tax information for free. 

There is a volunteer group coming every week in about a month who will help you with your taxes. 

We have 1-800 numbers you can call.

I CANNOT DO YOUR TAXES!

I don't know if you need a 1040, 1040 A, or 1040 EZ.

We are not allowed to give tax information anymore than we are allowed to give legal or medical advice.

So while we are at it;  No, I do not know how to get your brother out of jail.  The number for free legal help is on this card.

And no, I cannot tell you if your condition is serious.  For that your would need a doctor. I am certainly not going to tell you over the phone that your disease is terminal.  Though it is because we are all going to die someday so life is terminal really.

It is obvious my brain is melting, melting, melting.

[Rose2Bear]

People expect you to know tax/medical/legal things?

Sheesh, if you knew everything... what would be the point of all those BOOKS in your library that tell you things?!

[StaciNadia]

Books?     But that would mean people would actually have to READ something and learn for themselves!  It's so much easier to just ask the librarian than look it up themselves!

I've been considering going for a Master's in library science.  Perhaps I should study accounting, too...   

[IndianInlaw]

"I don't even do my OWN taxes any more ...misplace one little decimal point and there I was in Leavenworth!"

[Clara Bow]

"Yes I think it's serious, in fact start digging a deep hole. By the time you're done, you'll need it."
"No I don't know which form to use. I used Wesley Snipe's accountant. Would you like their number? Or the number for their attorney?"
"You can't get your brother out of jail. I've seen your brother. Whatever they said he did, he did. Trust me on this one."
Bless you, I'll be waiting for more library funnies....

[MerryRaven]

There was the lady this week who was counting out 20 computer printouts and paying for 10 of them. (First 10 pages are free and then 10 cents a page).  I didn't help her a co-worker did, but I was aware of the transaction. 

The woman called about a half-hour later.  "Where are my copies?" She said she came home and didn't have her printouts.  So, still on the phone I go to the printout tray and look.  I go to the counter she was paying at and look.  I ask the employee helping her.  No printouts. 

When I tell her this she says "Where are they? I paid for them." 

She was getting very irrate like I had purposely hidden them or was keeping them from her for my own nefarious purposes.  I finally said, "I am sorry, I don't know what happened but I don't see your printouts."

I wanted to say, "I don't know where they are, you had them last." 

I know she is frustrated because she got home and cannot find her printouts.  Believe me I have done similar things, but it is not my fault she cannot find them now.

[blue_bunny_paz]

I had a similar thing when I worked in a bookshop. No, I don't know the artist who produced this book and I don't have a contact number so they can produce a series of art on how you are the Angel Gabriel and discovered DNA. [True story, one of many strange customer stories I have!]

People seem to think that if you work in a place where information can be found then you must know everything. After all, it's not like you have a job to do and you have the whole day free to read books and pamphlets.

[Lauren]

I was at Borders once and the girl in front of me asked one of the stafers if she knew of a book about some guy in Paris. It has a golden colour though! Girl (clearly) had no idea what she was talking about and woman got irate because duh! she works in a bookstore and should know! I leant forward and told her it was the DaVinci code.

Borders worker waited till she left and asked me how I knew. My response was basiclly it was clear she wasn't that bright and didn't do much reading. Everyone was raving about that book and my father's copy had a golden cover. Since she clearly knew next to nothing about the book, bar that it was in Paris, she'd never know it was the wrong book.

[MineralDiva]

MerryRaven, you wanna come work in my office?  I could use the relief...and you seem to be good at answering silly questions! 

[willow08]

At my local library they have HUGE signs stating that the staff will give out the forms, but will not give out tax advice. And people still get huffy when they won't help them fill out the forms. yikes.

[Pixie]

Our taxes are very simple and we still have them done by a professional who knows military stuff.  Ours are basically:

This is what we earned
This is what was withheld

Then we trust the professional to tell us if we owe or are owed.  Simple, and straight-forward.  Hubby used to do it himself, but when he started going overseas a lot, there was some income that wasn't taxable, and some that was.... so now we have our taxes done. That way we know it is done right.

and Hubby has really cut down on the swearing and head banging. 

[DollyPond]

Hold up.......I want to hear the story about the person who thought that they were the Angel Gabriel and discovered DNA.  Details please!

Dolly

[MerryRaven]

I could tell you about the guy who thought I was Head of the CIA and the gal who wanted the REAL Bible.
You know the Bible with the gold on the edges of the pages?  That's the only real Bible.

[audhs]

I had a similar thing when I worked in a bookshop. No, I don't know the artist who produced this book and I don't have a contact number so they can produce a series of art on how you are the Angel Gabriel and discovered DNA. [True story, one of many strange customer stories I have!]

People seem to think that if you work in a place where information can be found then you must know everything. After all, it's not like you have a job to do and you have the whole day free to read books and pamphlets.

I worked in a bookstore too and had someone ask me if I had the number for the author of a book that was Out of print because he should have an extra copy or two. 

I also worked in a library, the number one rule of library's is that people enter them and forget how to read.  (no matter how many bathroom signs we put up people could never find it.)

[itiswhatitisn't]

Unbelievable!  I never ask my librarian anything except to ask how she's doing.  Once or twice I've asked a mysterious question.  Couldn't remember the author, but the main chracter was named Amelia Pebody and the novel was set in Victorian times.  I got a book set in Victorian times.  Not what I was looking for, but it was my fault for loaning out the book before writing down the author.