Feh

[ralphmelton]

As far as I can tell, I must file a tax return for the city of Pittsburgh, even though I was not a resident last year and am not this year.

The instructions are unclear and have not been throughly proofread. The instructions contain sentence fragments and typographical errors (of which the most amusing to visualize is "statue of limitations").

And they require copies of our federal Schedule C, which we don't have because we're filing for an extension for the federal return. I think that I'm going to send in the return without the Schedule C and rely on them not caring because I don't owe taxes on any of that income.

Feh.

Comments

[cellio]

I didn't read that part of the instructions (I live in the city so I know I have to file). What do they say that would support requiring a non-resident to file? Is this some sort of scheme where they make you prove it for N years after you move out? That sounds goofy, but this is the government we're talking about...

[jpbl.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Swissvale, the only year I had to file was when CMU took Pittsburgh taxes out f my paycheck because they lost the paperwork telling them not to. The only thing I had to provide that year was a form (on the back of the Pittsburgh filing stuff?) signed by someone in Swissvale's tax office saying that I had payed taxes in Swissvale. There was no need to send a W2, but I assume you'll have to get your local tax office (Edgewood?) to sign the same form if you need to get money out. I never filed for Pittsburgh when I worked for Claritech, and they never asked

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

By the time I figured out all the instructions on how to file, I decided I probably didn't need to file.

My current belief is that I would need to file only if I had had tax withheld for Pittsburgh and wanted to get it back. Which seems reasonable enough.

But by that time I had finished the return, so I put it in the mail anyway. I still believe that the form and the instructions could be vastly improved by the powers of a good tech writer.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I think you're right that I don't actually need to file. Oh well. Next year I'll know.

[cellio]

I still believe that the form and the instructions could be vastly improved by the powers of a good tech writer.

Neither Pittsburgh nor the tax-collection divisions of the government are special in that regard. :-( Gah, the crap that oozes out of all sorts of parts of the government sometimes! The mind boggles.