I just finished reading a short article on doing taxes in the latest AF of M International Musician paper.

Side note: Why read it online and not wait for it to arrive in the box, as is the norm for me? Jason Heath is included in this month’s publication, and he wrote to say my name is mentioned in the article. (Thanks so much, Jason!) So between knowing he was appearing, and that my name was up there for all to see, I just had to have a look-see. (Or a read-see I guess.) I’m kind of vain that way.

Anyway … it’s a bit too late to get tax advice for 2007, of course, but I thought I’d read the article to see if there was anything I didn’t know.

Nope. Nothing new that will allow me some miracle and save me tons of money. Such is life.

But I did have to laugh. At one point the author talks about filing as both an employee and an independent contractor. He writes that, for instance, sometimes a player is in two orchestra and in one the player is an employee while in the other is considered an independent contractor.

Okay … that’s when I start laughing. Or at least kind of sighing. Or something. It’s not that simple.

Wanna know how many W-2s I have? Let’s see … counting … 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … yes … six. And that is down from years past. I also have my private studio income and a few jobs where I’m deemed an independent contractor (thus the employers avoid paying my social security and medicare taxes and I get the honor at the end of the year). (I’m sure that Jason has this issue, and I’m guessing he has even more W-2 forms than I.)

Doing taxes is absolutely insane. Fortunately I’ve done it so many years now I know how to go about figuring out percentages for schedules A and C, and as much as a grumble it does all get finished in time.

This is a crazy life when tax time comes around. As if it’s not already crazy enough before that! It’s the one time of year when I really wish I had one job, one W-2, and a simpler life. But then what the heck would I whine about?