Death and Taxes

What's the saying? The only things in life that are for sure are death and taxes? DH had our taxes done yesterday. We pretty much broke even, as we expected with a small pay in to both state and federal. We adjusted a few things last year on his withholdings at work to account for the perk funds he receives periodically through the year that do not have any withholding so we wouldn't be faced with a huge tax bill at years end. The change had nothing to do with the tax law changes, in fact, we probably were negatively impacted. I honestly don't know what next year will look like and what tax breaks if any still exist for college tuition payments. We'll sit down with our accountant sometime this spring and get a walk through to see if there are other adjustment we might make to help us understand where and when we should pay taxes and where we get breaks. 

I'm not against appropriate taxes as they fund all sorts of things I and my family benefit from, and if used right, create a safety net to support the common good. I just want to understand the ins and outs better and not have huge surprises when we file because we hadn't adequately planned, hence adjusting to pay more throughout the year for DH. Unfortunately, some of the savings in taxes were because his income and perks were both lower than last year, which is frustrating, because he works so much, and has bailed out his company from disaster a few times when he stepped in to fix issues caused by poor workers and disengaged executive management. Some days I think in the long run if his work place would just close we'd be better off. I've used this word before, but we are a scrappy family and I think he would end up doing something else, perhaps not for as much money, but with mental and physical health savings. He just can not keep on working 60 hour work weeks to keep the place afloat when the owners and execs don't seem to be putting any effort into it. 

I'm tying these things together with my latest thoughts on life and making sure we are maximizing it. I learned of a couple  recent deaths of former school mates, not in my graduating class but near, under 56. I've been to a lot of visitation and funerals for parents of extended family and friends in the past year and while not the same as a younger person, still hits home that people in our lives can be here one day, and not the next. Like paying taxes, that is a given. Fortunately for DH, he does like his job just not the way the business is being managed. People like him-his coworkers, his customers, and his immediate boss thinks the world of him. (He's putting in as many hours.) He has put lines in the sand to not miss DD2's concerts, though he did miss her orchestra one a few weeks back, and will come on the college visit next week and to Nashville. I'm sure he is wondering what he might come back to when he is gone Wednesday to Sunday. Perhaps without him there, there will not be a job to come back to. Four years and five months until his goal retirement. We'll have quite the car ride discussion.