I've used "tax return" and "tax refund" interchangeably... in each case, it's my tax money given back to me by a gov't. How do you define each so that they are distinct & unrelated?
My understanding has always been that the return is the form and the refund is the refund.
Edit From Wikipedia:
Tax returns in the United States are reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or with the state or local tax collection agency (California Franchise Tax Board, for example) containing information used to calculate income tax or other taxes. Tax returns are generally prepared using forms prescribed by the IRS or other applicable taxing authority.
Interesting... I don't recall local usage of "return" to refer to the form itself, but perhaps I wasn't paying attention. I'll have to watch for it --fortunately, we're in the right season for observation.
In common usage, people often refer to a refund of overwithheld taxes as a "tax return." This is incorrect terminology, as it should properly be called a tax refund. The term "tax return" specifically refer to the documents filed with the IRS such as Form 1040.
If'n you wuz still living here in the Great White North, you'd be filling in your T1 tax return around about now. Me, I'm still waiting for the T4 from UofT to complete mine (on line of course, that way the refund gets direct-deposited ASAP). But then the info slips don't have to go out until the end of this month, and the filing deadline for your T1 return is 30 April.
I just spent two hours mailing out [last minute!] tax receipts for a charity I'm involved with. They were printed in August, but were spozed to piggyback into the next newsletter, and since I haven't gotten my arse around to writing same, they had to hit the mailall by themselves now.
I don't remember how long it's been since I had to pay extra to the state but it was probably my last year of self-employment, about the same time as your last MA refund...
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 01:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 01:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:17 pm (UTC)Edit From Wikipedia:
Tax returns in the United States are reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or with the state or local tax collection agency (California Franchise Tax Board, for example) containing information used to calculate income tax or other taxes. Tax returns are generally prepared using forms prescribed by the IRS or other applicable taxing authority.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:29 pm (UTC)In common usage, people often refer to a refund of overwithheld taxes as a "tax return." This is incorrect terminology, as it should properly be called a tax refund. The term "tax return" specifically refer to the documents filed with the IRS such as Form 1040.
And yes, I'm being anal.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:39 pm (UTC)Um, yes.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 02:40 pm (UTC)it's a RETURN in the frozen northland too
Date: 2008-02-24 08:56 pm (UTC)I just spent two hours mailing out [last minute!] tax receipts for a charity I'm involved with. They were printed in August, but were spozed to piggyback into the next newsletter, and since I haven't gotten my arse around to writing same, they had to hit the mailall by themselves now.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 03:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 03:14 pm (UTC)Coincidence? :-)