Remember your shock the first time you looked at your face in a magnifying mirror? Your flawless complexion, magnified several levels, showed everything you'd never see by looking into an ordinary mirror.
That’s what happens when you learn what the numbers mean on your income tax return. You get a much closer look at what is going on financially in your marriage.
Every year on April 15, my husband would race into the house at
9:00 pm with the tax return he’d just picked up from his accountant.
“The Post Office is open till midnight, so sign here honey,” he’d say, handing me a pen, and pointing to the pages with the little yellow tabs waiting for my signature.
Like most wives I know, I was on automatic pilot. “Sign here Honey” meant just that. I was relieved at the time that I didn’t have to be involved with what I considered to be, like mowing the lawn or cleaning out the garage, my husband’s job.
Today, knowing how foolish that can be, I’d never sign a form, contract or agreement or legal document that I don’t understand. That goes for the tax return as well.
Typically, your husband isn’t going to intentionally falsify information on the return. On the other hand, he might be doing exactly that. As soon as you sign, you’re agreeing to the accuracy of the information and the government assumes you understood what you signed.
However, “Sign here Honey” may be three little words that can come back to haunt you if you are ever divorced or widowed.
My friend Betty earned a six-figure income with a large corporation. She managed huge budgets and financial commitments affecting hundreds of employees. But when it came to her marital finances, Betty assumed the role of traditional wife, letting her husband Mike manage their finances.
During her divorce proceedings a few years ago, Betty was asked if she saw the tax returns annually. She did. Did she review them? No, frankly, she trusted her husband. Wasn’t she concerned about what she was signing? No. Three years after their divorce was final, Betty was still wrangling with the IRS about her ex-husband’s underreported income.
Your husband isn’t necessarily trying to hide things from you by preparing the return. He does it because you don't. So ask him to explain what the numbers mean. He might be relieved that you’re finally taking an interest in the marital finances.
If an accountant is doing your taxes, attend the meeting with your husband. This is a great place to ask questions because the accountant can explain things to you that often your husband doesn’t fully understand. Remember, you have to show interest, especially if you’ve made it a point not to be involved over the years.
“Sign here Honey” takes on a totally different meaning when you’re participating as a financially intimate partner.
That’s what happens when you learn what the numbers mean on your income tax return. You get a much closer look at what is going on financially in your marriage.
Every year on April 15, my husband would race into the house at
9:00 pm with the tax return he’d just picked up from his accountant.
“The Post Office is open till midnight, so sign here honey,” he’d say, handing me a pen, and pointing to the pages with the little yellow tabs waiting for my signature.Like most wives I know, I was on automatic pilot. “Sign here Honey” meant just that. I was relieved at the time that I didn’t have to be involved with what I considered to be, like mowing the lawn or cleaning out the garage, my husband’s job.
Today, knowing how foolish that can be, I’d never sign a form, contract or agreement or legal document that I don’t understand. That goes for the tax return as well.
Typically, your husband isn’t going to intentionally falsify information on the return. On the other hand, he might be doing exactly that. As soon as you sign, you’re agreeing to the accuracy of the information and the government assumes you understood what you signed.
However, “Sign here Honey” may be three little words that can come back to haunt you if you are ever divorced or widowed.
My friend Betty earned a six-figure income with a large corporation. She managed huge budgets and financial commitments affecting hundreds of employees. But when it came to her marital finances, Betty assumed the role of traditional wife, letting her husband Mike manage their finances.
During her divorce proceedings a few years ago, Betty was asked if she saw the tax returns annually. She did. Did she review them? No, frankly, she trusted her husband. Wasn’t she concerned about what she was signing? No. Three years after their divorce was final, Betty was still wrangling with the IRS about her ex-husband’s underreported income.
Your husband isn’t necessarily trying to hide things from you by preparing the return. He does it because you don't. So ask him to explain what the numbers mean. He might be relieved that you’re finally taking an interest in the marital finances.
If an accountant is doing your taxes, attend the meeting with your husband. This is a great place to ask questions because the accountant can explain things to you that often your husband doesn’t fully understand. Remember, you have to show interest, especially if you’ve made it a point not to be involved over the years.
“Sign here Honey” takes on a totally different meaning when you’re participating as a financially intimate partner.
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