CAT TALES – Dependents – The Gadsden County Times

I have been working on my income taxes, which is a hard job made even worse with the help of my 2 cats. They climb on the computer tapping the wrong keys until I fear the IRS will think I am trying to get out of paying my fair share. When they are not doing that, they are attacking the various piles of paper that I have stashed hither and yon until I can no longer be sure they are in the proper order or even in the correct pile. What’s a cat mother to do?

If I ban them from the room with the computer and papers, I have blocked their way to the cat door and their access to their litter box. That, of course, would be a catastrophe. If I move the papers to another room, I don’t have access to them to work on the taxes. I think I must discipline them, but how?

As I’m contemplating this, I notice a new wrinkle (besides all those they’ve made in my papers). They are dragging out a paper on identifying dependents and dropping it on the computer. I am well aware of tax dependents and know I have none. I toss it aside but it is soon back on the computer.

“I know what dependents are,” I shout at them. They look at me quizzically, as if I don’t.

“I really do,” I say.

They shake their heads unbelievably, so I feel obligated to explain it to them.

“Dependents are someone who lives with you, that has no income, that you provide shelter, food and support to.” Not being a tax expert, I am not sure this is exactly right, but I think it’s close enough for the cats’ edification. They solemnly nod their heads in agreement. “So what’s the problem?” I ask.

Once again, they grab the dependent paper and deposit it on my lap. By now I’m getting aggravated. Who do these cats think they are? They are driving me crazy. Since I can’t make them understand, once again I need to call in Nurse Judy, who considers herself a cat whisperer. I sincerely doubt her claim but she has helped in the past.

“Nurse Judy,” I say, showing her the paper. “What do you make of this? These cats keep

thrusting this under my nose. What could be their motive?”

Nurse Judy takes the paper and huddles with the cats. When she returns, she gives me a scornful look.

“Did you tell these cats that a dependent is someone who lives with you?” she asks.

I nod yes.

“Did you tell them it’s someone you feed?

I nod yes.

“Did you tell them a dependent has no income?”

“I nod yes.

“Did you tell them it is someone you provide shelter and support for?”

I nod yes.

“Do you do all those things for these cats?” she asks.

I nod yes.

“Then they say you can write them off as dependents. They also say you do all these things with 2 outdoor cats so you could write them off too.”

“I don’t live with those cats,” I say belligerently before realizing how foolish that argument is. “The truth is that dependent only applies to human beings.”

She passes this information to two very disappointed felines, who had thought they were being helpful. Silly cats.

As I think about this, I decide it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check with my tax accountant just in case. Who knows?

More later,

Judy and the cats www.nursejudyinfo.com

CAT TALES – Dependents

Gadsden County Times – Legals – 2/15

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CAT TALES – Dependents

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Gadsden County Times – Legals – 2/15

Governor DeSantis Announces Plan to Combat Rising Homeless Crisis

Governor DeSantis Announces Plan to Combat Rising Homeless Crisis

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