They don't give me enough credit.

I just did my taxes, and I owe a lot of money this year. I don't know how that happened. Last year I got back an almost equal amount of money, and nothing major changed in 2006. I had no credits to speak of this year: no college expenses, no dependents to claim - I wish I could claim my fat cat who insists on eating twice a day - and certainly no homestead exemptions or deductions.

I'm looking forward to doing my 2007 taxes next year. God willing, it will be the first year I will realized the American Dream of itemized deductions. Everyone always raves about the deductions and credits that come with a house. They use big words I don't understand, like points, equity, escrow, mortage interest, capital gains, and something called a tax refund. I'm going to spend so much on improving my house that my tax credits will be more than my income. Don't know how I will afford to eat, but I'll worry about that later.

But still, it does seem odd that people talk about how spending $100,000 on a house is worth it to get a very small percentage back in tax credits. That's like telling your husband that it was a good thing that you just spent $500 at Anne Taylor because you saved him $100 since it was all on sale. It's all about how you word it. The government has been doing it to us for years. Getting us all excited every April about getting money back that we rightfully earned, that was in error deprived from us monthy, that we have not been able to earn interest on because good ol' Uncle Sam is capitalizing on it for us during the year. All this talk about taxes is making me feel a little patriotic. (Cue Pollyanna singing with the Stars and Stripes in the background...."from sea to shining sea".) I guess we don't have it so bad. Ask me again next year when I have to pay real estate tax. Maybe there's a credit for that.