Tax day came and went last month, and we managed to stop procrastinating just in time to get Ian's social security number. I went to the SSN office in Mobile, AL a week before the tax filing deadline. They couldn't give me the number there, and it would be 10-14 days before the card would arrive in the mail. But they said I could stop back by in a few days and they could give it to me.

Great. But I'm working in Hattiesburg, MS now. Could I pick it up at any SSN office?

Amazingly, this is one area where the government built in some common sense and flexibility! A few days later I got the number, finished the taxes and sent them in before the deadline.

There was only one other problem, and that's our fault again. We have one more bit of paperwork to file, and that's for Ian's certificate of citizenship. Once we get it, we have to go back to social security to change is status in their system. I'd hate for him to miss out on benefits in 70 years that won't be there anyway! :)

So technically, that's two things (get the CoC and take it to SSN). But we'll get around to it.

What is the deal with the procrastination? After all, Ian's been home for over a year now. I think there are a number of factors, and first is my hatred of government paperwork. It's a necessary evil, but I always put it off. Heather did most of the adoption paperwork for this very reason.

Second, we're both procrastinators. At least we are for a lot of things.

Third, Ian's already home. He's in our arms and eating our food and piercing our ears with his amazingly high-pitch shrieks. The point is he's already ours. It was a lot easier filling the days until he'd get home by doing paperwork that would help him get here. The motivation is just not there.

So we have to get our heads back on and complete the task. It's not fun, but it's got to get done.

I'll post again after Ian's second birthday and maybe report that the CoC forms are in the mail. Maybe.

James

Posts are few and far between these days, but that's because most of the actual adoption work is done now. This week we received the official copies of Ian's Alabama birth certificate, which means we can apply for his SSN and I can do the taxes. The only other item is the Certificate of Citizenship.

Taxes and adoption. Not my favorite subject lately, and probably another reason I haven't written anything on here lately. I'm mad and I was afraid I'd rant like a madman.

Basically, because our court date was moved from December to January, the adoption wasn't finalized for tax purposes in 2005. That's because of the type of visa that Ian was issued. Since Heather didn't travel to Taiwan, we didn't get the visa that the IRS requires. What does all this mean?

It means that while we can claim Ian as a dependant for 2005, we cannot claim the Adoption Tax Credit until we file our 2006 taxes in 2007. That means we wait another year before we can begin claiming the extra $10,000 tax credit we're due.

This is so much worse than having a kid born at 12:01 am on January 1st! :)

I'm mad and I'm frustrated, but at least Ian is in our arms and not on the other side of the world still.

I'll keep posting here from time to time until all the paperwork is done. In the meantime, visit my other home on the web at http://myblog.jameswoosley.com.

James

false James Woosley 2006-01-07T23:32:00-06:00 2006-01-08T05:33:06Z 2006-01-08T05:33:06Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325489.post-113669838647860665

Friday went well. The judge was great and everything turned out as expected. Details and photos soon...

James

false James Woosley 2006-01-05T22:45:00-06:00 2006-01-06T04:46:30Z 2006-01-06T04:46:30Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325489.post-113652279080895362

It finally looks like the readoption is going to take place! Tune in tomorrow night for details and hopefully pictures!

James

false