Happy Tax Day!
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I consider myself a world-class procrastinator. But, I never have waited until 15 April to file. Usually, it is a few days prior. This year (early on I “ballpark” my return), I miscalculated deductions and Uncle Sam owed me. I filed (hand-written to annoy the IRS) the return in February.
Re: yesterday’s post on Washington, DC Emancipation Day: it’s the reason today, not yesterday (15 April was Sunday), is tax drop-dead day.
Of course, taxation is theft. Which is the opposite of the democrats/left’s theory that “You deplorable peons are lucky the government lets you keep that much of its money.”
In the UK, the Tax Year traditionally ended on Lady Day (25 March) inclusive.
However, when the Calendar Act 1751 (24 Geo III c 23) dropped 11 days from the calendar (2 September 1752 was followed by 14 September), it was amended in the House of Lords to provide the Tax Year would henceforth end on 5 April – They were not about to pay a extra 11 days’ Land Tax.
In Scotland, the Julain and the Gregorian Calendars were often used indiscriminately from about 1600, especially by merchants. There are many surviving examples of Bills of Exchange, Bills of Lading and Charter parties with OS (Old Style) or NS (New Style) added to the date.
A curious fact is that St Teresa of Avila died after Vespers on the night of the 4 and 15 October 1582. Her feast day is the 15 October.