Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Dear Mr. President, Please Add a Tax Break for Single Moms!



After completing 95% of my taxes using an online tax tool, I was amazed at the amount of my refund. For the second year in a row, I am pretty sure I’ve filled out my exemptions wrong because I’m getting too much back.

Shortly after almost completing my taxes, I went outside to clear my driveway of 8+ inches of heavy, wet snow. This was a physical feat in and of itself, not to mention the fact I am recovering from a chest cold.  Luckily my mom stayed over the night before and was inside watching Grace, allowing me the hour and a half needed to clear the driveway. What would I have done without my mom?  What must it be like to have an extra set of hands around the house to help clear the driveway on a day like this.

It was then that I realized that whatever the current tax laws are, the break compensating for being a single, working mom is FAR too small to fully compensate for the efforts needed to successfully manage a career, child/children and run a household on your own.

Where is the tax break for clearing your driveway by yourself? For maintaining a house with all of its fixes, maintenance and enhancements, knowing who to call when the heat gives out on Christmas Eve, maintaining a decent lawn & garden to add “curb appeal”, all while raising a healthy & happy child who gets to her development activities on time (or at least close to on time!)?? This doesn't include the pain and suffering incurred by amicably co-parenting with the spouse who cheated and left, the price of putting a smile on your face every day so your child has a sense of peace, and the toll it takes trying to "put yourself out there" to date in hopes of meeting someone who just make help clear the snow one day.

Dear Mr. President, please add a tax break for the single mom’s – Lord knows, we need a break!

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