Filing taxes for the first time can be frightening, but it is something that everyone must learn to do. Workers must have patience and a focused mind to get through taxes. For seniors who are turning 18, now is the time for them to do it.
Victoria Shaw (12) works at the Subway on Broadway. She isn’t nervous about filing her taxes. She is doing so many things for the first time, and this is just another notch under her belt. “I am one of the first in my family to go to college. I am the first to go into the nursing field, and this is the first time I will be filing my taxes. I don’t have a nervous personality because life is full of firsts and you will have to face every one of them,” Shaw said.
Though Shaw is confident about doing her taxes, Alexis Weaver (12) is nervous — but she won’t be doing them alone. Weaver’s dad will ease the burden off his daughter’s shoulders by aiding her with her taxes. The hassle of working, getting good grades to maintain scholarships, and now filing taxes for the first time is a lot to juggle. “I am anxious about it all. I want my money back, but I don’t want to mess any of the information needed up. I appreciate my dad being there for me to help me get through my first round of taxes,” Weaver said.
Rachel Hurrigan (12) has worked multiple places and has filed her taxes a number of times. Hurrigan was once not sure where to start with doing taxes. Hurrigan looked to her mother to help her file them and it was one less thing she had to worry about. “When I stopped letting my mother be my crutch, I learned to do them on my own, it wasn’t hard- just a lot to keep up with,” Hurrigan said. “You have to make sure you have all your ducks in a row.” For all of the first time tax filers at Manual, this is just another step on the road to adulthood.
Employees do not, however, have to file taxes alone. Companies like TurboTax exist to file people’s taxes for them, advertising that not anyone should file a person’s taxes. One student, in addition to filing her own taxes, works for a tax-filing company herself. Yazmin Martinez (12) works at Latino Taxes, a family owned business with two locations; one in Clarksville, IN and another in town on the Outer Loop. Martinez got the job after her mother asked if she would like to work for a family friend. Martinez was hesitant at first with her busy schedule and couldn’t give an answer. However, in December 2011, Martinez began to train for a week, and she made the decision to take the job. “Doing taxes is like a puzzle; you finally think you have it and then you have to start over, but once you have it you have it. Filing taxes takes a focused mind, because it’s super tedious,” Martinez said.
