On a better note, I did my taxes today and I am getting a huge refund! I haven't filed them yet, because I want to think about the deductions I'm taking but I think I am getting at least $700-800 back. And I'm getting a refund from the State of California for once.

I thought for sure I was going to owe money, which is why I've waited this long to do my taxes so I was pleasantly surprised to find out I am getting such a big refund. I claim two on my exemptions, which I was supposed to switch back to one in July but kept forgetting about. When I claimed two exemtions in 2004 I screwed myself over tax wise, but not this year.

That business license I got last year has really workjed out for me tax wise. It is definitely the way to go. I wrote off my beading classes and beading supplies, and then decided to write off all of my writing classes as well because I earned some money doing a little writing gig last year. I earned $35 working as a film panel person at the Academy of Art College for my ex-screenwriting teacher. My business license says "wholesales sales" but I think writing qualifies under my business license, don't you think?

I'm thinking I should actually switch my business license to writer, if there is such a thing. Then I could start writing off not only writing classes, but books as well. Maybe I will even write off movie tickets as research. My brother says owning your own business is the best thing a person can do to not pay too many taxes. He writes off his gym membership, clothing, his car, food, you name it, and the boy writes it off. But then he really does have a legitimate business with a few employees. But he says I can do it as well. He told me I should write off my trip to Hawaii as a business expense for my beading business, because I was showing my jewerly off to friends I know who own shops. They even asked me if I was going to make more and were very interested in selling them. Not sure if they were serious or not or just being polite, but my brother said that our interaction would qualify as a business meeting. He is so funny!