The excitement of the new year barely had time to take hold before my postal carrier busted it all up. Mine was a clear case of shooting the messenger—but I was truly heated when Miss Yolanda handed me a pile of mail that included three freshly printed tax documents.

“Right,” I thought. “Party’s over. Time to start the tax prep game again.” Looking at the 1099s, I started thinking about charitable contributions I’d made in 2020, my medical expenses, and all the other things I might claim in order to reduce my tax liability. With my children all grown up, I knew claiming dependents, childcare or educational expenses would not be options.

Read the complete article on page 14 in the spring issue of Flourish Digital Magazine.