The Wonders of Taxes

October 3, 1990

`YOU know,'' said Harlen Bigbear, ``they got people who get paid for figuring out ways of breaking things down into little pieces.'' Harlen always talked like this around tax time.

``Categories, that's what they call them.''

Harlen would spend a good month musing about the wonders of taxes, and then he would take his T4s over to Louise Heavyman.

``They got names for those categories that I can't even pronounce. You know why they do that, Will?''

I took my tax forms to Louise too. Neither of us could be trusted with the mysteries of simple addition.

``Bank called me up, Will. Said I was overdrawn again. You know, they must have made a mistake.''