Extreme Makeover = Extreme $$ owed...

[Kalapse]

Im a cashier too. Its the exact same thing for me and everyone thinks we know where every single item is in the store and the exact price on it.

Exactly. I dont know where anything is in the store, I work on the front end which means I spend no time in grocery so I don't know where s*** is. Most of the time I'll just make up an aisle when someone asks me where something is. Like today someone asked me where he could find canned cod fish, I told him aisle 4 so he would leave me alone. Sometimes when I'm walking through the store I have to act like I'm pissed off so none of the customers will ask me questions. It sounds stupid, but I'm seriously sick of some of the questions I get asked on a daily basis.

[Kalapse]

unfortunately, looks like i'll be back showing my bagging skills again this summer unless something new comes up.

Hey, at least I can boss the new people around again.

Isn't it fun having seniority.

[HighHeat45]

Exactly. I dont know where anything is in the store, I work on the front end which means I spend no time in grocery so I don't know where s*** is. Most of the time I'll just make up an aisle when someone asks me where something is. Like today someone asked me where he could find canned cod fish, I told him aisle 4 so he would leave me alone. Sometimes when I'm walking through the store I have to act like I'm pissed off so none of the customers will ask me questions. It sounds stupid, but I'm seriously sick of some of the questions I get asked on a daily basis.

 

It does get annoying. One time when I was a bagger I had to go put some meat away and someone asked me if we had somethin i dont remember in the back and i told him i didnt know, i was only a bagger ill go get someone for you though, so i went to the back and said somone needed help and then some guy comes in back and says "I know your boss and im gunna tell her how you treated that cutomer back there and come monday youll be lookin for a job" then he left and it was only like my 3rd week so i was really nervous but never heard about it again.

[Rex Hudler]

so much for this thread continuing.......

[knightni]

Getting back to he topic...

 

I believe that ABC/Sears will figure out a way to solve the situation.

 

You'd think that there would have been a stipulation in the contract somewhere.

[SoxFan562004]

I also worked at a grocery, and absolutely hated it.  I got a new job for the summer though....woo hoo!

I admire you guys who work at grocery stores. It seems like people check their sanity at the door in those stores. I worked at TCF bank inside a Jewel and saw what complete nutcases and assholes some people can be in grocery stores.

[GoodAsGould]

yep i was a bagger too, who would of thought the lowest person on the chain would get the most grief from customers, Ive never ever gotten so many threats in my life like If that bag breaks its your ass and s*** like that. Although sometimes when you help people take stuff to their car they give you some tips which is sweet although you arent allowed to accept them but screw Jewel

 

anyways back to that house thing, i think the show should pick up the extra money being spent.

[Cali]

Getting back to he topic...

 

I believe that ABC/Sears will figure out a way to solve the situation.

 

You'd think that there would have been a stipulation in the contract somewhere.

 

ABC? I doubt it. They used the family for all they needed. Ratings. I'm pretty sure they've washed they're hands of the situation. I would be very surprised if they helped out. But it's not like I haven't been wrong before.

 

Maybe Sears will, but I really doubt ABC will.

[Kid Gleason]

This has become a friggin' Baggers Convention!!! When does the nekkid chick bust out of the giant paper bag?

 

As for the topic, ABC or Sears will have to fix it, or it will become one of the ugliest PR nightmares they could run into. They should have done better checks to make sure the family would be O.K. in the aftermath.

[Kalapse]

I admire you guys who work at grocery stores.  It seems like people check their sanity at the door in those stores.  I worked at TCF bank inside a Jewel and saw what complete nutcases and assholes some people can be in grocery stores.

Thank you for the kind words. I just finished an 8 hour shift on the day before Easter, which means it was f***ing crowded as hell. I am deathly ill with the flu and I missed the entire Illini game, I wasn't exactly pleasant to the jackass customers.

[Kid Gleason]

I just finished an 8 hour shift on the day before Easter...I am deathly ill with the flu...

 

Good to know your job deals with something that people don't have close contact with...like their food.

[Texsox]

That makes NO sense to me at all.  Why in the hell would they have to pay income taxes on an asset before they sell it and realize the income?  You don't pay taxes on a stock that skyrockets, until you sell it and actually realize the profit. 

 

Rex,

 

Switch it around and see how this could be abused. What if an employer offered a housing makeover and paid $1800 per month for someone's mortgage? That would be a great way to shield income from taxes, and our government doesn't like people to shield income from taxes. Car allowances, company provided cars, are taxable as income. I was relocated and until I could find a house and get my stuff down here and moved in the company provided housing. I paid taxes on that, there was a corresponding write off that may have balanced, but I don't remember.

 

Using the stock analogy, you paid for the stock with taxable income. If the company paid you in stock, and then you turned around and sold it, would you be taxed on the amount at the time it was given to you, the sale amount, or the gain?

 

This seems to fall into the gift arena. There are limits as to the amount you can receive as a gift from friends, family, and even strangers.

[Rex Kickass]

That makes NO sense to me at all.  Why in the hell would they have to pay income taxes on an asset before they sell it and realize the income?  You don't pay taxes on a stock that skyrockets, until you sell it and actually realize the profit. 

 

Also, I am no accountant, but I am pretty sure that the tax code allows for up to $250,000 capital gain on a home before you have to pay income taxes.  I guess California state taxes could be the issue here rather than federal taxes, but this still makes no sense.  So what if they get taxed on the "value of the upgrade" and the housing market bottoms out in California in the next few years?  Do they get money back?  Hell no.  I just can't see a situation where you would be taxed on something you own until you actually gain the profits from it. Property taxes I can understand. 

 

As as aside, I think that is why they are setting up these families currently with funds to pay for increased home expenses. 

 

As far as the family in Bham goes, all is good as far as I can tell.  It's only been about a month or two, but who knows.  It can't be easy for them because it is next to impossible for both parents to work with 7 kids.  I know they did pay for a nanny service for the family for one year, so maybe that will allow the mother to work to help out.  The father is a teacher, so who knows what the future will be for them 2-3 years from now, especially if the mother can't/doesn't work.

 

Looking back at that story, makes me question it even more.  If their property taxes only doubled after the renovation, how in the hell could income tax from the increased value be "several hundred thousand" dollars?  I know California is a messed up state, but that math just doesn't add up.  Perhaps the value of the home went up several hundred thousand dollars, but income tax on that money would be much less. If the value of the home went up so much that the income tax from the increased value was several hundred thousand dollars, then the property tax would sure hell more than double.  It would unless the California tax code is THAT screwed up.

 

I'm guessing what they meant is that the valuation of the house went up several hundred thousand dollars which meant the taxes went up a few K.

[Rex Hudler]

Rex,

 

Switch it around and see how this could be abused. What if an employer offered a housing makeover and paid $1800 per month for someone's mortgage? That would be a great way to shield income from taxes, and our government doesn't like people to shield income from taxes. Car allowances, company provided cars, are taxable as income. I was relocated and until I could find a house and get my stuff down here and moved in the company provided housing. I paid taxes on that, there was a corresponding write off that may have balanced, but I don't remember.

 

Using the stock analogy, you paid for the stock with taxable income. If the company paid you in stock, and then you turned around and sold it, would you be taxed on the amount at the time it was given to you, the sale amount, or the gain?

 

This seems to fall into the gift arena. There are limits as to the amount you can receive as a gift from friends, family, and even strangers.

 

I see what you are saying, but I just can't see making someone pay tax on money they haven't received. If I give you a gift that is taxable you have that gift. If the value of your home goes up, it could just as easily go down the next year if the housing market bottoms out. All of a sudden I have had to pay tax on money I no longer and in reality never really had.

 

If they put a million dollar house in a neighborhod with $300,000 homes, do you really think the million dollar house is worth that in the true market? You can appraise it as such, but until someone actually pays a million for it and decides to live amongst smaller homes, then it truly doesn't have that value. Like a rare baseball card, its book value is one thing, what someone will actually pay for it is another.

 

Its not black and white, I understand that.

 

On a side note, on tonight's episode, they are emphasizing energy efficiency. I have heard the comments that they don't want to build a house that the family cannot afford more than once.

Edited March 28, 2005 by Rex Hudler

[Texsox]

A similar situation occured when you have the $300,000 house and development of $1,000,000 homes happen all around you. You're real and "paper" values go up. Most tax districts base your appraised value on similar houses that have sold in your neighborhood. It isn't an exact science.

 

The whole gift thing is weird anyways. If I spend post tax income on a gift for someone, why should they have to pay tax on it.

 

I would assume that the building materials were expensed as promotional and the appropriate tax advantages taken. I guess this is where we even it up

[mreye]

If ABC / Sears doesn't take care of this themselves, I'm sure they'll set up some kind of fund or benefit. The real idiots here are the law makers that are going after this family. I'm sure that town benefited more from all the attention they got during the remodel than the tax dollars they are attempting to get.

[Rex Hudler]

Here is a little clarification and the original article that reported this situation. all of this is based on the speculation of some tax experts as to what the IRS might do. There are varying opinions on whether this would be considered taxable, like game show prizes. My best guess is that the IRS will not want the negative publicity and not seek the taxes. The state said they would follow the interpretation of the IRS. Nowhere has there even been any comment by the IRS, so this is all just speculation.

 

The original article...... Extreme tax bill

[Kalapse]

Who the hell shifted the conversation back on topic?

[Queen Prawn]

A similar situation occured when you have the $300,000 house and development of $1,000,000 homes happen all around you. You're real and "paper" values go up. Most tax districts base your appraised value on similar houses that have sold in your neighborhood. It isn't an exact science.

 

That's exactly what happened in my neighborhood. They built three houses that each sold for about 400K. That, as our Alderwoman told us will end up raising taxes at least a bit.

 

Before the houses were finished we finished a gut and remodel on our house and that raised the value from 140K (or so) to about 300K (or so). At this point we are some how protected from it going up for another year, but after that we have been told it will go up quite a bit.

[Rex Hudler]

That's exactly what happened in my neighborhood.  They built three houses that each sold for about 400K.  That, as our Alderwoman told us will end up raising taxes at least a bit.

 

Before the houses were finished we finished a gut and remodel on our house and that raised the value from 140K (or so) to about 300K (or so).  At this point we are some how protected from it going up for another year, but after that we have been told it will go up quite a bit.

 

That's property tax, not income tax. Not the same thing. If the value of your house goes up whether it is because you remodeled, or other houses around you sell for more, a new development pops up nearby and makes your neighborhood more attractive or for whatever reason, then the assessment on your house will go up, meaning increased property taxes. It also means your house is worth more to your net worth and eventually puts more money in your pocket when you sell.

 

That is all very different than what they are talking about with this family. This whole thing is that a few tax "experts" are interpreting the IRS code one way and the company that puts all of this together for the families is interpreting it another way. If the "experts" win, then all of the houses done on the show will be affected. We are talking federal income tax law. The "experts" are saying that the IRS will interpret everything the family received the same way prizes on a game show are taxed. The company that does all of this for ABC set it up so that would not apply.

 

This is strictly interpretation and the only one that matters will belong to the IRS. And I really doubt the IRS will go after this money. I think the PR hit would be way too big for them to do so, because it will affect every other family who has had a makeover, effectively end one of the most popular shows on TV that is doing genuinely good things for people in tough predicaments. I know the government isn't the smartest all the time, but my guess is that if they did decided this is "taxable income" the public outcry would be enough for them to change their interpretation or to rewrite the code allowing such renovations only in very specific circumstances.

 

Just my two cents....

[Queen Prawn]

That's property tax, not income tax.  Not the same thing. 

 

No kidding, where did I say it was?

 

I was just showing a real world example based on the comment Tex made.

[dasox24]

Who the hell shifted the conversation back on topic?

I don't know. Anyway, back to off-topic: I did work at a grocery store as a bagger last summer. It wasn't so bad, but I definitely didn't look forward to going to work for that 7-8 hours a day. Although, they usually had me work nights. That was both good and bad. I couldn't go out as much, but I am not a morning person, so it was pretty sweet not really ever having to wake up early. I normally started work anywhere from 1:00 to 4:00 and finished from 8:00 to 12:00. Luckily, this summer I've got a much better, yet more physically demanding job lined up. I'm gonna work putting in basketball floors for this guy that owns his own flooring co. It'll be pretty tough at first, I'm sure, but I'll get used to it, and it pays about twice as much as bagging groceries, so I'm pretty excited about it. Plus, I'm gonna be working w/ my best friend, so that'll help work go by a lot faster.

[greasywheels121]

I don't know.  Anyway, back to off-topic: I did work at a grocery store as a bagger last summer.  It wasn't so bad, but I definitely didn't look forward to going to work for that 7-8 hours a day.  Although, they usually had me work nights. That was both good and bad.  I couldn't go out as much, but I am not a morning person, so it was pretty sweet not really ever having to wake up early.  I normally started work anywhere from 1:00 to 4:00 and finished from 8:00 to 12:00.  Luckily, this summer I've got a much better, yet more physically demanding job lined up.  I'm gonna work putting in basketball floors for this guy that owns his own flooring co.  It'll be pretty tough at first, I'm sure, but I'll get used to it, and it pays about twice as much as bagging groceries, so I'm pretty excited about it.  Plus, I'm gonna be working w/ my best friend, so that'll help work go by a lot faster.

 

Same here. I'm done w/ the grocery biz. I'm working at a golf course this summer. Wage is better, I get tips, working with some good friends, AND I get some free golf. It's going to be a good summer.

[southsider2k5]

Same here.  I'm done w/ the grocery biz.  I'm working at a golf course this summer.  Wage is better, I get tips, working with some good friends, AND I get some free golf.  It's going to be a good summer.

 

I worked at a pro shop for 3 summers, and it was awesome. Make sure you keep in touch with the people you meet, it could be some good post-graduation connections.

[dasox24]

Same here.  I'm done w/ the grocery biz.  I'm working at a golf course this summer.  Wage is better, I get tips, working with some good friends, AND I get some free golf.  It's going to be a good summer.

That'll be sweet. I tried getting a job at a golf course last summer, but it didn't work out. My brother and some of his friends used to work at a golf course during the summers, and they got paid well. I think u'll have a good time working there.