Registering cars has been one of my least favorite things. I had no idea that I would end up importing and registering 6 cars in four years. Here is a look back at my first experience. It has not become easier but I am able to do it a little faster now!
Click here to learn about the very first time
20 September 2013
18 September 2013
The IRS - the world wide leader in efficiency and customer service!
I may have mentioned once or twice in the past four years that Serbia is the master of Bureaucracy. You can count on everything taking twice as long and usually several days to get all the completed paperwork turned in. I thought this was the worst, until I had a little run in with America's won IRS.
In April we recieved a notice that our refund had been changed to $0.00. You are reading that correctly, the IRS had reduced our refund to nothing, nista, nada. So on April 22 I made my first of 12 calls to this well oiled machine. After over an hour of holds and transfers (this would be the norm) I was told that we did not qualify for the Child Tax Credit. But we did, so shockingly the IRS made a mistake which was admitted to on the third phone call. (Basically some auditor misread our W2, don't lose hope America). This was going to be easy all we needed to do was fax our Tax return to them. I chuckled and said "you meant scan and email, right, not fax". The reply "sir we do not have access to email". So apparently I was supposed to hop in my time machine and go back to 1988 so I could have access to a fax machine, because the huge agency that the IRS is does not have access to email. (I understand people use faxes still, but I know no one in Serbia with a fax machine and if they had one they were not going to let me fax a 15 page document internationally). So our company in the states faxed the documents twice, because a subsequent call told me the first one did not make it (or was misplaced is probably more like it). After that we were told our paperwork would be reviewed and that would take 6-8 weeks. So it took two weeks to steal my money and will take two months to get it back... well played IRS.
I made a few calls just checking on the progress and write before our 8 weeks was up we received another notice that it would be 40 more days. Remember this was not to get the money this was to review the paperwork to see if we qualified for the money that they had already admitted to was ours. GRRRRRR!
Finally this week the deadline passed and I called the IRS for the 12th time (and lets be honest not the last time). I was told that we did qualify for the refund! I said then the check is on the way, correct. Nope not correct, they were waiting to see if I called before they mailed the check. They gave me the lame, we needed an address excuse. So the address I had given you the past 11 calls and that is on my tax return, surely that would have worked. I was very kind and happy to know that in 4-6 weeks we should receive our refund. The IRS - the world wide leader in efficiency and customer service!
So to review our tax return was filed in February and we hope to receive our refund in November, about two months before we file again!
As a side note if you have to deal with the IRS and a MRS. Nelson answers your call, hang up and start over. She is the rudest lady in the entire organization.
In April we recieved a notice that our refund had been changed to $0.00. You are reading that correctly, the IRS had reduced our refund to nothing, nista, nada. So on April 22 I made my first of 12 calls to this well oiled machine. After over an hour of holds and transfers (this would be the norm) I was told that we did not qualify for the Child Tax Credit. But we did, so shockingly the IRS made a mistake which was admitted to on the third phone call. (Basically some auditor misread our W2, don't lose hope America). This was going to be easy all we needed to do was fax our Tax return to them. I chuckled and said "you meant scan and email, right, not fax". The reply "sir we do not have access to email". So apparently I was supposed to hop in my time machine and go back to 1988 so I could have access to a fax machine, because the huge agency that the IRS is does not have access to email. (I understand people use faxes still, but I know no one in Serbia with a fax machine and if they had one they were not going to let me fax a 15 page document internationally). So our company in the states faxed the documents twice, because a subsequent call told me the first one did not make it (or was misplaced is probably more like it). After that we were told our paperwork would be reviewed and that would take 6-8 weeks. So it took two weeks to steal my money and will take two months to get it back... well played IRS.
I made a few calls just checking on the progress and write before our 8 weeks was up we received another notice that it would be 40 more days. Remember this was not to get the money this was to review the paperwork to see if we qualified for the money that they had already admitted to was ours. GRRRRRR!
Finally this week the deadline passed and I called the IRS for the 12th time (and lets be honest not the last time). I was told that we did qualify for the refund! I said then the check is on the way, correct. Nope not correct, they were waiting to see if I called before they mailed the check. They gave me the lame, we needed an address excuse. So the address I had given you the past 11 calls and that is on my tax return, surely that would have worked. I was very kind and happy to know that in 4-6 weeks we should receive our refund. The IRS - the world wide leader in efficiency and customer service!
So to review our tax return was filed in February and we hope to receive our refund in November, about two months before we file again!
As a side note if you have to deal with the IRS and a MRS. Nelson answers your call, hang up and start over. She is the rudest lady in the entire organization.
14 September 2013
The First Day Of School
This year we celebrated two first days of school, one for home school (World Net Academy) and one for Serbian School (Dusko Radovic). Both Girls are doing home school this year. Kyleigh will do only home school every day and we will continue that next semester on our stateside. Miki is doing Serbian school every day and every other week she is doing a full home school day also (those are long weeks for the kid but she loves school). We started home school back in August so we could get ahead and have flexibility when we come to the U.S. for our stateside. I love the fact that both my kids get to spend hours every day learning form the person that loves them the most and wants the best for their future. I am blessed to have a wife that gives up time she could be doing something else to make sure our kids get everything they need. Wilson is not doing any school but he does spend three morning a week with Mira and that is all Serbian all the time. Here are some first day pics.
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| First day of World Net Academy |
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| Wilson was ready for school... poor guy has to wait |
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| First day at Dusko Radovic - 2nd Grade |
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| K caught up with her friends on their first day |
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| REUNITED |
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| Wilson going on a walk with Mira - his school day |
12 September 2013
95 DAYS!!!
100 day countdowns are way overdone so I am giving you the 95 day warning. The Stevens family, all five of us will be standing on U.S. soil, together, for the first time in 4 years in 95 Days. Our lives have changed so much, I have no idea how we will react to being back in the U.S. We have had a great four years in Serbia but are looking forward to a time of recharging our batteries. Over the coming months, provided I have time, I'll be writing some reflections as well as sharing old posts on Throwback Thursday. In the mean time, this is a song we are singing alot write now at home. We do miss "our southern comfort zone"
Throwback Thursday: Language
As I have gone back through our blog, I wrote about language ALOT! I was terrible at and am still terrible at it. Things are better but I do not know if I'll ever be good at this. Here is a short blog form 2011 with a little language explination.
LANGUAGE!
LANGUAGE!
06 September 2013
Throwback Thursday: The Great Crate Adventure
I know its Friday so if it makes you feel better call today Flashback Friday...
This week I am linking you to the blog about our crate arriving. It was a true Serbian Adventure. I can not believe we brought all this stuff across the ocean. If we knew then what we do now we would have done it very differently.
Click here for part 1
Click here for part 2
Thanks for following this crazy group and hope you enjoy it as much as we do looking back at it.
This week I am linking you to the blog about our crate arriving. It was a true Serbian Adventure. I can not believe we brought all this stuff across the ocean. If we knew then what we do now we would have done it very differently.
Click here for part 1
Click here for part 2
Thanks for following this crazy group and hope you enjoy it as much as we do looking back at it.
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