While for some, April 15th conjures up feelings of stress, writing large checks and general anxiety. Or if you’re a CPA, utter relief and celebration… The world of taxes is a complex maze to navigate. Regarded by some as the smartest man who ever lived, even Albert Einstein was no fan of figuring out his taxes, once remarking, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”

But it’s not all bad news, here’s some fun to hopefully liven up your Tax Day.

Freebies and Deals (in case your refund hasn’t arrived or if you’re one of the lucky few writing a check):

  • Stop by any Ben and Jerry’s today (April 14th) for a free ice cream cone between 12-8pm.
  • Cinnabon is back again for 2015, giving customers a free bite (actually two bite sized cinnamon rolls) to eat on April 15th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at participating locations.
  • Whole Foods, yep – you read that correct, WHOLE FOODS, will be waiving sales tax on April 15th on purchases at participating locations.

Fun Facts for Tax Day:

  • Perhaps we shouldn’t even call April 15 tax day. Refund day might be better, since three out of every four families in the United States actually get money back from the IRS this time of year.
  • The federal tax code is 2,652 pages long. But even that isn’t the whole story. When you look at the accompanying IRS regulations and case law, the Standard Federal Tax Reporter clocks in at 70-thousand pages.
  • The IRS sends out 8 billion pages of forms and instructions each year. Laid end to end, they would stretch 28 times around the earth.
  • Around the turn of the 20th century, it only took the average American three weeks to make enough money to pay their state and federal taxes. Today it takes until April and beyond! Tax Freedom Day is the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough money to pay its federal, state, and local tax bill for the year; this year it is calculated to be April 24th (114 days into the year).

Tax Quotes:

  • What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin. –– Mark Twain
  • I’m proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money. – Arthur Godfrey
  • The taxpayer: that’s someone who works for the federal government, but doesn’t have to take a civil service examination. –Ronald Reagan
  • The difference between death and taxes is death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.–Will Rogers
  • You don’t pay taxes–they take taxes.–Chris Rock
  • For a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.–Winston Churchill