What paperwork do you still keep at home?

[CDGator]

Please tell me you kept the coffee cans full of miscellaneous screws and bolts and washers and nuts in the garage.

We spent most of Saturday organizing the garage. How many cans of bent nails and crooked screws does a person need? I can report that we used at least 20 of them hanging a rail for the brooms etc.

 

[Detroitgator]

Going through the safe today.

Any reason to keep an old passport?

Read my original response, especially in regards to your kids if they have old passports and you did in fact travel out of the country and there are entry/exit stamps in it (even just ONE trip)... I would have never guessed 15 years ago that my daughter, while a junior in college, would undergo as thorough a TS background check as I've ever seen (for any job, let alone an internship) and she needed to list exact dates for all travel out of the US for her entire life. Well, we had the old passports and we were able to enter the info in her electronic submission of information. We then had to FedEx them to her (3 old passports) and she had to hold them up to the camera and turn them page by page during her first video interview. She then had to physically take them in and present them for her first in-person interview. The #1 thing that knocks a lot of very qualified people out of these kind of internships is the inability to complete the TS background check before the deadline in March. Because we saved them, she was able to enter all that info quickly and not try to figure it out from old pictures or request anything from CBP or DoS and wait for it.

So, bottom line recommendation from me (especially if you have old kids ones that do have stamps) is: hang on to old passports, you never know when or why you might need them and they take up practically zero room.

PS Daughter was informed on Friday that her TS review was complete, congrats, you are officially extended an offer.

PPS Brad, I know my family is "weird" in terms of jobs and situations/scenarios, but here is something to consider regarding all of the above if you had even a moment of "yeah, i get it, but i'm not worried about it" when reading it. Let's say for some weird reason one of your daughters does go into engineering... there are an ever increasing number of engineering internships and jobs with civilian companies that require a government screening for security clearance (regardless of level). Even "Colombian Coffee Farmer Boyfriend" had to go through a security clearance screening for his engineering internship last summer. Passports are probably worth keeping if they have stamps... maybe even if no stamps.

 

[bradgator2]

Read my original response, especially in regards to your kids if they have old passports and you did in fact travel out of the country and there are entry/exit stamps in it (even just ONE trip)... I would have never guessed 15 years ago that my daughter, while a junior in college, would undergo as thorough a TS background check as I've ever seen (for any job, let alone an internship) and she needed to list exact dates for all travel out of the US for her entire life. Well, we had the old passports and we were able to enter the info in her electronic submission of information. We then had to FedEx them to her (3 old passports) and she had to hold them up to the camera and turn them page by page during her first video interview. She then had to physically take them in and present them for her first in-person interview. The #1 thing that knocks a lot of very qualified people out of these kind of internships is the inability to complete the TS background check before the deadline in March. Because we saved them, she was able to enter all that info quickly and not try to figure it out from old pictures or request anything from CBP or DoS and wait for it.

So, bottom line recommendation from me (especially if you have old kids ones that do have stamps) is: hang on to old passports, you never know when or why you might need them and they take up practically zero room.

PS Daughter was informed on Friday that her TS review was complete, congrats, you are officially extended an offer.

PPS Brad, I know my family is "weird" in terms of jobs and situations/scenarios, but here is something to consider regarding all of the above if you had even a moment of "yeah, i get it, but i'm not worried about it" when reading it. Let's say for some weird reason one of your daughters does go into engineering... there are an ever increasing number of engineering internships and jobs with civilian companies that require a government screening for security clearance (regardless of level). Even "Colombian Coffee Farmer Boyfriend" had to go through a security clearance screening for his engineering internship last summer. Passports are probably worth keeping if they have stamps... maybe even if no stamps.

You could have just said: “yes”

 

[Detroitgator]

You could have just said: “yes”

I guess, but I decided to go with this...

Read my original response, especially in regards to your kids if they have old passports and you did in fact travel out of the country and there are entry/exit stamps in it (even just ONE trip)... I would have never guessed 15 years ago that my daughter, while a junior in college, would undergo as thorough a TS background check as I've ever seen (for any job, let alone an internship) and she needed to list exact dates for all travel out of the US for her entire life. Well, we had the old passports and we were able to enter the info in her electronic submission of information. We then had to FedEx them to her (3 old passports) and she had to hold them up to the camera and turn them page by page during her first video interview. She then had to physically take them in and present them for her first in-person interview. The #1 thing that knocks a lot of very qualified people out of these kind of internships is the inability to complete the TS background check before the deadline in March. Because we saved them, she was able to enter all that info quickly and not try to figure it out from old pictures or request anything from CBP or DoS and wait for it.

So, bottom line recommendation from me (especially if you have old kids ones that do have stamps) is: hang on to old passports, you never know when or why you might need them and they take up practically zero room.

PS Daughter was informed on Friday that her TS review was complete, congrats, you are officially extended an offer.

PPS Brad, I know my family is "weird" in terms of jobs and situations/scenarios, but here is something to consider regarding all of the above if you had even a moment of "yeah, i get it, but i'm not worried about it" when reading it. Let's say for some weird reason one of your daughters does go into engineering... there are an ever increasing number of engineering internships and jobs with civilian companies that require a government screening for security clearance (regardless of level). Even "Colombian Coffee Farmer Boyfriend" had to go through a security clearance screening for his engineering internship last summer. Passports are probably worth keeping if they have stamps... maybe even if no stamps.

 

[Detroitgator]

You could have just said: “yes”

Actually, sometimes (i.e., "usually/almost always") I go with the long response because I'm trying to reach a broader (but "dim") audience who might (i.e., highly likely) read "yes" and still wonder why or think it's dumb to keep them. These people usually fly economy class too.

 

[CDGator]

PPS Brad, I know my family is "weird" in terms of jobs and situations/scenarios, but here is something to consider regarding all of the above if you had even a moment of "yeah, i get it, but i'm not worried about it" when reading it. Let's say for some weird reason one of your daughters does go into engineering... there are an ever increasing number of engineering internships and jobs with civilian companies that require a government screening for security clearance (regardless of level). Even "Colombian Coffee Farmer Boyfriend" had to go through a security clearance screening for his engineering internship last summer. Passports are probably worth keeping if they have stamps... maybe even if no stamps.

True story - daughter’s friend asked me to be one of six references required for her GE Aerospace internship she was doing this year.

 

[Detroitgator]

True story - daughter’s friend asked me to be one of six references required for her GE Aerospace internship she was doing this year.

Exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. One of the three people I consider a true friend was at UF/Army with me. He was Aerospace and after one year at Pratt, he's been GE Aircraft Engines/Aerospace his whole career. Is now the executive in charge of all their classified programs and isn't allowed to even leave the United States... not even to see his dad in Canada (yeah, he's a "half-breed" American like me!).

 

[bradgator2]

Alright, so the rule of thumb is keep tax returns for 7 years. IRS website says 3, but I have always heard 7. Which, I dont know if I even buy that anymore because everything is scanned it.

But… in 2007, the IRS accused me of not reporting income and hit me with a substantial fee. I had never worked for that company and I had to prove that to the IRS. Which, by some miracle, I was able to do.

Anywho…. Keep this dang file from 16 years ago?

PS. I got a scholarship from that research facility in college in 1998. So my name was “in their system”. In 2007, a contractor with my last name worked there. By a slip of a key stroke from payroll…. It attached my social to his paycheck reported to the IRS. It took significant legwork to prove all that to the IRS. But I did it.

 

[soflagator]

Alright, so the rule of thumb is keep tax returns for 7 years. IRS website says 3, but I have always heard 7. Which, I dont know if I even buy that anymore because everything is scanned it.

But… in 2007, the IRS accused me of not reporting income and hit me with a substantial fee. I had never worked for that company and I had to prove that to the IRS. Which, by some miracle, I was able to do.

Anywho…. Keep this dang file from 16 years ago?

PS. I got a scholarship from that research facility in college in 1998. So my name was “in their system”. In 2007, a contractor with my last name worked there. By a slip of a key stroke from payroll…. It attached my social to his paycheck reported to the IRS. It took significant legwork to prove all that to the IRS. But I did it.

Probably for the best you never actually took them up on their internship offer. I get keystroke errors. But two guys with the last name gator2? That’s ridiculous. It wasn’t an industrial smoothing company out of NY by chance was it?

 

[bradgator2]

Probably for the best you never actually took them up on their internship offer. I get keystroke errors. But two guys with the last name gator2? That’s ridiculous. It wasn’t an industrial smoothing company out of NY by chance was it?

In college, it was like a $500 scholarship from Oak Ridge National Labs. Tons of little scholarships like that in STEM fields.

In 2007, I get a letter from the IRS saying I didn’t claim income and I owe $5000 in unpaid taxes and fees. After a bazillion phone transfers and days on hold to get to the correct IRS person, the 40 second conversation goes like this:
Me: Um, you say I worked for someone and didn’t claim income. Can you tell me the company?
IRS: Yes, it was Oak Ridge National Labs
Me: I have never worked for them.
IRS: Prove it.
Me: You want me to prove that I never worked for someone? How do I do that?
IRS: That’s for you to figure out.
Me: Um. Thanks. I guess.

The navigation through Oak Ridge National Labs was long. But everyone so nice and just wanted to help and get it figured out. Which we eventually did. The CEO and HR/payroll person sent a certified letter to the IRS explaining their mistake.

But I also thought how badly it could have ended. What if the company was bankrupt or didnt exist anymore. Or were jerks and didnt want to help. Even though the letter came in 2007, it was for work performed in 2005. Is the IRS 2 years behind on actually processing this stuff? Anyway, it is something I hope to never go through again.

 

[Detroitgator]

In college, it was like a $500 scholarship from Oak Ridge National Labs. Tons of little scholarships like that in STEM fields.

In 2007, I get a letter from the IRS saying I didn’t claim income and I owe $5000 in unpaid taxes and fees. After a bazillion phone transfers and days on hold to get to the correct IRS person, the 40 second conversation goes like this:
Me: Um, you say I worked for someone and didn’t claim income. Can you tell me the company?
IRS: Yes, it was Oak Ridge National Labs
Me: I have never worked for them.
IRS: Prove it.
Me: You want me to prove that I never worked for someone? How do I do that?
IRS: That’s for you to figure out.
Me: Um. Thanks. I guess.

The navigation through Oak Ridge National Labs was long. But everyone so nice and just wanted to help and get it figured out. Which we eventually did. The CEO and HR/payroll person sent a certified letter to the IRS explaining their mistake.

But I also thought how badly it could have ended. What if the company was bankrupt or didnt exist anymore. Or were jerks and didnt want to help. Even though the letter came in 2007, it was for work performed in 2005. Is the IRS 2 years behind on actually processing this stuff? Anyway, it is something I hope to never go through again.

In terms of their systems matching up employer provided information like W2s and 1099s with what you file, it can take much, much longer than 2 years.

 

[CDGator]

We had a tree fall over in the high winds yesterday. It was perfect weather for a bonfire today while I was cleaning out the garages. Zero wind today. I had two trash bags full of documents to burn so I started feeding the fire. It was so calm that I finally sat the bag of papers on top and let it burn. Those days are rare. I had a moment of panic when I saw a IRS refund check in the fire. I got it back out but realized it was the son’s refund that he did through a mobile deposit.

 

[Seedy]

In college, it was like a $500 scholarship from Oak Ridge National Labs. Tons of little scholarships like that in STEM fields.

In 2007, I get a letter from the IRS saying I didn’t claim income and I owe $5000 in unpaid taxes and fees. After a bazillion phone transfers and days on hold to get to the correct IRS person, the 40 second conversation goes like this:
Me: Um, you say I worked for someone and didn’t claim income. Can you tell me the company?
IRS: Yes, it was Oak Ridge National Labs
Me: I have never worked for them.
IRS: Prove it.
Me: You want me to prove that I never worked for someone? How do I do that?
IRS: That’s for you to figure out.
Me: Um. Thanks. I guess.

The navigation through Oak Ridge National Labs was long. But everyone so nice and just wanted to help and get it figured out. Which we eventually did. The CEO and HR/payroll person sent a certified letter to the IRS explaining their mistake.

But I also thought how badly it could have ended. What if the company was bankrupt or didnt exist anymore. Or were jerks and didnt want to help. Even though the letter came in 2007, it was for work performed in 2005. Is the IRS 2 years behind on actually processing this stuff? Anyway, it is something I hope to never go through again.

You may already know --> Oakridge National Labs is the location they rebuilt Stuxnet to verify it truly modifies spin speeds of centrifuges.
More available here: DarknetDiaries Episode 29 -- Stuxnet – Darknet Diaries

 

[Concrete Helmet]

What kind of paperwork do I keep at home?