Anyone affected by the Federal Government shut down?

[marcyleecorgan]

I work with our National Guard soldiers now and they will not be getting paid. Majority of IN should have been going to drill this weekend and it was cancelled due to gov't shut down. People took time off work, drove hours on their own dime and will not get their drill pay this month. They will also be shorted for retirement points and deposits into retirement accounts. Some people completely depend on this pay included in their budget and now can be short several hundred dollars.

Additionally this month is scheduled to be their medical processing time and contracts with local health offices and traveling health offices across the state and money possible wasted because they get paid whether we had the SRP or not.

Lastly and this is what pisses me off. If any service member should die while this gov't is shut down, the family will not receive the $100k death gratuity until the gov't is back up. Also, yesterday was first day of gov't shutdown. I lost a service member to suicide earlier this week and his funeral was yesterday. We were scrambling to find volunteers for the honor guard because those that normally do it and get paid could not do it because they could not "report" for duty. That's pretty messed up.

I'm liking, NOT because I approve of what has happened but to give you some *internet hugs* that is just... OOOH awful!

 

[kdonnel]

I get that it doesn't necessarily affect you personally and get your point. Having just spent the last week horrified and upset about the story in the news about the 13 kids with crazy parents that have absolutely no relationship to me, I can pretty much guarantee you that I would be affected by this news story even if it didn't touch me personally. How can something that affects so many people be a non event?

The event you mentioned was a non event for me as well. I am not an emotional person and see no reason to get worked up about people I don’t know and will never know.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have no critical need and use no government service on a daily basis. I have not visited a federal government office or phoned, or emailed a federal government office in the past 5 years. There is nothing in my dealing with the federal government that could not wait weeks or months.

The federal government being shutdown will not effect me.

Other then being barred from accessing historical sites on Puerto Rico, I have NEVER been effected by any of the prior government shutdowns.

Because this has occurred right at tax season that's probably the main one I can think of. I don't know your tax situation so it's possible it won't affect you at all.

This was one of the things that was listed on a local article regarding some of the various things that are and are not impacted:

~Tax refund: "if you're expecting a refund, it might well be delayed."

The tax refund thing will depend on how long the shutdown impacts it of course. At least currently it's happening early on in the tax season so there's a good amount of time leftover.

 

[OhhBother]

We're going on a cruise in Europe in April with parents. My parents applied for their passports about three weeks ago, and we sent our passport renewal applications in two weeks ago. Hoping this doesn't delay delivery.

 

[kdonnel]

Because this has occurred right at tax season that's probably the main one I can think of. I don't know your tax situation so it's possible it won't affect you at all.

This was one of the things that was listed on a local article regarding some of the various things that are and are not impacted:

~Tax refund: "if you're expecting a refund, it might well be delayed."

The tax refund thing will depend on how long the shutdown impacts it of course. At least currently it's happening early on in the tax season so there's a good amount of time leftover.

I don’t typically file until late March or early April. Always waiting on the final brokerage document. I also have taken the time over several years to adjust my withholding to be as close to zero owed/returned. Last year I owed $200.

I really don’t expect this to last until March but if it does then after a couple months I will be affected.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don’t typically file until late March or early April. Always waiting on the final brokerage document. I also have taken the time over several years to adjust my withholding to be as close to zero owed/returned. Last year I owed $200.

I really don’t expect this to last until March but if it does then after a couple months I will be affected.

Gotcha

 

[MillauFr]

You had this backwards. Here I fixed it for you...

Their #1 job is to represent the ideals, beliefs, and morals of those who gave them campaign contributions. In this case that is what both sides are doing. They are holding firm to what they believe those who elected them want done.

#2 job of Congress is to pass a budget. They have failed to do that but that does not mean they are not doing their job.

 

[MillauFr]

The IRS won't be able to process any tax returns or send any refunds while the government is shutdown. Another reason why should always make sure you owe extra when you send in your return.

 

[NinaBella]

It’s Hilarious that some think the shutdown doesn’t effect them. Yesterday, a service I typically use once a year called saying they are in my neighborhood this month and offered to schedule me. I said sorry, I can’t schedule anything until after the shutdown because we have to watch our money since DH paycheck may be delayed. I told her to call back when the government reopens. I have seen many other posts where people’s loyal clients have had to cancel appointments for services because of the unknown. This hurts small business owners. I fully expect to go to work tomorrow and take phone calls from clients who will be asking for special payment arrangements (my company’s primary clients are military families). This impacts the economy as a whole where people will not be able to spend as usual. It might be short-term but the civilian sector will feel the impact, especially those businesses near military installations.

 

[NinaBella]

The IRS won't be able to process any tax returns or send any refunds while the government is shutdown. Another reason why should always make sure you owe extra when you send in your return.

What do you mean “make sure you owe extra?” This doesn’t make sense to me. We have extra money taken out Of each paycheck to ensure we never owe. LoL. We came to having to pay in one year so we set DH paycheck to pay an extra amount each pay period. I never want to owe the IRS.

 

[longboard55]

Will not effect us at all.

 

[Action City]

We're going on a cruise in Europe in April with parents. My parents applied for their passports about three weeks ago, and we sent our passport renewal applications in two weeks ago. Hoping this doesn't delay delivery.

Passport and visa services will not be effected.

 

[DLgal]

Active military were paid on the 15th, like normal. Their next payday is Feb 1. They are not working right now without getting paid. IF the shutdown continues past Feb 1 and there is no emergency bill to fund their paychecks then we can say they are working without pay.

What does suck is like Tina stated, the families of those soldiers who lose their lives before the shutdown is ended have to wait for funeral services and the death gratuity.

You are mistaken. First of all, military troops routinely work on weekends. All those men and women deployed work 24/7 their whole deployment. There are no "days off." My husband's last deployment was 10 months. In that 10 months, he got exactly one 24 hour period "off" because he had a 103 fever and was quarantined to his bed. He worked ever single day otherwise. There are currently thousands of deployed troops working right now, in addition to the thousands more stateside who are required to work on weekends.

Second, the military has not been funded past Jan 19. They are currently working without pay, although they will eventually be paid for these days. BUT, the next paycheck due to come Feb 1 was supposed to cover Jan 16-31. There will be NO paycheck coming on the 1st of February for any military active duty. They cannot be paid without funding, and the contractor that processes the military payroll will not be doing any work until a budget is passed or a bill to find the military without disruption to pay is passed. They have technically been paid for 4 work days out of the 15 day work cycle. However, as I mentioned, there is no one to process that payroll, so there won't be a check coming on the 1st for even those 4 days.

FWIW, my information comes from the official government notice sent out to my husband's work email address (he is responsible for passing this information along to his Marines) from the Department of Defense and signed by General Mattis (Secretary of Defense). It was dated yesterday, Jan 20.

 

[MillauFr]

What do you mean “make sure you owe extra?” This doesn’t make sense to me. We have extra money taken out Of each paycheck to ensure we never owe. LoL. We came to having to pay in one year so we set DH paycheck to pay an extra amount each pay period. I never want to owe the IRS.

When I file I always have to write them a check. I never get a refund

 

[Christine]

When I file I always have to write them a check. I never get a refund

This is my goal also. I don't want to owe them so much that I get a penalty, but if I owe them $200, I feel like I've done a great job.

 

[MillauFr]

This is my goal also. I don't want to owe them so much that I get a penalty, but if I owe them $200, I feel like I've done a great job.

One year I owed them 5000 when I filed. The penalty was only 38 dollars. Not a big deal

 

[NinaBella]

When I file I always have to write them a check. I never get a refund

That doesn’t clarify “make sure you owe extra.” EXTRA being the word sticking out to me.


We would have to write a check as well
if we did not purposely schedule DH paycheck to have an extra amount taken out each pay period. We prefer filing and breaking even or getting a small return back. We never want to owe the IRS. The refund we get is put in our annual vacation savings account anyways.

 

[Christine]

That doesn’t clarify “make sure you owe extra.” EXTRA being the word sticking out to me.


We would have to write a check as well
if we did not purposely schedule DH paycheck to have an extra amount taken out each pay period. We prefer filing and breaking even or getting a small return back. We never want to owe the IRS. The refund we get is put in our annual vacation savings account anyways.

Just curious why you have the strong feeling on never wanting to owe the IRS? I don't care either way, I'm just sensing a real strong feeling about it. Am I missing something about it being a bad thing?

 

[kdonnel]

It’s Hilarious that some think the shutdown doesn’t effect them.

Everyone has a different situation.

I am not changing my spending at all because of the shutdown.

It’s hilarious that some think the shutdown effects everyone.

 

[monsterkitty]

You are mistaken. First of all, military troops routinely work on weekends. All those men and women deployed work 24/7 their whole deployment. There are no "days off." My husband's last deployment was 10 months. In that 10 months, he got exactly one 24 hour period "off" because he had a 103 fever and was quarantined to his bed. He worked ever single day otherwise. There are currently thousands of deployed troops working right now, in addition to the thousands more stateside who are required to work on weekends.

Second, the military has not been funded past Jan 19. They are currently working without pay, although they will eventually be paid for these days. BUT, the next paycheck due to come Feb 1 was supposed to cover Jan 16-31. There will be NO paycheck coming on the 1st of February for any military active duty. They cannot be paid without funding, and the contractor that processes the military payroll will not be doing any work until a budget is passed or a bill to find the military without disruption to pay is passed. They have technically been paid for 4 work days out of the 15 day work cycle. However, as I mentioned, there is no one to process that payroll, so there won't be a check coming on the 1st for even those 4 days.

FWIW, my information comes from the official government notice sent out to my husband's work email address (he is responsible for passing this information along to his Marines) from the Department of Defense and signed by General Mattis (Secretary of Defense). It was dated yesterday, Jan 20.

My nephew is currently serving in the Navy on an aircraft carrier. I'm just posting what he has said.

ETA, I'm not stupid. I know the military works 24/7 365. I know there are no days off. I really didn't think they worked a 5 day work week of 9-5.