DEAR HARRIETTE: THE IRS has been breathing down our necks for some time now because my husband has neglected doing his taxes for years. I have begged him to get on it. I reminded him of that saying that the only constants in life are death and taxes. He scoffs at all of it.
Now the IRS is threatening to garnish his wages if he does not comply. I haven’t worked for years, so all of the financial responsibility in our family is on him. I have offered to help him get his papers together, but he refuses. I am afraid that if he doesn’t do the paperwork, we will lose everything. If his wages are garnished, we won’t be able to pay our rent or anything. How can I get him to take this seriously? -- Do Your Taxes
DEAR DO YOUR TAXES: Sit down with your husband, and lay out your worries. Tell him that you will do anything you can to help him to get your taxes in order. Remind him of the threat that you have received. In case he doesn’t know, tell him that not only can the IRS garnish his wages, they also can put him in jail. Nag him every day. Look through his papers yourself, and try to sort things out. Since it is not just his taxes but yours as well, you have every right to intervene.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)