Friday, January 30, 2015

Even Astronauts Pay Taxes

It’s been said that there are two things no one can escape: death and taxes. That statement holds very true; in fact, it’s so true that it even applies to astronauts who are orbiting above Earth. And, believe it or not, orbiting astronauts are still required to meet the annual April 15th deadline, just like everyone else.

English: Astronaut Leroy Chiao, Expedition 10 ...Leroy Chiao is a great example of how tax law knows no bounds of time or space. Chiao is a NASA astronaut, a commander, and in 2005, he had to file his taxes even though he was currently in space! Luckily for Chiao, his sister- still on Earth- is an accountant, so she pulled some maneuvers and filed to have his return deadline extended.

Chiao returned to planet Earth nine days after the tax deadline and dutifully filed his taxes. For astronauts who, unlike Chiao, don’t have accountant sisters, there are other options. Many choose to file taxes early, before they go on their missions, or they file for extensions before they head into space. Others have friends, family members, or spouses (on Earth) handle their taxes while they’re gone.


The bottom line is that, if astronauts who are in an entirely different realm can manage to file their taxes on time and, in fact, are required to do so, so are you! If you know of circumstances, such as traveling abroad, that would make it difficult for you to file on time, file for an extension or, better yet, leave your taxes in the hands of a capable accountant. Obviously, if being in space isn’t a good enough excuse to skip out on taxes, there really is no circumstance that should prevent you from doing so either. Get yourself an accountant so that you can always file on time, no matter where you happen to be.

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