This is a guest post by Green Panda’s husband.

It’s early in tax season and if you’re expecting a refund, then you’re probably looking forward to it. On the other hand, if you aren’t expecting a refund, then you still know you’ll have to fill out some very boring IRS forms and perhaps state forms.

One day, I happened to be looking at the individual tax form for Maine and I noticed that the form gives you a smiley face if you get a refund. Maine doesn’t do anything special if you owe money, of course. But, hey, that’s neat, there’s a bit of personality here.

Maine's glad it got an interest-free loan from you

After seeing this, I wondered if any other states put a little personality into their tax forms and went digging through tax forms for other states (some this year, some last year) to find out.

Well, Utah apparently didn’t want to be outdone, and decided to sympathize with you if you owe money.

Utah doesn’t like interest-free loans of its money

As did Rhode Island.

Rhode Island doesn’t like interest-free loans of its own money

But then Rhode Island apparently figured they could take it a step further, and added clip art to their tax form.

Clipart on a tax form?

Illinois decided to add something like clip art. I guess they figured, “hey, as long they’re paying taxes, maybe they want to give more, too!” Well, at least they’re donations. But why is “giving” in quotes? Is there something I don’t know about?

Illinois makes (air-quote) giving (end air-quote) easy!

North Carolina likes to make you fill in circles.

North Carolina’s circles

Interestingly, that example circle appears after the earlier circles. I hope you didn’t mess up in filling in the circles earlier, before they gave you that help!

Now, North Carolina isn’t much for clip art. Well, maybe a dollar sign sort of counts. Yes, I’m sure they want their money in dollars.

We want you to pay in dollars. DOLLARS. Got it?

However, they don’t bother specifying that detail when you get a refund, though. Sneaky. (Either that, or they pay you in arrows? Tax forms can be so confusing at times…)

But we’ll pay YOU in arrows.

And, finally, Georgia has decided to help you out a bit if you failed basic math and are trying to figure out what percentage of your total income is taxable Georgia income. You’re on your own for all the other math on the form, though.

Ratios don’t go over 100%.

Anything I missed from the tax forms where you live?

Laura Martinez

Laura Martinez