--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The IRS sent back my tax return saying I…" description: "\"The IRS sent back my tax return saying I owed $800. I said If you'll notice, I sent a paper clip with my return. Given what you've been paying for thin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/emo-philips-1788_clip_the-irs-sent-back-my-tax-return-saying-i_1928570.png" --- # The IRS sent back my tax return saying I owed $800. I said… ![“The IRS sent back my tax return saying I owed $800. I said If you'll notice, I sent a paper clip with my return. Given what you've been paying for things lately, that should more than make up the difference.” quote by Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/emo-philips-1788_clip_the-irs-sent-back-my-tax-return-saying-i_1928570.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/emo-philips-1788_clip_the-irs-sent-back-my-tax-return-saying-i_1928570.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/emo-philips-1788_clip_the-irs-sent-back-my-tax-return-saying-i_1928570.png) > “The IRS sent back my tax return saying I owed $800. I said If you'll notice, I sent a paper clip with my return. Given what you've been paying for things lately, that should more than make up the difference.” [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor can be a coping tool for frustration, but absurd solutions highlight the absurdity of bureaucracy. **In simple terms:** Joking about paperwork to mock tax office. Key Takeaway Use humor to relieve stress, but seek real solutions. Themes humor frustration bureaucracy Mood ironic lighthearted Type comedic satirical When to use this quote - tax filing - customer service complaints - financial planning Key Concepts satire absurdity Questions to Reflect On - How can you address the issue seriously? - What’s a constructive way to handle tax problems? A Different Perspective Jokes don’t actually solve tax debts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Paper clips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper-clips/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [ I will absolutely give my \[tax\] return, but I'm being audited now for two or three years, so I can't do it until the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-will-absolutely-give-my-tax-return-but-i-m-being-audited-now-for/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I've never looked at a tax return without immediately losing consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-marshall/i-ve-never-looked-at-a-tax-return-without-immediately-losing/) [Rob Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-marshall/) > [Let's talk about how to fill out your 1984 tax return. Here's an often overlooked accounting technique that can save you thousands of dollars:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/let-s-talk-about-how-to-fill-out-your-1984-tax-return-here-s-an-often/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [My tax return in the United States has to be kept on a special computer because their normal computers can't deal with the numbers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-tax-return-in-the-united-states-has-to-be-kept-on-a-special/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Earlier today, the White House released President Bush's tax return. Not surprisingly, under dependents, the president listed Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/earlier-today-the-white-house-released-president-bush-s-tax-return/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [And to you taxpayers out there, let me say this: Make sure you file your tax return on time! And remember that, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/and-to-you-taxpayers-out-there-let-me-say-this-make-sure-you-file/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Everybody talks about candidate tax returns, and they release those - well, most. But medical records, that's another thing, and that arguably might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everybody-talks-about-candidate-tax-returns-and-they-release-those/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I got a letter from the IRS. Apparently I owe them $800. So I sent them a letter back. I said, If you'll remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-a-letter-from-the-irs-apparently-i-owe-them-800-so-i-sent-them/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [It must be nice to no longer have to check the sad little 'single' box on your tax return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-must-be-nice-to-no-longer-have-to-check-the-sad-little-single-box/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am terrible at doing nothing. I'm not brilliant at doing one thing at a time, either. Ideally, I would fill out my tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-am-terrible-at-doing-nothing-i-m-not-brilliant-at-doing-one-thing/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [In general, anyone who paid the long distance telephone tax will get the refund on their 2006 federal income tax return. This includes individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-goode/in-general-anyone-who-paid-the-long-distance-telephone-tax-will-get/) [Virgil Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-goode/) > [“You amaze me, Cameron.” That got a slight smile out of her. “High praise, coming from someone who knows how to kill people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/you-amaze-me-cameron-that-got-a-slight-smile-out-of-her-high-praise/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [At the moment I was mad enough to chew up nails and spit out paper clips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/at-the-moment-i-was-mad-enough-to-chew-up-nails-and-spit-out-paper/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. Never, btw, ask that androgynous paper clip anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/never-be-afraid-to-try-something-new-remember-amateurs-built-the-ark/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [I can bend paper clips into the shapes of small animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/i-can-bend-paper-clips-into-the-shapes-of-small-animals/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) ## More by Emo Philips > [Once I was in a restaurant and I dropped my fork on the floor, and they gave me a new fork. So I pushed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/once-i-was-in-a-restaurant-and-i-dropped-my-fork-on-the-floor-and/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I give money to Unicef because I like the 'bang for your buck' aspect. Here's $10, go and save 1,000 kids from blindness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-give-money-to-unicef-because-i-like-the-bang-for-your-buck-aspect/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [Libertarians believe consenting adults have the right to do whatever they choose, except band together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/libertarians-believe-consenting-adults-have-the-right-to-do-whatever/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I love England. In fact, they're getting to know me so well at Heathrow Immigration that this time I was able to completely bypass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-love-england-in-fact-they-re-getting-to-know-me-so-well-at-heathrow/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [He taught me never to smile, which helps me when I visit disaster sites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/he-taught-me-never-to-smile-which-helps-me-when-i-visit-disaster-sites/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [The way I understand it, the Russians are sort of a combination of evil and incompetence... sort of like the Post Office with tanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/the-way-i-understand-it-the-russians-are-sort-of-a-combination-of/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-in-a-fight-one-time-with-a-really-big-guy-and-he-said-i-m-going/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I don't know if I was put on this Earth for a purpose or not. But I'm fairly confident that I'll be taken off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-don-t-know-if-i-was-put-on-this-earth-for-a-purpose-or-not-but-i-m/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I got a letter from the IRS. Apparently I owe them $800. So I sent them a letter back. I said, If you'll remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-a-letter-from-the-irs-apparently-i-owe-them-800-so-i-sent-them/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [If you're worth over $50m you should have to dress like that guy on the Monopoly box. The super-rich shouldn't get all the benefits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/if-you-re-worth-over-50m-you-should-have-to-dress-like-that-guy-on/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [Race is still somewhat of a taboo in comedy. But if you're a minority, then you can make fun of your own minority. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/race-is-still-somewhat-of-a-taboo-in-comedy-but-if-you-re-a-minority/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I like to play chess with bald men in the park although it's hard to find 32 of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-like-to-play-chess-with-bald-men-in-the-park-although-it-s-hard-to/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee - that will do them in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/if-computers-get-too-powerful-we-can-organize-them-into-a-committee/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/you-don-t-appreciate-a-lot-of-stuff-in-school-until-you-get-older/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [Thinking up jokes is easy. The hard part is trying them out on stage, because you never know if they're funny until you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/thinking-up-jokes-is-easy-the-hard-part-is-trying-them-out-on-stage/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) [Explore all 208 Emo Philips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) ## More Clip quotes > [Clip hold 30 looking for these fuck boy to do these niggas dirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/clip-hold-30-looking-for-these-fuck-boy-to-do-these-niggas-dirty/) [Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/) > [There was an awful rainbow once in heaven: We know her woof, her texture; she is given In the dull catalogue of common things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/there-was-an-awful-rainbow-once-in-heaven-we-know-her-woof-her/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-flopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yeah-she-shows-signs-of-life-if-you-do-this-said-ron-and-with-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I used to like to set different film clips to classical music, not even my own songs, but make little movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-used-to-like-to-set-different-film-clips-to-classical-music-not/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [I got to keep a clip for my hair. It had a pretty little dragonfly on it and I got to keep it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-foy/i-got-to-keep-a-clip-for-my-hair-it-had-a-pretty-little-dragonfly-on/) [Mackenzie Foy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-foy/) > [Somebody should clip Sting around the head and tell him to stop using that ridiculous Jamaican accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/somebody-should-clip-sting-around-the-head-and-tell-him-to-stop-using/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [ Unless you've also had some experience dragging around a boat trailer, \[topping off the gas tank\] may not sound important. But trailer driver's know:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-alan-lewis/unless-you-ve-also-had-some-experience-dragging-around-a-boat-trailer/) [Brad Alan Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-alan-lewis/) > [My clip never dropping we can get it popping like a mac10](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/my-clip-never-dropping-we-can-get-it-popping-like-a-mac10/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [I got a letter from the IRS. Apparently I owe them $800. So I sent them a letter back. I said, If you'll remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-a-letter-from-the-irs-apparently-i-owe-them-800-so-i-sent-them/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [You can't find a YouTube clip to become a craftsman, friend, parent - or disciple of Christ. It's all of grace. And to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/you-can-t-find-a-youtube-clip-to-become-a-craftsman-friend-parent-or/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [I clip coupons all the time. Why should you pay more for something that someone else is paying less for?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-michelle-gellar/i-clip-coupons-all-the-time-why-should-you-pay-more-for-something/) [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-michelle-gellar/) > [Clip your year-end column and put it away for 10 years. See if you don’t feel like an idiot when you reread it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/clip-your-year-end-column-and-put-it-away-for-10-years-see-if-you-don/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [It really never came up, but I think that in present-day America, they're - you know, and I touched on it in the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/it-really-never-came-up-but-i-think-that-in-present-day-america-they/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I can remember being in my pram: children stayed in their prams much longer then than they do now. A big bouncy pram with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/i-can-remember-being-in-my-pram-children-stayed-in-their-prams-much/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [You can't tell by looking at a film-clip whether it is a drama or a documentary without knowing how it was produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-t-tell-by-looking-at-a-film-clip-whether-it-is-a-drama-or-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) Browse all 163 Clip quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The IRS sent back my tax return saying I owed $800. I said If you'll notice, I sent a paper clip with my return. 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