I lingered at the mailbox, not yet willing to let go of the envelope.

“Just drop it in the slot. Put an end to this misery.” I thought. And yet having it in my possession made me feel, if only superficially, as if it still belonged to me.

I’m talking about our 2015 IRS form 1040 personal tax payment.

This is always a cranky time at our house. There is anger at how much we owe. There is bitterness at the wasteful way the government will spend it. (I always thought it would be nice if I could just directly pay hard-working people who get refunds. This would be much more satisfying). There is recriminations for not saving more money. For me there is anxiety. I worry that I have overlooked some critical piece of paper that the accountant needs,and doesn’t know he needs, because it falls to me to gather it all together. 

But I’m not here to talk about tax system. Mainly because I don’t need the IRS, NSA, et al, flagging me as an outside agitator.  I’m here to discuss the amount of paperwork/ grunt work  involved in living a life today.

This all came about because of an avalanche of paperwork that at one point literally fell on me. You’re thinking: This is a digital, paperless age in which we live. HA! To make something digital, often a hard copy has to, at some point, be scanned and digitized. Grunt work on a digital level.

Here is what my last few weeks involved:

INSURANCE AUDIT Now this does fall into the category business, but it contributed to the avalanche. Here is what was needed:Copies of all Certificates of Insurance, Proof of exemptions, financial statements, copies of our safety program, job descriptions of our employees and payroll reports. Keep in mind that this is just for workmen’s compensation. In a few months I will do this all over again for general liability. And because the coverage dates are different, I must create new reports.

WILLS: This took on some urgency because we are traveling to Paris in June (I know!) Our last wills were created 18 years ago. Christina is now 33 and soon to be married. Here is what the attorney needed: copies of our last wills, all trust accounts we had set-up, all of our financial paperwork, such as retirement accounts, annuities, investment statements, mortgage balance, personal property. ALSO – his office emailed me a 15 page questionnaire so he could prepare for our first meeting.

PERSONAL TAXES: You know what that involves. Combing through a year’s worth of statements and papers, making sure you didn’t miss any receipts, etc. Medical  expenses, insurance premiums, now proof of insurance forms,  mortgage interest, income. OH, and a 10 page questionnaire sent by our accountant.(which includes a form we sign that appears to state he has no responsibility for anything).

Which got me to thinking:

How much work do we do for other people, who we are paying, so they can do their job?

And we now are required to be as knowledgeable as these paid professional so as to understand the information needed. You are your own travel agent, insurance expert, and because medical care no longer allows for recovery in a medical facility, you become an at home health care provider.

WE ARE WORKING FOR THE MAN AND WE ARE NOT EVEN GETTING PAID.

I came across a book several years ago, “SHADOW WORK; the unpaid, unseen jobs that fill your day.” By Craig Lambert. In the introduction, he writes:

    “Shadow work includes all the unpaid tasks we do on behalf of businesses and organizations. Most of us do not recognize it or realize how much of it we are doing, even as we pump our own gas, scan and bag our own groceries, execute our own stock trades, and assemble our own Ikea furniture…..We are not slaves in ancient Greece or peasants in medieval Europe, but nonetheless we are working for nothing. Shadow work has introduced a new element to the modern lifestyle: middle-class serfdom.”

It is a fascinating read. We have no more free time because we are doing the work that others were formerly paid to do for us. He even goes so far as to say that with the invention of 3D printers, we as consumers are doing the manufacturing!

Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to offer alternatives for us. As long as corporations and institutions can find ways to cut costs by having us shoulder more of the work load, we can just expect more of the same.

The next time you get to the end of the day, and wonder what have you actually accomplished….it’s all been Shadow Work. Which can only mean one thing: the IRS is working on a way to tax this as shadow income.