Old School

Yesterday was the deadline for filing Form 1096. (Nearly everyone receives various Form 1099s that report their interest and other income; Form 1096 is the cover sheet for the 1099 copies that the payor has to submit to the IRS.)

I bring out the typewriter a couple of times a year to type the 1096 and other government forms that I can't fill out online. The typewriter, like the rotary phone and the vinyl-record turntable, is a device that I used to use every day and could once operate with my eyes closed.

I made several false starts lining up the form on the platen. The letters printed outside the boxes, and I had to shred the results. Thank goodness I ordered extra forms (paper forms are not downloadable from the IRS website and are sent by mail.)

If my business grows, I would be required to file electronically, which is a small hassle setting up. That's one of the reasons I'm not aggressive about expansion--to me the headaches aren't worth the money.

So I don't mind using the typewriter, just as I don't mind writing checks manually and seeing customers and suppliers face-to-face. That makes my business less scalable and ultimately less profitable. Being old school won't make me wealthy, but at least I won't be unhappy.