A good day in German

Today I have spoken to four different people on the phone in German without having any problems making myself understood. I am so proud of myself! And I have learned something new. Couple of days ago I received a invoice for tax for 2008 (Yes, ze Swiss are very late in finalizing your tax returns!). This pissed me off since I knew I had overpaid that year. But as it turns out there are two different taxes to be paid (Staats- und Gemeindesteuer and Bundessteuer). The first one is prepaid if you so choose, but the latter one is always paid in arrears. So now I have to pay Bundessteuer first, then I am to receive a repayment for Staats- und Gemeindesteuer. One would think the two could coordinate, no? And how is it possible that it could take a year for them to check your tax return? Ever heard of computers? But as the tax guy said to me on the phone, "we are not that advanced yet" when I told him I wanted to send an email with information about change of bank. Yes, it also turned out they had my old bank account, good thing I checked. Oldfashioned is the word of the day...