Now what, you may ask (go ahead, do it, I dare you) would prompt me to say such a patently un-American thing? My friend Tom. Inspired by this little venue of my rants, he has created his own blog and in his first post he lashed out at the onerous task of completing the numerous federal and state returns to which he is subject. This led me to consider my own feelings on the topic which I've decided to share with you here.
So your next question, the one that lies at the real heart of the matter, is why? Well I suppose deep down there must be some element of socialism embedded in my spirit. The whole concept of paying my share along with my fellow citizens simply strikes me as a good way for society to pull together to end the ills of the world. I have no reservations about giving the government my money because I am, if only in some small way through my democratic representation in Congress, the government, too. You know, government for the people, by the people, etc.
Now I suppose I should clarify a bit. I don't believe I'm alone in my willingness to pay. I'm sure plenty of people feel as I do about the basic idea. But the catch to taxes is the complexity that has become intrinsically woven into the process, at least in this country. To begin with, which form, or to be more accurate, which forms do I need to fill out? There's a dizzying array of them which has led to a rather large industry to aid us in forking over our fair share. And then there's the whole guessing game piece which comes along each year. How much should I have deducted from my regular paycheck? If I pay to little then I'll be saddled with a hefty check due the IRS. If I pay to much I'm giving the government an interest free loan which might serve me better invested in some vehicle which offers a better return. (I said I was willing to pay taxes, not that I was in a rush to do so...)
And there's more to the complexity issue than just the paperwork. The tax code itself is so ridiculously complicated and non-sensical that it makes me wonder how it ever could have gotten this twisted. There are so many loopholes and tricks that it is difficult to choose one to use as an example, but I have a favorite which exemplifies how different my perspective may be from the vast majority. Someone, please, explain to me how this makes sense: If you have a child, the government gives you an additional deduction (how's that for a clever turn of phrase?) Chide me if you must parents all over the country, but why on earth should you pay less in taxes for introducing a near certain revenue drain to our public coffers? Given the probability that your little darling will attend a tax funded public school, why oh, tell me why, should you pay less? It brings to mind a comment from that wise old sage, Grouch Marx, who once said, "A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five. "
Now please don't get the idea that I don't like children. Generally speaking I do, (although I have met a few that have led me to reconsider that sentiment from time to time.) Of course I should, I suppose, mention that I believe that some licensing should be involved in the whole thing. I mean, after all, we need a license to do just about anything in this country so why not one for having children? Heresy, you say? I think not. Consider this. You need a license to drive, a license to conduct business, a license to cut hair for cripe's sake, why on earth do you not need a license to do the one thing that is more complicated, more difficult and more likely to effect everyone else around you?
But to return to the topic (lest I find swarms of angry parents storming my front door), my point is that our tax code is simply filled with far to many exemptions, exceptions, and, to put it plainly, ways to avoid paying our fair share if we are willing to delve deeply enough into the rules to find them. Being human as we are, it is simply in our nature to take advantage of any opportunity we are given. So we all play the game and in the long run, we all lose.
As I suggested earlier, I think most people don't actually hate paying taxes. What I think people actually hate is how the money is spent when they do. But that, my friends, is a topic I think I'll leave to someone else to address.
So your next question, the one that lies at the real heart of the matter, is why? Well I suppose deep down there must be some element of socialism embedded in my spirit. The whole concept of paying my share along with my fellow citizens simply strikes me as a good way for society to pull together to end the ills of the world. I have no reservations about giving the government my money because I am, if only in some small way through my democratic representation in Congress, the government, too. You know, government for the people, by the people, etc.
Now I suppose I should clarify a bit. I don't believe I'm alone in my willingness to pay. I'm sure plenty of people feel as I do about the basic idea. But the catch to taxes is the complexity that has become intrinsically woven into the process, at least in this country. To begin with, which form, or to be more accurate, which forms do I need to fill out? There's a dizzying array of them which has led to a rather large industry to aid us in forking over our fair share. And then there's the whole guessing game piece which comes along each year. How much should I have deducted from my regular paycheck? If I pay to little then I'll be saddled with a hefty check due the IRS. If I pay to much I'm giving the government an interest free loan which might serve me better invested in some vehicle which offers a better return. (I said I was willing to pay taxes, not that I was in a rush to do so...)
And there's more to the complexity issue than just the paperwork. The tax code itself is so ridiculously complicated and non-sensical that it makes me wonder how it ever could have gotten this twisted. There are so many loopholes and tricks that it is difficult to choose one to use as an example, but I have a favorite which exemplifies how different my perspective may be from the vast majority. Someone, please, explain to me how this makes sense: If you have a child, the government gives you an additional deduction (how's that for a clever turn of phrase?) Chide me if you must parents all over the country, but why on earth should you pay less in taxes for introducing a near certain revenue drain to our public coffers? Given the probability that your little darling will attend a tax funded public school, why oh, tell me why, should you pay less? It brings to mind a comment from that wise old sage, Grouch Marx, who once said, "A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five. "
Now please don't get the idea that I don't like children. Generally speaking I do, (although I have met a few that have led me to reconsider that sentiment from time to time.) Of course I should, I suppose, mention that I believe that some licensing should be involved in the whole thing. I mean, after all, we need a license to do just about anything in this country so why not one for having children? Heresy, you say? I think not. Consider this. You need a license to drive, a license to conduct business, a license to cut hair for cripe's sake, why on earth do you not need a license to do the one thing that is more complicated, more difficult and more likely to effect everyone else around you?
But to return to the topic (lest I find swarms of angry parents storming my front door), my point is that our tax code is simply filled with far to many exemptions, exceptions, and, to put it plainly, ways to avoid paying our fair share if we are willing to delve deeply enough into the rules to find them. Being human as we are, it is simply in our nature to take advantage of any opportunity we are given. So we all play the game and in the long run, we all lose.
As I suggested earlier, I think most people don't actually hate paying taxes. What I think people actually hate is how the money is spent when they do. But that, my friends, is a topic I think I'll leave to someone else to address.
1 comment:
Since you invited me to look at your blog how could I not comment on THIS article. You pose the question: why should parents get a tax break on the very thing (kids) that puts a burden on the public to educate? I have two of those public burdens - I love them dearly of course and expect that public education will educate them to be readers, writers, and problem solvers - I'm sure my expectations will not be met in the way I envision, but this is another topic. My answer - we get a break probably because the drain on our income in order to raise children is higher than those without children. That's my guess anyway. I've never questioned why we get the tax break, but it is a little helpful. Between food, clothing, activities, daycare, medical, and various other "kid" expenses or increase in expenses when you have kids (electric, phone, water, etc.) having children changes your ability to afford housing, transportation, insurance - nevermind the luxuries of life, like vacation or toys (big or small). Those are last on the priority list, at least for us. The $6000 credit we got this year for two kids doesn't begin to cover the costs we incurred on our kids this year. I'm sure if my husband and I made more money, but see, we are teachers, in that public education system you mentioned which is suppose to educate the kids. Maybe the reason for the tax breaks is because the cycle of money, economy, education, income is more like a neverending spiral and this was all the government could come with to make us families FEEL like we are getting a break - in fact - it makes no difference at all.
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