Every year, we go through the cycle of waiting around for W-2's to come trickling in after New Years, and every year we experience either the mixed joy of getting refund money (no interest) or the ulcer of owing more money. This is America's paycheck, and we're all compensating the government for the job they do.
The whole process seems simple enough - I mean, the IRS even named their centerpiece form the 1040-"EZ". How clever is that? And, in the rare event that the tomes of tax code beneath the 1040-EZ are intimidating, tax season gives the opportunity of tax-preperation jobs to off-season carnies at strip malls all across America. Just walk right in and have a local pill-popper file your paycheck to America for a mere $200. What a steal!
This year was my first time filing jointly with my wife and as a homeowner, so we opted for a firm - let's call them "H&R Cube" - to handle our taxes. We sat down, and watched as the clerk entered in all the same information we had given each year into her electronic forms. 10 minutes later, that store earned $125 off of something we could have done online for $20.
Long story short, do it online. Much cheaper, and you're getting the same experience without the "feeling shafted" part.
As it turns out, H&R Block - not to be confused with my previous alias for H&R Block - is being sued for cheating customers. This is funny - the suit claims that 85% of the people who opened a specific "Express IRA" account were tacked with so many reoccuring fees that they lost money in the long run. Like I said, carnies and pill-poppers.
Fair Tax?
I keep on seeing these bumper stickers all over the place that talk about a "Fair Tax", and refer to www.fairtax.org. In a nutshell, the idea is to replace all taxes with on sales tax on purchased goods. I'm no economist, but it seems people tend to favor radical solutions to manageable problems - and usually to their detriment. Look at the Adkins diet.
Seriously, if you're worried the current tax system is failing, empower the IRS to hunt down more crooks for starters. You ever hear of a "business lunch?" How about a business trip to Maui or a business charter flight to Mexico? Or how about the countless number of companies who exist solely for the benefit tax breaks? That's the kind of stuff I want to see more attention on before we start thinking about eliminating carbohydrates or whatever Neil Boortz is suggesting.
Feeling jilted?
I think one of the reasons the tax process leaves of feeling so jilted is that your money goes wherever congress wants it to go. And, by in large, Congress (Federal and State) is a large group of phony car salesmen that work 30 days a year and would sell their mothers to get re-elected. So, while you'd think your money would be best served paying for school books and body armor, it ends up funding showy, beauracratic educational oversight programs and defense contracts to build an advanced water filtration station in Greenland. Sure, it's nice to be promised that no child is being left behind and that some penguins will get clean water, but ultimately we want some say in where the cash goes.
It'd be great to have the option to choose from a variety of government departments and agencies we can fund based on their performance and how we value them. Sure, that's not fair to FEMA, but screw them. Survival of the fittest.
Department of Energey vs. Department of Labor? Duke it out! I want to see some lower electric bills and more Federal work holidays!
Homeland Security? You jackasses need something new - like a creative revamp on Reagan's Star Wars. Or, another great idea - one word: hoverbikes.
Senate and the House of Representatives - televised caged brawls on C-Span to determine the fate of bills. And creative wrestler names too. ie: Ted "The Boozing Bomber", Bill "The Fist" Frist, and so on.
NSA - While your tapping phone calls, offer free ringtones.
Department of Agriculture - I have no requests, but I'm sure some potheads would be dying to talk to you.
Department of Transportation - Have you heard my hoverbike idea?
FCC - You bozos chased Howard Stern to satellite. I don't like the guy, but you made some enemies when you did that. Allow full frontal nudity on network television after 10pm, and we'll call it even.
Sure, this sounds silly, but just think about it: if you have to continue to justify your job in order to be compensated, why not these guys?
Every year, we go through the cycle of waiting around for W-2's to come trickling in after New Years, and every year we experience either the mixed joy of getting refund money (no interest) or the ulcer of owing more money. This is America's paycheck, and we're all compensating the government for the job they do.