Now that tax season is over and most of us are breathing a collective sigh, (and some of us are chanting, “Oh– shit–oh–shit–oh–shit!”) I’ve started mulling over the necessity of our complicated tax code. I understand the need for taxes (although I think we pay too many of them), but is it really necessary for them to be so complicated?
Only a small percentage of people actually do their own taxes anymore. Did you ever think about why? At the bottom of our 1/2″ thick tax return, it says “Sign Here.” That’s because if anyone tried to actually read such a monotonous thing, their eyeballs would glaze over and they’d have no idea where to pen their name. Maybe that’s part of the whole evil plan.
A friend of mine recently received a notice from the IRS. They had questions about a deduction he took a couple of years ago, and wanted a detailed explanation. He’s clueless. Now here’s the thing–the man’s a solid taxpayer with no intention of defrauding the US government. But he, like many of us, takes his records into an accountant and says, “Here–YOU figure it out.”
He’s working with his accountant to straighten out the issue, but my question is why should he have to? Shouldn’t Tax Computation be obvious to everyone? Is that too much to ask?
You don’t go to a restaurant and order a meal without knowing the cost. How would you feel if the waiter said, “Well that all depends. Did you eat this meal before? Did you get a senior discount or come in on Mexican Monday? Our enchilada special is strictly a bi-annual benefit, you know. Were condiments provided on your last visit, and did you order off the kiddie menu? We can’t possibly calculate cost until we have all your information in duplicate–and if we change our minds, we’ll send you a notice regarding what you might still owe on your meal. With interest.”
Here’s a thought. Why can’t we do away with all the gobbledegook and just make a high sales tax? It works for every tax bracket. The more you buy, the more you pay. Simple. The retailers collect said cash, (as they already do in most states), and pass it on to Uncle Sam. The IRS can then divide the proceeds to pay for whatever program they wish.
It’s Pay-as-you-Go. No more nasty surprises at tax time. And it’s FAIR–using this type of system, you’re not penalized for being productive, you’re penalized for consuming a lot of goods. If you must own the best of the best of everything, fine. You’ll just be charged more than someone who is more frugal with their earnings, that’s all. And YOU will have almost complete control over how much you pay in taxes.
It’s a thought. I’m not saying it’s perfect–a lot of accountants would have to expand their other services or find a new profession. Many thousands of government employees would have to be retrained. It’s not a simple conversion, but it is a simple solution.
I’m just saying.
This article is an original post from www.UglyAssOpinion.com© Kelly L. Trainor 2008 All Rights Reserved
April 21, 2008 at 12:53 pm |
I am all for a consumption tax. The reason we will never have this type of tax system is because our government will have to be put on a budget just like we are! Just think the government being held accountable for it’s spending! What a concept!
April 21, 2008 at 1:12 pm |
You mean Uncle Sam would be required to balance a checkbook just like the rest of us? The HORROR!
April 21, 2008 at 10:18 pm |
I say we fire the whole bunch (i.e. the Government and the IRS) and start over. Could it get any worse tax wise?
And no worries, I’m back in the swing and should have more pics tomorrow!
January 14, 2009 at 9:43 am |
[...] …Time to attempt to decipher the mysterious enigma that is the U.S. Tax Code. Eesh. I doubt even the IRS can make heads or tails of that thing. [...]