Making it hard

"And in the eyes of statists and bureaucrats, it is all their money. They are just letting us use some of it for a while."

Relax. This is about income tax. Yesterday, my wife and I did the job we have long been dreading. We did our income tax. And after it was over, I once again felt like I needed to take a shower. It was a most unpleasant experience. But it is over for another year. I did however, have a moment of clarity before the session was over. I don't know why it has taken me this long to figure it out, but I think I now have.

Deductions. Every year they become harder to claim. Some in fact, are so hard that many people just throw up their hands and say (as the say in New York), "forgetaboutit!" For example, we give quite a bit of stuff to charity every year. The questions asked on the federal form about documentation have gone from silly to downright insulting. For example, if you are giving away some gently used children's clothing, what was your basis of value? A thrift store? Fair market value? Kentucky windage? What?

Now I know that nobody that works in the IRS gives a tinker's dam about how I valued a pair of jeans that I donated. What they do care about is that I have too many deductions. More deductions for me, less money for them. And in the eyes of statists and bureaucrats, it is all their money. They are just letting us use some of it for a while.

I would willingly and cheerfully give up all my deductions. In a heartbeat I would. However to do so, we would have to employ two terms which are to the government, like sunlight is to a vampire. Fair tax or flat tax. First, either one of them would put the IRS out of business. Also companies like Turbotax. And H+R Block. Sorry - I know the elimination of Turbo and Block will just be collateral damage. The real target would be the IRS.

I can't wait to see the new surprises the IRS has for us when we do our 2016 taxes. By the way, not to be total wet blanket today, how do you think our national debt is going to be paid off if we ever get serious about it? If you guessed the income tax system you might win a prize. Or, the clever minds in Washington might say this is so serious, we need a wealth tax instead of an income tax. How would that differ? That would be a subject for a future article.