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I hate the IRS. I'd like to think it a necessary evil, but I can't reconcile the word 'necessary' with the word 'evil'; they simply push against my sensibilities like two magnetic norths. It's repellant to me that our tax code is so complex that I am forced to pay someone, or some service to do my taxes for me. You'd think that the local IRS office would be in the business of helping people file their taxes, but their idea of help doesn't wander any further than the answering of ill-informed questions... how does one ask the right questions without a basic grasp of American tax code? Nancy Pelosi couldn't even tell us what was in the Obamacare bill without it first being passed into law, and we all see how that has turned out.

So it's a scheme. The IRS forces everyone to pay taxes, but it takes no responsibility for educating or guiding anyone through the actually process of filing. Which has become typical of modern American governance.

1 Comment:

  1. Marshal Art said...
    Clearly the "evil" is in how they go about their business. Collecting taxes is their basic duty, but it is confounded and complicated by draconian and unnecessarily complex rules and regulations. I think it began to be so based on better notions of tax philosophy, but soon came to be just a means of vote getting and playing favorites. In part, I believe most "loopholes" are, at least the first ones, were a means to encourage behaviors that led to economic growth. Taking risks, especially financial risks, to create that which generates more profits upon which the government can take their cut is something few are willing to do. The tax code provides some incentive as it relieves some of the burden that taking those risks imposes on the risk taker. While we might debate whether that is something the government should do, all opposing arguments must consider the impact on the rate and speed of growth that rejecting the idea would have.

    In the meantime, I don't think the IRS, as a governmental agency, has the responsibility for educating anyone, aside from merely providing a clear explanation for the tax codes and rules. That is, there must be a stated reason why monies are taxed. I think they do this, which is education enough for those who wish to pour through the voluminous code.

    But even if we went to a flat tax or a sales tax only, there would still be a need for some entity or agency to collect that tax money.

    The "scheme" is in how there is no strong and true effort to reform and simplify the code. Moving to a flat or sales tax removes or mitigates the ability to use tax policy politically. THAT needs to change and only moving to one or the other will do it.

    Nice to see another post, even if it took me a few months to notice it.

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