It's Tax Day

The March Reason-Rupe poll asked respondents to describe in a few words how they felt about filing their taxes.  Not surprisingly a majority of responses were negative and the most common response (30 percent) mentioned feeling anxiety regarding tax filing. Another 12 percent described the process as "complicated" or "confusing." Combined, this may help explain majority support for a flat tax that eliminates all federal tax deductions and charges everyone the same rate.

Thirteen percent recalled facts relating to tax filing, for instance hiring a CPA, being prepared, and tax deductions. About 12 percent had positive emotions associated with doing taxes, largely due to getting a tax refund (9 percent). Eight percent associated taxes with their duty and responsibility as a citizen.

Comments

[Randian]

Gah, no more "Wordles" or word clouds or whatever the hell they are. They tell me nothing and it just looks like a trendy mess.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

+ infinity

Apparently you can't use the infinity symbol.

[Joe M]

+?

Invalid?

[Joe M]

First it told me the symbol was spam, then it said my comment was invalid. Oh squirrels, you're getting worse by the day.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

It told me it didn't recognize it as a legitimate language.

[db]

-NaN

[Old Mexican]

"5% Don't File"

I wonder what their response was to the question "what words come to mind when you think about preparing or filing your tax return"?

[Rich]

Oh, I parsed that as: When asked "what words come to mind when you think about preparing or filing your tax return", 5% said "Don't file". 😉

[Death Rock and Skull]

Even people who don't file are getting screwed in less direct ways.

[Jerryskids]

Obviously, that 5% is the same 5% who said "doody".

(I think what they actually said was "Fuck that shit".)

[Joe M]

Someone I know posted on FB that he wrote a huge check to the IRS and was proud to support his country.

[db]

More power to him. Let the dupes be duped.

[Pro Libertate]

Supporting the government is fast approaching doing the exact opposite of supporting your country.

[AA]

I'm not an Anarchist, but I think it may be past that point.

[Pro Libertate]

It certainly is when it comes to giving it money to spend.

[Death Rock and Skull]

I don't really remember not knowing that it is so.

[MP]

Probably won't be so proud when the IRS comes after him for not making proper quarterly payments.

[Mr. FIFY]

Didn't Biden say, basically, that the more you pay in taxes, the more patriotic you are?

[Rich]

positive emotions associated with doing taxes, largely due to getting a tax refund (9 percent)

No doubt the greater the withholding, the greater the ecstasy.

[Doctor Whom]

Surprisingly many people seem to think that using the IRS as a zero-interest, no-early-withdrawal savings account is a good thing.

[Joe M]

Indeed. My goal these days is to try to get as close to breaking even as possible.

[Pip]

I manage this every year and pay about $200 on tax day. Why is it on April 17 this year?

[Soc Indv Sparky]

The 15th was a Sunday and I think by default they aim for Tuesdays instead of the following Monday.

[Dagny T.]

Nope, it's because Emancipation Day in DC falls on the Monday. We can't inconvenience our betters in the capital on their day off, after all.

[Death Rock and Skull]

What do you mean withdrawal?

[Soc Indv Sparky]

I'm generally pleased when I see how much of my money the government is giving back to me. You know, the same way you're pleased to find the pain is just a kidney stone and not kidney disease.

[Joe M]

When I told my brother, he said, if he's so proud, why did he wait until the list minute to pay?

[Joe M]

Stupid squirrels again! This was supposed to be a reply to MP above.

[Zeb]

I just had a kidney stone yesterday. I don't recommend it.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

I've had 10 of various sizes over the last 4 years. The biggest one was almost an inch across and had to be sound-blasted before I could pass it.

[Zeb]

Holy shit, that must suck. I've had 2 now, but they were small enough to pass on their own.

[Ted S.]

The biggest one was almost an inch across and had to be sound-blasted before I could pass it.

My father had a 27-mm (for the metrically challenged, that's over an inch) bladder stone a few years back. Not only did they have to do the ultrasound thing, they had to catheterize him to remove the pieces. Ouch.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

What happened with mine was I got one stone that was just too large to pass. It ended up getting lodged at the top of the ureter and over the course of a six month misdiagnosis a couple more formed and glommed onto it forming one large megastone. Thankfully the sonic treatment was able to break it up enough that I didn't need to get a stent to remove it.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

What happened with mine was I got one stone that was just too large to pass. It ended up getting lodged at the top of the ureter and over the course of a six month misdiagnosis a couple more formed and glommed onto it forming one large megastone. Thankfully the sonic treatment was able to break it up enough that I didn't need to get a stent to remove it.

[Jerryskids]

Had your parathyroids checked?

[db]

I'm currently standing in line at the Post office to mail my returns. There is one clerk on duty and she's complaining to anyone who'll listen about people waiting until the last minute. This is not a small post office either. Usually there are at least three people behind the counter here with more in the back.evidently there is one other woman on duty but she had to run to the bank because they ran out of money.

[Death Rock and Skull]

The thing about the post office is they don't adjust staffing at all according to predictable peak demand times.

[fried wylie]

dude, that would involve, like, work.

[mad libertarian guy]

And likely lengthy union contract negotiations.

[plu1959]

The rule in my city's main post office seems to be that the clerks shall never allow the line to be less than three people long. If the line gets any shorter, the clerks are required to move more slowly or go on break until the minimum length is attained.

[fried wylie]

it's part of their Green initiative. the people in line are there to heat the building.

[mad libertarian guy]

I love living in a small town. Never have I had to wait longer than a minute or two (except that one time a Chinese family was using the USPS to move. They packed up all their shit in to boxes and shipped it through USPS.

[db]

I should amend this to say its probably not this clerk's fault. She was very polite but a bit frazzled. Her supervisor should think about peak staffing requirements and having enough cash on hand. She said they only start the day with $50 cash on hand.

[Death Rock and Skull]

The supervisor can totally do those things.

[Pip]

Why would the post office need cash? Do they hand it out or something? I always thought the post office SOLD goods and services.

[db]

Change.

[Joe M]

They should've obviously staffed more and gotten extra cash for today. But what's a high-tech libertarian doing in line at the Post Office?

[db]

I refuse to e-file on general principle. I always owe, so the check gets cashed at the latest possible date.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

The downtown office here came up with a novel idea a few years ago. They put 3 handlers in booths setup in the middle of the road so people can just drive by and drop their returns off. Of course, it creates a traffic nightmare for the surrounding three blocks.

[Death Rock and Skull]

I got a "refund". I'm still paying too damn much to the fed. And the state took "income" from an investment that I haven't even cashed out.

[Arcaster]

I'm getting a "refund" from the the feds, but the extra I'm having to pay the state (Illinois) just about makes up for it. One step closer to moving across the river.

[JW]

I realized after I sent in my federal return and price for civilization payment, that I neglected to attach one of my W-2's (switched jobs last year). I love waiting for that shoe to drop. Does this send me straight to audit-land?

[Brett L]

Probably not. Your employer almost certainly filed their copy. As long as you said you made $X and paid the taxes, you're low risk, even if its poorly documented but reasonably in line with income from prior years.

[Pip]

Minnesota doesn't accept W-2's. They make you recreate one on a special form. They also have you send you tax form to one address. A second envelope and different address is where you send your payment.

Total. Bullshit.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

Never once in my entire life have I had to pay either Federal or State with my returns. Still, I'm not the kind of dope who sees the return cash as some sort of jackpot I just won.

[Warty]

You selfish, racist pricks. Today is a holiday.

Today is a holiday that no one is interested in celebrating. No, not Tax Day; some people are proud to pay their taxes.

[Mr. FIFY]

This, but *not* Tax Amnesty Day?

Fuck Time magazine.

[Cyto]

I'll agree with complicated and confusing... I have a regular w-2 job, a mortgage and an mutual fund investment account. That's about it. Sounds pretty average to me.

The final return tallies in at 58 pages. Really... 58 pages, not including w-2, 1099s, etc.. All so they could take enough money to ensure that I have to work an extra year or two at the end of my career. Thanks guys! What are the odds that there's something amiss in 58 pages of nonsense? How am I supposed to know if the AMT calculation is properly applied? After filling out worksheet after worksheet only to find out that you are not eligible to claim a given deduction, how is anyone supposed be confident that they got it all correct?

There's got to be a better way.

[LC]

A couple of years ago, I decided to suck it up and pay an accountant. This has worked out for 2 reasons -

1. I no longer stress about the IRS coming to get me

2. He's a buddy of mine so I am happy to support his small business

[Mr. FIFY]

That's exactly like paying the mob to not burn down your house or business, or both.

[PapayaSF]

The only good parts of filling out my returns this year were discovering that California has a "rice straw credit," and a part of H&R Block software asking me to check boxes if I was going to turn 65 in 2012, be blind in 2012, if my spouse would turn 65 in 2012, or if the spouse would be blind in 2012.

[Loki]

Since the proper purpose of the tax is clearly social engineering (sarc), I wonder what behavior(s) they're trying to influence with the tax breaks for blind people (I'm assuming that's why they're asking)? Chronic masturbation?

[Loki]

Eight percent associated taxes with their duty and responsibility as a citizen are either "Tony" or they're covering their asses in case the IRS monitors this site.

FTFY

[chat sohbet]

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