I hate doing taxes.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I have been doing the "easy" version of my US taxes online. I spent the last two hours trying to send passport pics so they can "ID" me. They didn't need an %@*&% ID when they withheld money from paycheck. I had to quit. All I have to do is enter three numbers, but I have to answer questions like "Did you take a depreciation on offshore oil rigs in another nation?" Did you annualize Form 215?'
Quite honestly, I would rather pay taxes than have to do those ******ing online "EASY" tax returns.
 

Another vote for a flat tax.

A basic standard deduction and a flat percentage of any income above that amount.

It's astounding to me the number of Americans that pay no federal income tax and that approximately 20% of taxpayers pay 80% of all federal income tax.

IMO everyone should have a little skin in the game.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Quite honestly, I would rather pay taxes than have to do those ******ing online "EASY" tax returns.
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I did our taxes the first week of February, and have receive Both the State and Federal refunds. I use H&R Block software, and it usually only takes me a couple of hours, each year. It cost me $30 this year, but compared to some of the "free online" programs I've tried, in the past, that is well worth the small price.
 
Alligatorob said:
So do I, makes me want to support a simple flat tax, or something.
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The UK has something like a flat tax system, although it's not exactly flat in that higher earners pay more.
Our income tax system is know as P.A.Y.E. Which means, pay as you earn, in other words your income tax is deducted directly from your wage or salary.

A worker can earn £12,570 per year, free of income tax, after that the rate of tax is as follows.
BandTaxable incomeTax rate
Personal AllowanceUp to £12,5700%
Basic rate£12,571 to £50,27020%
Higher rate£50,271 to £150,00040%
Additional rateover £150,00045%

The self employed are taxed under a slightly different system but by and large the above rate is all the tax information that you need to be an employee in the UK.
 
Yeah always dreaded the process so often waited till last April days even if I expected a refund. Since retiring in 2017, totally living off monthly SS benefit checks, have not filed the last 4 years. For ordinary individuals, system is set up so tax preparation by legalese experts is a major area of employment leeching off individuals while a way for businesses and corps to pay less via obscure loopholes.
 
I'm like David777, I live on SS & a state pension, and I have a few bucks in the bank. so I get interest. ALL of which is already known by the IRS. It shouldn't take hours online typing in three numbers. And why in the hell can't we log on to the IRS, and enter data, Why do we need a third party tax company, which then sends it to the IRS.
 
horseless carriage said:
The UK has something like a flat tax system, although it's not exactly flat in that higher earners pay more.
Our income tax system is know as P.A.Y.E. Which means, pay as you earn, in other words your income tax is deducted directly from your wage or salary.

A worker can earn £12,570 per year, free of income tax, after that the rate of tax is as follows.
BandTaxable incomeTax rate
Personal AllowanceUp to £12,5700%
Basic rate£12,571 to £50,27020%
Higher rate£50,271 to £150,00040%
Additional rateover £150,00045%

The self employed are taxed under a slightly different system but by and large the above rate is all the tax information that you need to be an employee in the UK.
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Thanks, that looks somewhat similar to ours, on the surface anyway.

The problem comes in defining "Taxable Income" to get to that we have lots and lots of complicated deductions. The more you make the more you can afford to try and make things deductible, evading taxes.

Also we have different tax rates for earned income vs capital gains, capital gains taxes are lower, for the rich anyway. And there are some pretty creative things people do to get income into capital gains. Mitt Romney was the master of that game.

A number of years back I lived in Columbus, Ohio. They had a city income tax, a flat 1% of income; no deductions, no minimum or maximum, and no graduation. The employer just deducted it from your paycheck and sent it to the City. No return to file. Something closer to that was what I had in mind...
 
I avoid doing taxes online entirely but instead download state and federal forms and print them out on PAPER. My income is low enough so I don't have to file federal, but PA wants you to file whether you owe taxes or not. (They have to give their patronage job employees something to do you know to justify their existence.) I fill out my state forms on PAPER and mail them. Yes, you can still do that.
 

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