Sunday, January 30, 2011

Tax time blues

Well once again it's time to roll up the old sleeves and recommence the onerous American tradition of preparing our tax forms so Uncle Sam can plunder our wealth,as well as, show us who is really in control here!

I hate it! No matter how you slice it filing a tax return is a complete pain in the a--! I know I know. All theses great new software programs and online services "make it fast and easy" to file your taxes.

I agree they are a help,but,and this is a big but. It still galls me to have to spend the amount of time that I do,online,filing taxes. Especially when it could all be so much simpler and easier.

Foe instance if the FairTax were a reality there would be no need to file a return at all,and,this great national nightmare could be brought to an end. Or even if the flat tax were implemented life would be so much simpler. The form for the flat tax takes up no more space than the cover of a paper back book for goodness sake,and,buy God it's fair,everyone across the board pays the same flat percentage rate!

But have our leaders in Washington had enough sense to consider scrapping the current code which,by all accounts, would fill entire volumes? To date no!
What makes it all even worse is that when Paul Bremer was calling the shots in Iraq he imposed a flat tax in that country. Hell the Iraqis have it better than we do. Even the Russians instituted a flat tax and their economy thrived as a result!

I personally support the Fair Tax plan which according to their web site would...

  • Enables workers to keep their entire paychecks
  • Enables retirees to keep their entire pensions
  • Refunds in advance the tax on purchases of basic necessities
  • Allows American products to compete fairly
  • Brings transparency and accountability to tax policy
  • Ensures Social Security and Medicare funding
  • Closes all loopholes and brings fairness to taxation
  • Abolishes the IRS (source)
There is however hope. for the first time in years politicians,pundits,and the people are all calling for talks on fundamental tax reform. The President even made mention of it in his State of the Union address

I certainly hope that before 2012 we will see the current tax code scrapped and replaced either with the FairTax,or a flat tax, but I'm not holding my breath!