I'd not realized how long it had been since I'd posted; there are a few pieces sitting in the drafts folder which I hope to polish a bit soon.
I'm tempted to do my annual rant on the ridiculousness of the federal and state income tax -- that we ought to require every one of our elected representatives, federal and state (plus the mayors and city councils of any municipality with a local income tax), to fill out and file their tax forms themselves, preferably sitting at their official desks, in front of CSPAN's cameras. Calculators and laptops permitted, extra desk space for their files of receipts, bills, 1099s, W2's, check registers. Spouses, siblings and inlaws are permitted on the floor to help, even if they are CPA's, but they can only use software retailing for less than $1000 per license. No, make that $250 per license, federal and state combined. The CSPAN (or state equivalent) camera would pan the room, and the Washington Journal hosts would preside, and even take calls, with the lines assigned by party affiliation.
Many constitutents would gladly trade one of their representative's periodic week-in-the-home-district to be able to watch this. And perhaps the following week, their elected representatives might be more open to proposals for genuine tax reform, getting ourselves out of this stupid income tax box we've permitted ourselves to be caged in for nearly 100 years.
And of course the aggravation of what it takes to fill out one's tax forms, even for the simplest of financial lives, is not the primary reason why the income tax is the wrong tax. But if you've been reading this blog much, you already know that.
Comments