[2banana]

How to take care of this problem:

1. Elections must be held two days before taxes are due
2. No automatic withdraws for taxes - they must be paid in full as a lump sum
3. That lump sum needs to be cash and the taxpayer must pay the tax collector in person

[MrB]

Excellent. My plan is similar.

No withholding, make people write one check on tax day,
and tax day is on Halloween.

[steve8714]

Elections two days after taxes are due!

[Mike Bates]

I've been recommending a plan very similar to yours for most of the 19 years I've written a column. Gosh darn, there doesn't seem to be much support for it. What really drives me crazy (ier) is when someone who gets a refund says that he "didn't pay any taxes this year." Aargh!

[scott7278]

I believe withholding federal and SS taxes to be the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American public. I naturally adjusted to what was written on my paycheck when I worked as an employee of a company, and as long as I wasn't having to write a check to the government, I really didn't notice all that much.

I about fell over (literally) when I got my tax forms back from my CPA for this year. I found that I owe over $3,000 in self-employment taxes alone because I moved from being an employee of a company to being self-employed. I didn't think anything about a self-employment tax.

I notice taxes now, believe me, and it's far worse than a tax on tea. Imagine if everyone had the same shock -- there might be some change.