Posted on 10/08/2005 5:57:53 AM PDT by Libloather
What about my boat?
If you think it's bad enough that the Internal Revenue Service collects your hard-earned tax dollars, imagine if an IRS agent prepared your income-tax returns, too.
No, we're not joking.
The concept, called "Return-Free" — where the IRS automatically prepares income-tax returns of those taxpayers with the simplest returns and then sends taxpayers the bill — is being considered by the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform.
One of several Republicans who opposes the concept calls it "flawed" and "dangerous to taxpayers."
It "creates a conflict of interest by making the tax collector the tax preparer," Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana warns in a letter sent to the chairman of the tax reform panel, Rep. Connie Mack, Florida Republican.
In addition, what are the chances that taxpayers will trust the IRS to find them the most deductions and biggest refund? (Whatever you do, don't try claiming your new sailboat as a business expense.)
"[M]any taxpayers will still have to take the time to prepare their taxes in order to verify [what] the IRS sent them," Mr. Pence predicts.
And believe it or not, under the proposal, the individual taxpayer — not the IRS — still will be personally liable for mistakes.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Which means you pay all fines. What would make them want to get it correct in the first place?
You think to much. The guvmint would not screw you.
It still doesn't come close to the genius of having taxes taken directly out of paychecks by the employer. I'll never understand those people who act as if their tax refunds are "free" money the government has given them. Some never realize it was their money to begin with.
Yea..I've asked people before how much they paid in taxes and their answer is "none, I got some back"..every time someone says that, the libs just smile..
Geez, this is all we need. Why don't we just open the door really wide and put a red carpet down for the fox because we know he is already in the hen house? And we could put our some hor'derves and drinks and make sure he has all the essentials to really screw us.
Of course, you know we could not write off the red carpet and snacks.
How about doing away with this inefficient, complex anachronism altogether. Now that's an idea I could get behind!
Flat tax. No employer deduction.
That would work!
And the genius of forcing the employer to do all the IRS's accounting for free. Being forced at gunpoint to work for someone else without compensation is called "slavery".
Brings to mind one of my favorite Gipper quotes:
"I'm from the government and I'm here to help!"
I say no thanks! In fact, I say let's put this communist inspired evil called the progressive income tax where it so properly belongs, onto the ash heap of history, once and for all!
I used to do exactly that because I liked getting a chunk all at once. Finally I couldn't justify it when a bank worked just as well with intrest.
You will LOVE this one! LOL!
And yet there are MANY in this country who would go along with this because they are simply too lazy to do it themselves.
"I'll never understand those people who act as if their tax refunds are "free" money the government has given them. Some never realize it was their money to begin with."
Not entirely true. A filer could be in a low bracket, have zeroo tax liability and end up with a nice check from "refundable" credits.
Additionally, some low end filers are eligible for up to $4100 in earned income credit.
Tax cut for the rich my azz!!!
Not true. There would still be a deduction with the flat tax. Besides the flat tax will not stay flat. In 1986 we did a flat tax with two deductions just as what is being proposed. Did it stay flat? As long as we have an IRS we will never have a true flat tax.
And they charge you for doing it by sending you a bill with your tax return. If there is a mistake you end up doing it yourself anyway and still have to pay their bill.
This is quite possibly the stupidest idea ever, but fools are plentiful - how many of the Ignorant Masses will sign up for this service?
I work for an accounting firm... have some definite thoughts on this one.
1. 75% of the returns are form 1040a or 1040ez. For those returns, especially the EZ returns, it's a matter of filling out the paperwork and e-filing.
2. What would be nice is if the IRS would simply fill out the form as they have the info. Why isn't this a radical idea? Well, by the end of January the IRS would have all of your 1099/W2 info anyway. It is a huge expense for every employer to get those W2's or 1099's out. Why couldn't the IRS simply print out a form w/ your name and your W2 info?
3. Obviously this won't work for people whose tax returns are outside of that 80th percentile... meaning 20% of the population. Those people generally are getting paid help anyway. And, there would be nothing saying that what the IRS says is what the final report would be.
Anyone who lets the IRS prepare their taxes deserves what they get. Only an idiot would allow it.
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