[Freedom4US]

whatever gave you the idea that Americans ‘allowed’ witholding?

It goes back farther than you think - the Civil War! But in recent times, more recent anyway, is FDR and the brainchild of a former Macys dept store head, who noted that installment payments are easier. The amount of money collected that first year went way beyond their projections.

[socialismisinsidious]

No actually the income tax was enacted b/c of the Civil War but withholding was not universal until 1943...up until that point anyone who owed tax paid it in one lump sum one time/year. SS began a bit before that. Withholding was the smartest and most evil thing ever done b/c people don't feel it...of course revenues went way up b/c the Treasure Dept. can take way more, a little at a time, than they could ever hope to get in one lump sum. If people only paid attention to how much money government takes then they would care about how much government spends and wastes.

And guess whose advice it was in 1943 to start withholding: Milton Friedman!

There was huge public opposition to withholding from the passing of the income tax up until 1943....then the people were told that withholding would benefit THEM b/c of the burden of WWII taxes...there was much propaganda saying everyone had to do their part...blah, blah. Truly evil. Congress knew exactly what it was causing (forced payments, more revenue, a way to know what peoples' income really are, getting and holding more money that it was due) and they were afraid of continued opposition. The press pushed for it, polls worded questions pushing for it, Congress lied/made promises and we got withholding. Not much has changed.