Posted on 02/14/2002 10:25:16 AM PST by farmall
My wife and I are both public school teachers. We both teach additional day and after school classes. We both teach summer school and I have another job as a security guard. Combined total we earned @ $119,000 in 2001. IRS has already taken @ $19,000. It looks like they want another $ 3-5,000 on 4-15-02.
"Living off the government"? Certainly not. But, handouts are for people in poverty, not for those who are gainfully employed and supporting themselves. It's really only a tax credit until it wipes out the tax. Beyond that, it's suckling off the government teat.
Nothing against the recipient; it's the screwy tax laws -- the income redistribution scheme -- I've got a beef with.
That's quite a worldview you've got there.
Glad you think so, Clymer.
Somehow I doubt anyone gives a damn about what you think about them.
Two people working their asses off with several jobs, getting raped by the gov't (and BTW he only discussed one tax in his post, you can bet they're paying out the nose in SS tax, state tax, etc. too), and you weigh in with your bitter dollop of bile?
Somehow I can't summon the tears.
This summons my anger and your comment brings my ire.
If a rich man lays robbed and bloody by the wayside does
it serve him right?
What if he had completed all of the Labors of Hercules
for his meager income?
At what point do you consider a person to be the "deserving
poor" thus worthy of your pity or the Federal Government
IRS LOOTERS worthy of your contempt?
I hope you never have to beg your Commissar for your next
raise .....to each according to his need!
It won't be much comfort, but when Reagan took office you'd be paying 70% on every additional buckadingdong you take home. The Brits played with a 95% rate in the late 60s - "it's one for you, nineteen for me," went the Beatles song. I'm thinking it might be time to investigate the political contributions your union makes to the Dems...
Don't be silly.
What you must do is immediately quit your jobs and start your own business. That way you can pay both corporate and personal income tax; both the employer and employee contributions to social security; work 14 hours a day 6.5 days a week, and have no health insurance.
You will then be part of the small-business entreprenuer class which provides around 90% of the private-sector jobs, supports damn near the entire economy, has to deal with incomprehensible government regulations, and pays more taxes than anyone else.
Your reward - should you survive - is that you get to drive around in a 10 year-old minivan with peeling paint.
Good Luck!
I have to get back to work now.
Seems like this country was founded over the idea that a 10% tax was confiscatory and unreasonable.
"farmall's tax rate seems appropriate to me."
10% seemed appropriate to the King of England too.
"To paraphrase another poster, where's the sob story?"
Ask the founders of the country.
I don't pay taxes.
I might as well stay poor. I can't afford to get rich.
Alfred P. Doolittle
We've never asked for a hand-out and never asked for or received ANY kind of government freebie, including college loans/grants, unemployment, or anything else. Our reward when we retire will be getting screwed with a social security "means test"--we will have paid the maximum amounts into the social security welfare system, and will likely get NOTHING back.
The tax code is immoral, period. It punishes those who are most productive, successful, and personally responsible.
You could. Or, you could adjust the withholding in your current jobs, to avoid paying through the nose again next year. The W-4 instructions are pretty clear about having multiple jobs and/or a working spouse.
Our city sales tax is now at 8.2% and hotel tax in Arizona is now at 13%.
Our automobile license taxes run between $100 to $500 per year, depending on the age of the car.
When I look at all the taxes we pay (also counting social security and Medicare taxes, there is no question that hubby and I are paying more than 50% of our income in some kind of tax.
Take the time to fill out the long forms and deduct, deduct, deduct. It might be too late for this year because you need to back it up (in case of an audit) with receipts. But at least you can get going for next year.
Invest in a filing cabinet and set up some hanging files for every deductible expense you can think of. Put all receipts into the appropriate files and deduct accordingly at tax time. Each year, bundle all the receipts and copies of your tax forms and put them in a safe place. Keep seven years worth.
Most people are unaware of the things they can deduct. For example, I must wear dress a certain way for work. So all my work clothing is deducted off my taxes. I wear shirts with the company logo so all receipts for those shirts are deducted. Also I deduct for any business suits that I buy. Ditto for all dry cleaning (for work clothing). I keep all dry cleaning recepits and deduct them.
I am set up at home to receive corporate e-mail and I sometimes work from home. I also need to access the corporate website from home. So I deduct the monthly cost of my ISP. If I am ever called on this by the auditors, I will simply tell them that my company requires me to receive e-mail and access the company website at home. If you have a separate phone line you use for business-related faxes and e-mail, claim it as a legitimate business expense. (Be careful, if your company reimburses you for this stuff in any way, you cannot also deduct the expenses from your taxes.)
You can claim 34 cents a mile for business travel. Just keep mileage logs and understand that business miles cannot be claimed to and from work. But if your teaching job sometimes requires you to travel to another school during the workday, you can claim that mileage (if you are not being reimbursed).
Because I use Microsoft Office at the office and I need to work with these documents at home, I bought a personal copy of Microsoft Office and deducted it. Ditto for any other software that I legitimately use for work.
Do you take night courses that are business related? A couple of years ago, I spent $10,000 for MCSE school and deducted the whole damn thing.
There are many other areas that I don't have time to get into. But the fact is, I max out on my deductions just about every year and never owe money.
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