I have a relative who is a hair stylist. She boasts about keeping much of her cash pay and tips and still gets everything back that she paid into the Feds.
I asked her how she liked her last trip to Disney World on me.
This was the first year my wife and I got a Federal refund in some years, though we still owed the state. It wasn’t much and was only because I was furloughed.
Wifey and I used to despise such an "underground economy".....but we both now agree that if we were still working, we'd damn well both be bartering the shit out of our talents. Screw 'em.