NA /. Poll (on) Taxes

How do you feel about paying taxes?

  • It's my civic duty and I'm glad to do it

    Votes: 13 28.9%

  • I do it only because I have to

    Votes: 24 53.3%

  • I think the government squanders my money so I cheat at every opportunity while doing my taxes

    Votes: 7 15.6%

  • I think Wesley Snipes had it right and I'm not required to pay taxes

    Votes: 1 2.2%
  • Total voters
    45
Gerhardt

Gerhardt

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Gerhardt
I just finished running my numbers this year and thought I'd do something to help cheer me up. So I'm asking how people around here feel about doing their fair share.
 
IBTL...

Oh wait.

We will allow this, for now, but if it turns into partisan bashing it will be closed.
 
I'm not sure how to fit my opinion into the poll so... here it is.

Taxes are necessary to pay for stuff like roads, schools, police, fire departments, and so on... and the bulk of those sorts of things get paid for through state income tax, property tax, and sales tax all of which are fairly reasonable(at least where I've lived, YMMV).

Now some of those things are funded in part... in part mind you.. by federal income tax. However the largest tax most of us pay is the federal income tax and at least half of the stuff the federal government spends my money on is stuff I'd rather it didn't. I know some may disagree with this but I think it's fundamentally unfair that anyone should have to pay more than 20% of their income in taxes.... it should be capped off and the government's scope reduced to fit the budget.
 
Once again I only paid less than 2%.

That doesn't mean I pocketed that cash, it means I put it to what I consider better use. ie...local charities and my church. I think they can put it to better use than anyone else.
 
I'm rather fond of the Heinlein philosophy - only pay for those programs you approve of. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to do that. On the other hand, as spending most of my career in aerospace, the Feds (one way or another) paid my salary, and I paid the Feds, so in effect, I was paying myself.

I just couldn't figure out how to give myself a raise.

My choice isn't on the poll. I don't cheat, but I take every legitimate deduction. Again, as an aerospace contractor (at times with security clearance) I'm more careful to make sure every deduction can be justified and documented. Besides, I pay lots of taxes before April 15. Just the bare minimum of FICA, Medicare, State & Local taxes is over 30%. And that's before property taxes, school taxes, sales tax, fuel tax (airplane and car), etc.

As part-time faculty, I'm required to pay into the state retirement fund, money I will never see again.
Because my part-time teaching gig is in the City & County of Denver (I don't live there), I'm required to pay a fee for the privilege of teaching there.

Frankly, it wasn't worth going back to work full-time last year - the tax bill is horrendous! I didn't take any deductions and still have to write a check - a check that was going to be either ADS-B or remodel the kitchen.
 
I'm still trying to figure out how all these people with small side businesses claim not to pay taxes by reporting losses. I get raped being a single person with no kids making a good salary.
 
I could buy a very nice SE airplane every year for what I pay in federal tax alone. I don't take any "risks" with deductions because I like to sleep at night, and that's just how I roll. I do have a very good accountant who's as scrupulous as I am.

God Himself only asks for 10%. How does the federal government justify anyone paying more? The progressive marginal rate is a ripoff, designed to prevent the accumulation of wealth by the masses.
 
I don't pay taxes....IBTL. o_O

This is gonna turn political any second .....:ihih:
 
cowman said:
I'm not sure how to fit my opinion into the poll so... here it is.

Taxes are necessary to pay for stuff like roads, schools, police, fire departments, and so on... and the bulk of those sorts of things get paid for through state income tax, property tax, and sales tax all of which are fairly reasonable(at least where I've lived, YMMV).

Now some of those things are funded in part... in part mind you.. by federal income tax. However the largest tax most of us pay is the federal income tax and at least half of the stuff the federal government spends my money on is stuff I'd rather it didn't. I know some may disagree with this but I think it's fundamentally unfair that anyone should have to pay more than 20% of their income in taxes.... it should be capped off and the government's scope reduced to fit the budget.
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^This. 100%. I don't mind paying for the basic infrastructure, emergency services, and some menial amount of social safety netting. I absolutely hate how many things get lumped into the various tax methods that have no relation to the tax itself. (funding local education with cigarette taxes, emergency services with fuel taxes, etc.). Want to fund roads/street lights with a fuel tax? Fine, at least they're related. Tie school funding to property taxes and leave it. I'd actually be in favor of moving to the FairTax plan or some close variant of it, in lieu of income taxes.
 
My favorite lie is when they raise taxes to pay for roads, then build toll roads to pay for the road... what happened to the taxes?? Kind of like when a utility company tried to pass expenses for upgrades on the customers, that's the whole idea behind a profit margin.
 
I conservatively pay what I'm required to. I'm thankful to live in this country and have the opportunities I've had. That said, like many, I wish they wouldn't spend so much more than they take in and I wish they wouldn't spend it on stuff I don't agree with. That's probably true for almost everybody. Just a whole slew of different sets of "What I don't agree with." I take the legal deductions I'm entitled to (and they get less every year). I'm paying way more in Federal taxes than I used to even earn. But that's because I make way more money than I ever thought I would. That's a combination of hard work, taking risks that paid off and being in the right place at the right time. (Hey! I'm in software not steel or coal!) So I pay and am thankful that I pay so much because I make so much.

John
 
Ravioli said:
It was political from jump street, but 6 minutes later "they" approved it.
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We have allowed discussions like this as long as it doesn't turn into partisan baiting and bashing. We know you would rather we enforce a zero-tolerance rule. This is apparent from your posts in every thread like this, and the posts you report. We are trying to be at least a little flexible, as our feedback in threads about moderation have indicated many users want.
 
I feel it is my civic duty so I went with the first choice. However I do feel that the guvment wastes a lot of taxes, both federal and state. I do take every deduction I possibly can, but I don't cheat.
 
Oddly, the thought of this thread turning political never entered my mind. I just assumed that we were all past that.

I pay (what's I consider to be) an enormous amount of income taxes. Add to that the end-of-year property tax assessment that ruins Christmas for me. And then anything else that's left is hit with a stiff sales tax. It will never reverse, but I am just amazed that we let it get this bad.

The one that makes me livid every year is when the school comes out with a new tax levy and says "it will only raise your taxes by $150 a year if you own a $100,000 house. Geez, that's on top of what they're already getting. And when they say "it's only for 10 years, then goes away", and ten years later they say it's not a tax increase, we're just keeping an existing tax in place.

On the bright side, I used turbotax this year, the first time in 25 years. It was HORRIBLE back then. This year it was easy-peezy.
 
Gerhardt said:
On the bright side, I used turbotax this year, the first time in 25 years. It was HORRIBLE back then. This year it was easy-peezy.
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Have you been doing it by hand since?
 
I don't mind taxes, I mind how high they are. I mind how poor government seems to be at spending them as well. The congress critters just keep expanding things to "buy" more votes. I'm tired of paying for all of that crap.
 
I do my taxes by hand...... I walk into the accountants office, hand over my receipts, and then say good luck. I also have to come back in and sign by hand....
 
Zeldman said:
Once again I only paid less than 2%.

That doesn't mean I pocketed that cash, it means I put it to what I consider better use. ie...local charities and my church. I think they can put it to better use than anyone else.
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That's nice, but as you go up in income those writeoffs disappear. Oh, and you paying only 2% flags you for an friendly compliance call from the IRS.
 
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Mine never manage to be simple. I'm still waiting on several things to be mailed out to me before I can even do my taxes. No matter how carefully I try to organize everything each year there's always something missing that I have to go looking for. It's the most stressful time of the year... and it's not even the money. I have to pay quarterly so it should be all/mostly paid up it's all the #$%&#! paperwork. Then... even with an accountant and not playing any games I pray every time I sign the paperwork and drop it in the mail that it's all right and nothing goes wrong. So far so good.

I don't think folks who just have a W2, maybe some 1099s, and 2 or 3 other random things realize just how much of a paperwork nightmare this can be for some folks in business for themselves.
 
Grum.Man said:
I'm still trying to figure out how all these people with small side businesses claim not to pay taxes by reporting losses. I get raped being a single person with no kids making a good salary.
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And that is why Warren Buffet doesn't take a large salary. But don't worry, if your salary is that good you still probably don't pay your "fair share".
 
None of the choices fit. But I chose (A) "It's my civic duty and I'm glad to do it" because I do think it is my civic duty. And I am fine with that.

My problem is that my taxes go to fund too much BS. Today I read that the government is funding a study to determine if people can smell their own "Asparagus pee". I would prefer not to pay for that. Perhaps there is some scientific justification for that, but it could be done differently.

I am happy to pay for National Defense. I am happy to pay for interstate highways. I am even happy to pay for some government funded basic research, and a few other things. But I would prefer to pay LOCAL taxes for most of the things I now pay Federal taxes for. I don't like that. And I hope I don't have to pay for California's failure to maintain their dams.
 
Gerhardt said:
I just finished running my numbers this year and thought I'd do something to help cheer me up. So I'm asking how people around here feel about doing their fair share.
Click to expand...
Your post does not match your poll question. I have no problem paying my fair share. But I currently pay much, much more than that. Just a WAG, but I'm guessing most of the 40% who are happy about taxes are in a different category.
 
cowman said:
Mine never manage to be simple. I'm still waiting on several things to be mailed out to me before I can even do my taxes. No matter how carefully I try to organize everything each year there's always something missing that I have to go looking for. It's the most stressful time of the year... and it's not even the money. I have to pay quarterly so it should be all/mostly paid up it's all the #$%&#! paperwork. Then... even with an accountant and not playing any games I pray every time I sign the paperwork and drop it in the mail that it's all right and nothing goes wrong. So far so good.

I don't think folks who just have a W2, maybe some 1099s, and 2 or 3 other random things realize just how much of a paperwork nightmare this can be for some folks in business for themselves.
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I wish I could "Like" this more than once, or perhaps there could be a "super like" button.
 
Lindberg said:
Your post does not match your poll question. I have no problem paying my fair share. But I currently pay much, much more than that. Just a WAG, but I'm guessing most of the 40% who are happy about taxes are in a different category.
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Now that is an interesting statement, that you pay much, much more than your fair share. Do expand upon that, it's a pretty open statement.
 
Lindberg said:
Your post does not match your poll question. I have no problem paying my fair share. But I currently pay much, much more than that. Just a WAG, but I'm guessing most of the 40% who are happy about taxes are in a different category.
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I put that I am happy to pay taxes, but that was in a philosophical sense. I am not happy about the way we pay and what we pay for. I would much prefer a "consumption" tax instead of a "productivity" tax.
 
JOhnH said:
I put that I am happy to pay taxes, but that was in a philosophical sense. I am not happy about the way we pay and what we pay for. I would much prefer a "consumption" tax instead of a "productivity" tax.
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To add to my statement above, it isn't so much the taxing I object to. It is the spending.
 
JOhnH said:
None of the choices fit. But I chose (A) "It's my civic duty and I'm glad to do it" because I do think it is my civic duty. And I am fine with that.

My problem is that my taxes go to fund too much BS. Today I read that the government is funding a study to determine if people can smell their own "Asparagus pee". I would prefer not to pay for that. Perhaps there is some scientific justification for that, but it could be done differently.

I am happy to pay for National Defense. I am happy to pay for interstate highways. I am even happy to pay for some government funded basic research, and a few other things. But I would prefer to pay LOCAL taxes for most of the things I now pay Federal taxes for. I don't like that. And I hope I don't have to pay for California's failure to maintain their dams.
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My local taxes amount to $900 a month on my primary residence and $1170 per month on my second home. I know, I know, first world problems. But for my primary residence, it's a 2,400 square foot 4 br home, none too fancy. I'm fortunate in that I can pay it, but many friends are selling and going into apartments. I used to advise people to buy a house, but now that property taxes are approaching rents, I really can't see the point.
 
PaulS said:
My local taxes amount to $900 a month on my primary residence and $1170 per month on my second home. I know, I know, first world problems. But for my primary residence, it's a 2,400 square foot 4 br home, none too fancy. I'm fortunate in that I can pay it, but many friends are selling and going into apartments. I used to advise people to buy a house, but now that property taxes are approaching rents, I really can't see the point.
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:eek: Always drops my jaw how much more cost of living is in some parts of the country. I can rent an entire house around here for less than your property taxes. I don't know how people can afford to live in places like that, hope there are some really high paying jobs.
 
cowman said:
I don't think folks who just have a W2, maybe some 1099s, and 2 or 3 other random things realize just how much of a paperwork nightmare this can be for some folks in business for themselves.
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Yep, that's why it costs me over $800 to file.
 
PaulS said:
My local taxes amount to $900 a month on my primary residence and $1170 per month on my second home. I know, I know, first world problems. But for my primary residence, it's a 2,400 square foot 4 br home, none too fancy. I'm fortunate in that I can pay it, but many friends are selling and going into apartments. I used to advise people to buy a house, but now that property taxes are approaching rents, I really can't see the point.
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Yes, but that money is used for the chiiiiiilllldren.
 
If the thread continues down the road of the previous few posts, it will be closed.
 
Everskyward said:
If the thread continues down the road of the previous few posts, it will be closed.
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I would delete my post, but it's already been quoted.

But I guess I will delete it anyway and see what happens.
 
PaulS said:
What?? What is wrong with the last couple posts?
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If we are going to discuss a topic like this we need to do it without baiting and snark. Unfortunately, some cannot control their impulse to go down that road.
 
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