Give us a break.

[magooch]

One thing the Republicans could do for a lot of us would be to just have the I RS figure our income tax for us.  I have been doing my taxes for 63 years and it has turned into an absolute pain in the posterior.  The IRS checks every tax return anyway, so why not just do them to start with. 

I fully realize that there are a lot of people that make at least a part of their income doing other peoples taxes, but it should not be the business of the government at any level to create jobs that are unnecessary.  For others who do their own taxes, they should be very aware of how ridiculous the instruction booklet is.

A huge attaboy for President Trump to advocate for no tax on SS.

[Casull]

I don't think I'd want the IRS doing my tax return.  I doubt it would run to my benefit.

[nw_hunter]

One thing the Republicans could do for a lot of us would be to just have the I RS figure our income tax for us.  I have been doing my taxes for 63 years and it has turned into an absolute pain in the posterior.  The IRS checks every tax return anyway, so why not just do them to start with. 

I fully realize that there are a lot of people that make at least a part of their income doing other peoples taxes, but it should not be the business of the government at any level to create jobs that are unnecessary.  For others who do their own taxes, they should be very aware of how ridiculous the instruction booklet is.

A huge attaboy for President Trump to advocate for no tax on SS.

NO WAY!

[moamonkey]

Right, how about we just send them signed blank checks.

[Land_Owner]

They take it and Congress spends it anyway. We get left holding the bag already.

[ulav8r]

NOPE.


10% flat tax on all purchases except for food and drugs, 20% on luxury items over $1000.

[Dixie-Dude]

If they have to have income tax, the best tax is a flat tax.  Low enough you don't have to have deductions to make it lower.  Another is to increase or have tariffs on foreign made goods we can make at home. 

Another is to cut $2 trillion out of the Federal budget.  One is more computerization using AI to get rid of some jobs.  One is to get rid of several of the departments, like Education, Energy, etc.  Neither has solved any problems just sucked up money. 

[Land_Owner]

They're going to let Muskie loose on eliminating the Federal bureaucracy. The same job he did on Twitter. Perhaps we will see a 75% reduction in the Federal workforce.

Can't wait to see the day Trump says to 75% of the current bloated Federal workforce, "Pack your things.  You're Fired.  Get outta here."

Of course they're useless in the Private sector as they were less than useless on the Public dole. Some are going to starve.

Wondering what that "NEW NORMAL" looks like?

[Lloyd Smale]

yup tell me what car i can drive, what kind of gun i can own, how i heat my house and even what food i can eat. maybe in exchange for them ripping me off on my taxes they can tattoo a bar code on my wrist and issue me a uniform!! i dont want more government in my life i want less. remember a while back when the irs bought guns for their collectors. were just dammed lucky this election went our way or you would have seen irs storm troopers coming for your money to pay for the take over of this country. thats who you trust to make sure your not paying to much in taxes!! thats about like handing a car dealer a blank check and saying i trust you. no thanks!!!!

[Land_Owner]

They still have those government guns and the ammo purchsed by the 10's of millions of rounds, sucking up all the available ammo to retail consumers at the time. That was a sure-fire way to curtail some gun activity in We The People.

[GTS225]

10% flat tax on all purchases except for food and drugs,

Not so sure 10% would be enough to sustain things at the moment.  Maybe 20%, tapering off over the next ten years as programs and departments get thinned out or eliminated.

20% on luxury items over $1000.

Question;  Just WHO, exactly, gets to decide what a "luxury item" is?  Would that second car be a luxury item?  How about that pickup, when you COULD get by with a car?  That kind of thing could become a rabbit hole real quick.

Just sayin'.....Roger

[ironglow]

Don't let the IRS touch your tax return papers before they are entitled to !

 Some folks don't know it, but the government has some people they trained, who will do your taxes..and many turn to them for assistance, because as Magooch said, the complexity can be so exasperating.
 
  One local couple -I know,... went to a local man who was trained by and worked for the IRS.

  When he finished, they came away wondering how their taxes were increased so much from last year, while still working at the same jobs.
 
  So, they went back to a professional accountant, and had them redone.  They came off much better...seems the govt employee was apparently not trained to look for the available deductions cooked into the system..

 After we see how the IRS went after honest, conservative organizations, why should we ever trust the IRS again?

[ironglow]

They're going to let Muskie loose on eliminating the Federal bureaucracy. The same job he did on Twitter. Perhaps we will see a 75% reduction in the Federal workforce.

Can't wait to see the day Trump says to 75% of the current bloated Federal workforce, "Pack your things.  You're Fired.  Get outta here."

Of course they're useless in the Private sector as they were less than useless on the Public dole. Some are going to starve.

Wondering what that "NEW NORMAL" looks like?

   Hey Land_owner...  A reminder..  Please don't refer to Elon Musk as "Muskie"....and here's why.. 

  Back in 1972, two Demonrats were leading their pack to be elected president.. George McGovern of south Dakota and Edmund Muskie, of Maine.

  While giving a short speech in New Hampshire, Muskie broke down and cried 3 times..which cooked it for him,

  McGovern went on as standard bearer...against Nixon.  He won only Massachusetts and Washington DC...couldn't even win his home state.

  McGovern was so far left..he drove myself as a voter, far away from the democrats.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canuck_letter#:~:text=The%20crying%20speech,-On%20the%20morning&text=Newspapers%20reported%20that%20Muskie%20cried,Muskie's%20face

[magooch]

All I was alluding to was if our tax system remains about the same and it probably will, there is no good reason for us to toil over the enormously overly complicated rules, regulations and complexities of the system.  I repeat, the IRS is going to check your return anyway and make corrections.  I suspect they use a computerized system. 

On last year's return, I went over it several times and thought I got it as right as it was going to get.  I always purposely have more withheld than what I estimate will be in the ballpark during the year.  Generally I always get a refund.  Well last year I was pretty sure I would get a pretty good refund, but I was surprised to get at least double what I thought it would be.  That was due to some corrections they made in my return.  The check also includes interest on the overpayments, which is at a rate way above what my banks pay.  So I still believe lacking a complete revamp of the present system, I would urge that the IRS short cut the whole thing and just figure it for us.  They are going to figure it anyway and if your version doesn't jibe with theirs--guess who is going to get the nod.  And yes I do understand that I have to list the interest I get on my overpayment must be claimed as income on the next return.  Yeah, they get you coming and going, but it is what it is.

[Land_Owner]

The IRS code is a giant shell game instituted by corporations that seek to gain a foothold advantage over their competition. PAC's at Congress fight tooth and nail to get THEIR legislation language in law. Hell, they WRITE their own law. The rest of that gobbledygook is for obviscation (anti-transparency) and confiscation of wealth.

Do away with it ALL. Flat Tax of 10% of Gross pay. CPA's will morph into making Corporations more efficient. Nobody gets unemployed.[/sìze]

[scattershot]

I tried doing my own taxes once. The instructions might as well have been written in Sanskrit for all the good they did.

I think they should just abolish the IRS altogether. Go to a flat tax or a national sales tax. Much more efficient.

[DDZ]

The IRS is just like any other branch of government. Inefficient, has way more employees than needed, and is way over funded with tax payers money. Their budget is 14 billion. With almost 100,000 employees.   The federal government will never willfully reduce its size, so eliminating the IRS will never happen, even though a flat tax would be best for tax payers.

[magooch]

Be very careful what you wish for.  For a lot of taxpayers a flat 10% of their income would be a substantial tax increase.

[DDZ]

Be very careful what you wish for.  For a lot of taxpayers a flat 10% of their income would be a substantial tax increase.

I'm not wealthy by any means, and would gladly only pay 10% income tax. The only ones that wouldn't like it are those that don't pay any income tax. In other words the one that ride the backs of other tax payers. 

[ulav8r]

It has been 4 or 5 years since I had enough income to be taxed, so I am not in a hurry to pay more.  I remember a few years when I had to have help from my parents garden to keep fed but still had to pay income tax on what little I brought home.

[Bob Riebe]

Be very careful what you wish for.  For a lot of taxpayers a flat 10% of their income would be a substantial tax increase.

I agree, do some online search about Europes Value Added Tax.
Most Europeans loathe it and are jealous of the U.S system.