Taxes suck!

[Dumbass 0]

Well I'm done, but I'm not happy about it. Once again I E-filed and had to pay around $40 just to get back what the government already took too much of. This used to be called extortion. :)

[Nemesis 0]

I don't pay taxes :)

[Seiben 0]

Nor do I yet.. but we usually do our taxes through our accountant or through H&R Block. Taxes do indeed suck, though. Ontario has the second highest sales tax in Canada at 15%. Quebec at 16% is 1st. :)

[Nemesis 0]

Nor do I yet.. but we usually do our taxes through our accountant or through H&R Block. Taxes do indeed suck, though. Ontario has the second highest sales tax in Canada at 15%. Quebec at 16% is 1st. :)

Ours is at 15% too silly :-P

[FredM 0]

Hey there,

 

Taxes aren't exactly something I love. However, keeping in mind that they help fund the military that's keeping me safe and other items I use on a regular basis...it's a necessary evil.

[Grom 0]

Hey there,

 

Taxes aren't exactly something I love. However, keeping in mind that they help fund the military that's keeping me safe and other items I use on a regular basis...it's a necessary evil.

If the "necessary evils" were the only things taxes were being used for, I'd feel a lot more comfortable paying them. I still think it would be interesting to see what would happen if the US government were to mail out tax bills rather than automatically deducted the money from our individual paychecks...

[NDak 0]

If the "necessary evils" were the only things taxes were being used for, I'd feel a lot more comfortable paying them.

Yeah what Grom said!

[Seiben 0]

Indeed, espiecially since taxes are so much higher in Canada than the United States.

Ours is at 15% too silly :-P

How am I supposed to know that? I'm just an ignorant Torontonian. :) That's like asking an American what he knows about Canada! :) (no offense to my neighbours below the 49th parallel). :D

Edited January 15, 2004 by Seiben

[STSF_BluRox 0]

Ours is at 15% too silly :-P

Yea, but that's 15% in Monopoly money, right? What's the conversion rate...

 

 

Just kidding!! Ha!! :)

[Nemesis 0]

Yea, but that's 15% in Monopoly money, right? What's the conversion rate...

 

 

Just kidding!! Ha!! :)

76% compared to 65% last year and still rising :)

[Seiben 0]

76% compared to 65% last year and still rising :)

According to http://www.cbc.ca the Canadian dollar is currently at 0.7714 cents US.

[Nemesis 0]

Woohoo it went up a cent! Go Canada ::does a little dance::

[Dumbass 0]

Yeah what Grom said!

Yeah, what Ndak said.

 

I have no problem paying for the government services that I actually derive a benefit from - national and local security, some R&D, the infrastructure, the postal service, education, etc. With the exception of national security, however, the free market could provide these things far more efficiently than the government can. (Even with national security there is some debate. The way my anarchist roommate sees it, if a people can protect themselves from their government they can also protect themselves from an attacker.)

[FredM 0]

(Even with national security there is some debate. The way my anarchist roommate sees it, if a people can protect themselves from their government they can also protect themselves from an attacker.)

Hey there,

 

Well, then I'd tell your roommate that I don't think the average joe can afford to have a nuclear aircraft carrier with 5,000 sailers aboard. :)

 

But I will say this. I kind of wish we just did our taxes the same way good old President Lincon did. Actually saw is 1865 tax sheet. Was quite simple.

 

Line 1: Gross (also net) Salary

Line 2: 15% of line 1

Line 3: Your signature

[Dumbass 0]

Well, then I'd tell your roommate that I don't think the average joe can afford to have a nuclear aircraft carrier with 5,000 sailers aboard. :)

I didn't say I agreed with him. (The ironic thing is he teaches economics at a state university. How many anarchists do that?)

 

As far as tax forms go, I prefer this simplified 1040:

 

1) How much did you make in 2003?

2) Send it in.

[Nemesis 0]

Of course you can defend your country from fleets of seagulls :)

[Webmaster 20]

As someone who has worked in the media, and someone who has had a lot of dealing with the government in the past... I do think most people have a somewhat distorted view of how taxpayer money is spent.

 

Yes, there are isolated cases of instances of the $75 toilet seat, and the $10 screw... but that's true in most huge corporations. (And the US Government is about as big a business as it gets, lol).

 

Services such as education... YOU may not be in school, but what about those that are? You may be 26, have a great job, etc... why should YOU care if the education program is funded? Well, what happens to these kids that are in school now 15 years from now? They'll be without an education, not able to make a living (thus a need for bigger social programs), not paying taxes, etc.... and those will also be the people running our country. Sound like something fun? lol

 

The same thing for things like the department of aging. You're young now... but do you want your poor elderly grandmother to get assistance with various things the department provides?

 

How about the department of transportation? It would be hard to get to place A to place B without somewhat of a decent highway infrastructure. LOL

 

As much as we would like to complain, the federal government does do a lot of stuff for the public. Can it improve? Sure it can. Can WE stand to improve a few things in our lives? I would bet so.

 

I'm not saying this to say any ideas expressed here are wrong, invalid, or anything else. Rather I am hoping to sort of balence this thread out. There are two sides to every story. :)

[Travis Kroells 0]

yeah, Randy's got a point, but I dont pay taxes so it dont matter either way! Ha!

[Seiben 0]

Yeah, but it will in another ten years from now. :) But they say that there are two certainies in life: death and taxes.

Edited January 15, 2004 by Seiben

[Dumbass 0]

Yeah, but it will in another ten years from now. :) But they say that there are two certainies in life: death and taxes.

And as we've learned in Star Trek, even death can be avoidable. :)

[Dumbass 0]

Yes, there are isolated cases of instances of the $75 toilet seat, and the $10 screw...

Heck, I can't even get a DATE for 10 bucks! :)

 

They'll be without an education, not able to make a living (thus a need for bigger social programs), not paying taxes, etc.... and those will also be the people running our country. Sound like something fun? lol

I seriously doubt that. The ones actually running the country will be the ones who were able to get better educations through private schools than the government is providing in our public schools now.

 

Incidently, what is the federal government doing funding education anyway? The Constitution says education is exclusively the domain of the state and local governments. If we must have government education let's keep it as local as possible.

 

You're young now... but do you want your poor elderly grandmother to get assistance with various things the department provides?

My grandmother had her whole life to plan for where she is right now. Social Security was designed to provide supplemental income, not replace personal retirement plans.

 

How about the department of transportation? It would be hard to get to place A to place B without somewhat of a decent highway infrastructure. LOL

And as soon as we have one I'll let you know.

 

As much as we would like to complain, the federal government does do a lot of stuff for the public. Can it improve? Sure it can. Can WE stand to improve a few things in our lives? I would bet so.

Believe it or not, that is my point. The federal government should back away from the things it doesn't have any Constitutional mandate to do and let state and local governments and private citizens do what WE do best. That's the best kind of self-improvement there is.

 

If you try to be everything for everyone you will end up being nothing for nobody.

Edited January 16, 2004 by Dumbass

[Merina 0]

::smiles:: Good thing I don't have to pay taxes... yet. But I due have to fill out my FAFSA Form which needs my parents taxes.

[Captain Huff 0]

As long as I can keep deducting an annual new pair of sleezy mambo nightclub shoes, I'm happy. ;)

 

In the grand scheme of life, I could give a fart about taxes - I have much more important things to spend my energy on. Pay 'em, suck it up, move on.

[LoAmi 0]

I love it when people start claiming that they can do without all kinds of government services that help other people, and then assert that the ones they use or like are essential.

 

Examples:

Case I: I don't own a car. Should I be paying equally into the highway transportation system that I don't use that often?

The truck that brings the produce I buy in the supermarket uses that system, so, I'm benefitting from it.

 

Case II: My school (thankfully) provides health insurance. Should I be paying for other people (the poor and elderly) to get healthcare from the government?

When a viral epidemic strikes the poor population, and isn't caught in time because they couldn't afford to see a doctor or to pay for emergency room fees, do you think the virus will stop and ask me if I had insurance?

 

Case III: Home heating assistance. The northeast states of the US (and parts of Canada) are now going through cold weather much worse than anything seen in years. Home heating oil prices are no lower than last year. The government provides a (underfunded!) program to help people who can't afford heating oil. I don't use it, should I be helping those freeloaders?

Many of them are low-wage workers with families. What would happen to our economy if large numbers of them died every year from hypothermia (or suffered major medical problems)?

 

The list goes on and on... the government may be wasteful sometimes. I'm all for cleaning up unnecessary beureaucratic and administrative costs. But, before taking an axe to the entire (social) structure of the government, realize that it's not there to benefit just you as an individual, but the common good.

 

And, if you're an American, be happy. For all the the state and federal governments do (and don't do), your taxes are among the lowest in the civilized world.

[Nemesis 0]

I keep forgetting in America you have to pay for your health care with your own money, But thats another thing you say you have the lowest taxes amoung the civilized world but how much do you need to pay for your health insurence every year, or can't afford to pay for because you're a low income family. I would rather pay higher taxes(although its not like we have a whole lot higher taxes then America) and know no matter what illness myself or friends and family should get we can get the needed surgeries no matter their cost or my income.

 

The place where most of America's money goes to is military and yes many people call Canada's military a joke and has been throughout history but everytime we went to war we came out with one of the world's largest Navys so that is something I'm not concerned with, should you be.