Monday, April 12, 2010

Complex Taxes

As tax day approaches, and my wife and I have struggled through our tax forms, I'm reminded about how complex the tax structure is and how it doesn't need to be that way. The Tax Policy Center proposes that the IRS take the first stab at filling out our returns for us, because:
...in 2009, nearly 90 percent of taxpayers used either paid preparers or commercial software.
It is pretty clear that nearly all of us either need help doing our returns or think we do. ... “It is too complex and too fear-inducing,” TPC’s Elaine Maag concludes.

That's not to mention the industry of people and companies that have popped up to leech off of the complexity of the tax structure.
It doesn't need to be that complicated. But I hold out no hope that it'll ever change.

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