this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2024
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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 79 points 3 months ago (3 children)

It should be super simple... We have all the math to make it happen, just take the correct amount out of people's checks and leave them the fuck alone.

Don't put your hand in my pocket 26 times in a year then come to me at the end and go "(Blush), sorry, I took too much/too little."

Take the right amount, leave me the fuck alone.

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 74 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thank companies like TurboTax and HR Block. They're the ones who make it hard.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 65 points 3 months ago (2 children)

You can thank the politicians that TurboTax and H&R Block bought. They aren't innocent here.

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 15 points 3 months ago

I can’t vote out a corrupt politician from another state, but I can vote with my dollars and Intuit will never get another dime from me.

[–] magnusrufus@lemmy.world 11 points 3 months ago

We could consider those politicians employees of TurboTax and H&R Block just with extra steps

[–] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 9 points 3 months ago

It's a little more complicated because of itemization.

The standard deduction should be pretty simple. For people that give a bunch of money to accountants ... you're probably better off just taking the standard deduction anyways. But eh maybe not.

In theory itemization is a good option, it does save me some money, and there's very little way for the government to know that I e.g. donated to X and that reduces my tax burden by Z. My neighbor tells me back in the day you could itemize a lot more stuff, but those days are gone.

Definitely support the IRS providing some free tax filling software at the very least. There's really no reason electronically filing should cost all the money it does to go through e.g. TurboTax and scare you with the up selling to protect you from audits or XYZ thing.

[–] Gigan@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago (4 children)

just take the correct amount out of people’s checks and leave them the fuck alone.

Isn't this how it works for most people with a W2? It only gets complicated when you start adding dependents or starting side businesses.

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 32 points 3 months ago (3 children)

they take the appropriate amount out but they don’t “leave me the fuck alone” – you still gotta fill out all the paperwork and file your taxes

pretty much every other country in the world, come tax season, just sends out a receipt for you to sign …

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 12 points 3 months ago

Thanks TurboTax and HR Block.

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

It only gets complicated when you have dependents? Like a massive percentage of all adults...

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago
[–] HiddenLychee@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Not if you take any form of assistance, make any purchases for a business/education, get income from multiple places, work in multiple states, have health insurance, or even received tax credit from a previous year where the government took too much.

[–] Apepollo11@lemmy.world 40 points 3 months ago (3 children)

As a Brit, I always assumed the American system worked like that because of freedom or something.

[–] RedditWanderer@lemmy.world 38 points 3 months ago (1 children)

All employers report income and deduct taxes from paychecks directly, so the government knows how much you have paid.

What they don't know is if you've won a lottery, sold a service or have someone bunking at your place paying rent. This you need to declare yourself.

In the UK the rule is: we will assume you have nothing else, please let us know if you have additional income

In the US (and Canada) the rule is: we will assume you have a lot of shit, please let us know even if you don't have additional income.

The US system stems from Conservatives having nothing other to run on than "people are going to grift and if you're an honest employed american you have nothing to worry about". Which is a measure that mostly affects the poor and those who don't know the law.

The same reason healthcare was tied to employers. They convince people nothing could go wrong because only those working should have healthcare. Which we can all see is insane but looks good on paper.

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 15 points 3 months ago

(lottery is probably a bad example – both US and Europe, lottery winnings are more heavily tracked and reported than sales or income tax)

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] isles@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

I will die for my freedom to be fucked over by corporations.

[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 7 points 3 months ago

If by freedom you mean incessant bribes/lobbying from Intuit, HR Block, and other tax companies to keep it confusing, you're right.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Knowing the correct solution and knowing whether or not a solution is correct are not the same thing. Doesn't really apply here, but it's important to remember.

[–] TeamDman@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)
0..9999999 | Where-Object { Test-ValidTaxReturn $_ } | Select-Object -First 1
[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

dude just casually in here solving p=np

[–] morphballganon@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You are correct that it doesn't apply here. So why say it?

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

It’s relevant, just not on point.

[–] irreticent@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Brushing your teeth regularly will help prevent cavities. Doesn't really apply here, but it's important to remember.

[–] Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 months ago

Well I liked it!

[–] Ioughttamow@kbin.run 1 points 3 months ago

Soooo quirky

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

One is completely unrelated. Care to try again?

[–] irreticent@lemmy.world -4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Calm down and learn to take a joke.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

Jokes are funny. They subvert expectations or play on words and phrases.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

In Belgium its almost completely hands-off

It gets calculated for you, although you can check it if you like to make sure.

It usually is correct, in which case you don't have to do a thing.

[–] egonallanon@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago

Likewise in the UK for standard wage workers. Only gets more complicated if you have investments outside and ISA or multiple sources of non-labour income.

[–] moshtradamus666@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Recently in Brazil we basically just have to hit a button on a web application. It's definitely a little more complicated if you are a business owner.

[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

One of the promises I wish he would have kept. Back when presidents actually did some of the things they promised.

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/promise/18/provide-option-for-a-pre-filled-out-tax-form/

[–] raptir@lemmy.zip 0 points 2 months ago

This would be a lot funnier without the last two panels.