Taxes

How about this for an idea. Leave the tax rates and structure just as it is now. The big companies and individuals will cheat just as they always have done. But instead of writing a check to "United States Treasury" which I do every quarter and at the end of the year, you are allowed to designate where it will be spent. Kind of like voting with your dollars.
Give the taxpayer about 10 options, defense, Homeland Security, Highways and Transportation, Dept of Education, HHS etc.
Then see how things change...

I don't object to paying taxes. I do object to the clear misuse of the stuff because of the corrupt lobby/money system that is in effect in government bodies at all levels local state and federal.

 

Tax rates are too high. Not only are rates too high, we have way too many taxes. I would like to see taxpayers have more say in where our dollars are spent. Perhaps we should vote on what we want to fund rather than allowing the lobbyists to make those decisions for us. We could also just pay our states and have them decide what should be funded. That would put more control back to the individual states, where it belongs.

 

Just wait until you get audited and investigated for some thing you wrote off, you will change your tune.

We are overrun on our southern border, my state has a problem with the roads and I have to wait a couple weeks to get my street cleaned of snow or pay the guy down the street to clear the snow.

Our governor and legislator wants to increase our sales tax to fix the roads when we have enough money from fuel and road taxes and fees but using it for everything other than the roads.

Our water department is a mess, it should have been left in private hands as should have our mass transit system as our utilities are.

My city has a crime problem, a lack of cops and the push of criminals out of Detroit into the 'burbs have increased crime in the area.

I don't mind paying taxes but I would rather see the was we pay taxes to change. We dumped a lot of money - tax payer money and borrowed money - into the economy to boast our individual spending so why are we taxing our income when we should be taxing consumption? Makes no sense.

 

I have done some research on this topic and it's just what's going on. Americans are liable for taxes on their worldwide income. Yes there MAY be exclusions but the fact is, the IRS wants to know your business no matter where you live. It won't apply for the majority of folks on this forum who live here.
The more disturbing news is this new law Obama has signed into law nicknamed FATCA. You can look it up.
the US Govt is desperate to claw in as much tax dollars as it can muster. So they've basically bullied/persuaded a multitude of countries to comply and submit the financial dealings of all US citizens that live abroad, That have bank accounts overseas, and that the IRS can pounce on any monies that are liable for taxation. There are consequences if they don't comply. It's the great tax $$ grab. I'm concerned because I have real estate interests in another country. If I'm not careful I could be liable for taxes if I don't handle the situation properly if/when it gets cashed out. Whether there's a tax liability here or not, the IRS is closing the loopholes.
Its just one more headache I have to contend with.
This is one reason why more and more Americans are renouncing their citizenship so they can dodge this new law. We should never underestimate the persuasive power of this country to get its way abroad. Especially when it comes to money.
They are basically wanting to control the flow of money by US citizens. It's nothing new. Many socialist and communist countries have done it. Including the UK.
Hope you enjoyed Norway. I bet that's a fun place to live.

 

I calculate and squeeze to pay the minimum legal amount. Had to make payments a couple times, squeezing too hard. I liked it that way..left nothing on the table.

Fandango mentioned company drivers? If I or other truck owners make $70K in a year, or more, that's usually an after-tax income, net income. Compare with a company driver and per mile pay: You can make $60K/year with xyz company, right? Sadly, that's pretax nearly always. Big difference.

 

Ridge line, I don't know who I p$#$&d off, but I have been audited, several times. Had to pay $1K more twice, was glad I was under my tax and over on my deductions. I don't want to give more than I already do.

 

Fandango, we don't need a better government, we need a better class of representative. These rich fools aren't cutting it. Why do we keep electing these losers? IMHO