Law is complicated for many reasons. Private people (here referred to as the personally taxed) don’t have the means, both financial and time, sometimes also the ability to understand the language used in lawmaking, which isn’t made to be easily understood, to keep up with the law. Normally people aren’t really expected to, if you’re a “good” person (morality being subjective and cultural, of course), you’re unlikely to break a law and get punished for it (not diving into edge cases of people forced by their circumstances). But then you’re forced to comply with tax law. If it’s automated, you can get unrightfully made to pay more without your knowledge. If it’s not, you get forced into a game staged against you. People shouldn’t be taxed. Tax should be solely handled by the companies, because they have the means to hire people dedicated to taxes. I feel like this is very important and tax is frequently brought up in many ways, but I don’t see people speaking of this and I’d love to!
Disclaimer: I file for tax literally refreshing for it to be available and help other people with their tax. It’s precisely why I think personal taxation is wrong. I know too many people who paid way too much in tax and didn’t know and cannot claim it, because it’s been too long since.
The only reason you have to make a guess about your taxes is because of the personal tax lobby in America. There are lots of other countries out there that send you a tax form that lists out their calculations and what you owe as a result, and then if you have a problem you obviously speak to the tax authority and work out the issue.
In fact, that already happens in the US if you have property taxes. The local government tells you what they think the land and improvements are worth, and if you have a problem with it, you contact them and dispute their formula.
Like, it’s not an all or nothing proposition here. The issue is that there is a bunch of companies that make money by keeping the tax process annoying and opaque and they lobby Congress to cut the IRS budget every year so the IRS doesn’t have enough people working for them to answer questions and deal with disputes.
I don’t nor have ever lived in USA. I’m very insulted you thought I do. :( I’m on the beautiful continent of AfroEuroAsia.
You’re posting on the fan site for Citations Needed, so I mean, me making the mistake that we were discussing the United States is at least an understandable mistake, yes?
America defaultism still claiming victims on Hexbear :(
A gross take tbh. USA isn’t the default and I hoped at least here it wouldn’t be treated as such. :/
A gross take, to acknowledge that it was an assumption that was not correct, and making a joke as to why it was made?
I would ask that you please assume that I am doing all of this in good faith and be respectful, or at least more understanding