People should not be complaining about time, cost and complication in filing their tax returns.

[LiberalFighter]

1) If they are paying a lot (in their mind) it is because they don't want to go through the imagined hassle or they have a much higher income (they make too much?).

2) If it takes too long to file a return it is because they think it does because they have someone else do it for them thinking it is too complicated or they have a much higher income and they need to use lots of lawyers to figure out all the loopholes to avoid paying taxes.

3) If it is too complicated it is because they don't really try to do it on their own and they have someone else do it for them or they have a much higher income and yes it would be more complicated when they have more than just regular income and do everything they can to avoid paying taxes.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. You can send the IRS all your documents, sign the return, and they'll do your taxes for you...

Now, if you plan on taking all kinds of interesting deductions, that's a whole nother story.

[Name removed]

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[LiberalFighter]

3. For the most part it is a fallacy

that it takes a long time and too complicated to file a return.

[Name removed]

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[yellowcanine]

10. I spend more time gathering the information than actually doing the return.

I use tax prep software, pay to file electronically with both state and federal, and it is relatively painless. Takes about 30 minutes total once I have the information gathered.

[MH1]

4. When did Intuit become Big Accounting?

Or HR Block's Tax Cut software?

Which many people can access through the IRS website. (I usually go to Staples and buy TaxCut on sale and get it cheap).

[haele]

5. If you aren't doing anything fancy with your deductions, or don't have distributions, -

It's pretty much straightforward addition and subtraction. Even if you have a small business.
You need all your W-2s and 1099's, last year's tax paperwork with any refunds clearly marked, some scratch paper, a pen, and a calculator.
Ten minutes to a half an hour, tops, for both the regular 1040A form and the itemized deductions/dividend income form. State form should take about another 10 minutes.
So, grab a large drink and some pretzels, and make sure you have an hour without distractions, and you're set for the rest of the year.
(Now, figuring SSI/SSDI additions to your income can take an extra 10/15 minutes, but that's not that usual).
Use Turbotax or one of those other programs for the basic stuff, and it's even easier. And still around 10 minutes.

Haele

[The Traveler]

6. I think you are overlooking the deeper implications of the problem

The tax code is so complex and in many respects contradictory that not even the experts on it will always agree on the legality of a particular return.

Any law or regulation that complex cannot be applied consistently and equally. And that, obviously, is a big deal. It makes it too easy for powerful interests to lay fingers on that scale, and tip the balance in their favor.

Though these complexities can muddle the waters for the typical wage earner, things can get really murky for the self employed and small business person. The smaller the business, the more important it is for that business to legally minimize tax burden. (That can make the difference between growing/hiring and not.)

Though previous efforts at tax code reform and simplification have failed miserably (Reagan's attempt added on the order 2000 pages to the code as I recall), I refuse to believe that it cannot in principle be accomplished.

Nor is the the only solution a "flat tax". We can have a progressive and just tax code that is comprehensible. The absurdity of the tax code in my view points to a fundamental failure of government. It's complexity is exploited by powerful interests to avoid their tax burden, which effectively shifts that burden down on the self employed and small business that cannot afford the process to lay "fingers on the scale".

The key to achieving a just and workable tax code is, once again, to "get the money out of politics". As long as our representatives are purchased, the process will always be distorted and the result will always be absurd. As long as corporations are entities with the rights of people (and few of the responsibilities) we will be unable to separate capital and government, and government will continue to be captured by powerful interests.

[BadgerKid]

9. Sometimes you just have to rewrite.

I have seen computer code for software that has been through several generations of revisions and patches. If you want to make a small change, it can be very difficult being certain that that change doesn't break something else. Sometimes you just want to, or just have to, scrap it and start over with a clean version.

[mactime]

8. People should not be complaining about time, cost and complication when randomly searched or arreste

People should not be complaining about time, cost and complication when randomly searched or arrested.

1)If they did nothing wrong they have nothing to hide
2)There are evil people that want to kill us, so we all have to give up some freedoms

[JoePhilly]

11. I generally agree with you ... if you are in the 99% ...

If we are talking about individuals ...

For most of those in the 99%, doing your taxes is pretty straight forward.

You don't have stock options, short term and long term capitol gains, so on ...

You don't have deferred Salary ...

You probably don't contribute the max to a 401k ...

Don't have enough to contribute to a Medical savings account ...

Don't have enough to contribute to a child care savings account ...

Your charitable contributions are probably small ...

You probably don't have an LLC, or an S corp ... and no rental property ...

And so on ...

The GOP is trying to make the issue of "doing your taxes" into a red herring, as a way to scare people who's income tax calculations are relatively straight forward.

That's why that idiot Perry created his tax pamphlet, in which he basically repeats the model found in the 1040EZ form.

[former9thward]

12. What a load of crap.

Tax returns are ridiculously complicated. The people using H&R Block are not the 1%, they are the 99%. That is a crime.