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I haven't read a legitimate argument against the IRS calculating taxes automatically, but here it is. The more invisible taxes are to the individual person, th
by tuna-piano 10y ago
I haven't read a legitimate argument against the IRS calculating taxes automatically, but here it is.
The more invisible taxes are to the individual person, the less they think about that money (and the higher taxes can go without them complaining too much).
Rent feels expensive because every month you write a check for rent. However, for many people, taxes are a much bigger expense than rent. But taxes don't feel as painful, because people don't write a check every month for taxes. Taxes are just invisibly withdrawn from your paycheck.
The easier and more invisible it is to pay taxes, the more you forget about how much money that really is. If you believe in constrained government, there's a good case to be made that we should make tax payments more visible, not less.
- ruleabidinguser 10y agoIm sure people who are making their decisions about what they value the way you describe are not really so concerned without how much its actually costing them.
- millstone 10y agoIn 2014 the Obama administration provided a "tax receipt" so you can see how much you paid and what you got for it. Cool idea. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/2014-taxreceipt https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/2014-taxreceipt
- TheGRS 10y agoSales tax would solve that real quick.
- vxNsr 10y agoWhile I agree with the sentiment of what you said, my rent comes out to about 3 times my monthly tax deductions.
- nathan_f77 10y ago> Rent feels expensive because every month you write a check for rent Even when I was living in San Francisco, my rent payments were automatic, and I didn't think about them too much. My rent still felt very, very expensive.