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Cool so will you be writing a check for the difference to the IRS as a “donation”? You can actually do that you know.

by coolso 9y ago

burkaman 9y ago
I don't think you can donate to the IRS. You can do similar things, but none are quite the same as paying taxes. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/04/uncle_sam_wants_you_or_at_least_your_spare_change.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/20... Also, the problem is that the government now has to plan its budget based on the new tax plan. Even if I donate a few thousand extra, that won't stop a lot of important programs from getting cut, and it won't stop general inequality from increasing.
- ncallaway 9y ago
  You're correct that you don't donate to the IRS, specifically. You can write a check to the "United States Treasury", however. They will gladly cash your check.
ncallaway 9y ago
I have written checks to the United States Treasury in the past to better cover what I think my tax obligations _should_ be. I have absolutely no faith in the current governance of the federal government, so I'll probably put my savings into a high yield savings account or a low-risk investment vehicle. When I again agree with the direction of the federal government, I'll pay this insane tax break back United States Treasury.
slg 9y ago
No, not the IRS. A few thousand dollars has zero marginal impact on the US government. I would rather donate my money to an organization that can better use a donation on the scale that I can afford to give.
- coolso 9y ago
  And yet, it makes much more than a zero marginal impact for most Americans, including you. So why don’t you deserve it, if even only just to use to donate it to charity?
  - slg 9y ago
    Because certain projects are only possible when we pool our money together in an organized fashion. That is the whole point of collecting taxes.
    - coolso 9y ago
      Isn't that what charity is? You could donate 100% of your tax savings to one or more charities next year. If there's a specific government project you want to support, aren't there ways of donating money directly government organizations instead of just the IRS or the Treasury Department? The government doesn't have to do everything; it's better when citizens take a more direct approach in my opinion.
      - slg 9y ago
        There are certain things charities don't or can't do. I can't donate to a charity and have them repair a local bridge for example. And my donation wouldn't move the needle on nearly any government project. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in my situation. You can take a penny from each of them and it would beat my donation. That is the whole point of taxes, to pool our money together for the greater good. You can't run a country on just the charitable generosity of its people. Things like infrastructure would never get built in that world.
        coolso 9y ago
        > I can't donate to a charity and have them repair a local bridge for example. You actually could probably send a check to your state/county/township/borough's public works / infrastructure fund. > There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in my situation. All of whom have the option to write a check for as much as they want to the Treasury. > That is the whole point of taxes, to pool our money together for the greater good. And trust me, we as Americans pay plenty in taxes, and those who disagree, are welcome to pay more - it's perfectly legal, even encouraged. The real issue is government spending.

Cool so will you be writing a check for the difference to the IRS as a “donation”? You can actually do that you know.

by coolso 9y ago

Cool so will you be writing a check for the difference to the IRS as a “donation”? You can actually do that you know.

I don't think you can donate to the IRS. You can do similar things, but none are quite the same as paying taxes. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/04/uncle_sam_wants_you_or_at_least_your_spare_change.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/20... Also, the problem is that the government now has to plan its budget based on the new tax plan. Even if I donate a few thousand extra, that won't stop a lot of important programs from getting cut, and it won't stop general inequality from increasing.

ncallaway 9y ago
You're correct that you don't donate to the IRS, specifically. You can write a check to the "United States Treasury", however. They will gladly cash your check.

ncallaway 9y ago

I have written checks to the United States Treasury in the past to better cover what I think my tax obligations _should_ be. I have absolutely no faith in the current governance of the federal government, so I'll probably put my savings into a high yield savings account or a low-risk investment vehicle. When I again agree with the direction of the federal government, I'll pay this insane tax break back United States Treasury.

slg 9y ago

No, not the IRS. A few thousand dollars has zero marginal impact on the US government. I would rather donate my money to an organization that can better use a donation on the scale that I can afford to give.

coolso 9y ago
And yet, it makes much more than a zero marginal impact for most Americans, including you. So why don’t you deserve it, if even only just to use to donate it to charity?
- slg 9y ago
  Because certain projects are only possible when we pool our money together in an organized fashion. That is the whole point of collecting taxes.
  - coolso 9y ago
    Isn't that what charity is? You could donate 100% of your tax savings to one or more charities next year. If there's a specific government project you want to support, aren't there ways of donating money directly government organizations instead of just the IRS or the Treasury Department? The government doesn't have to do everything; it's better when citizens take a more direct approach in my opinion.
    - slg 9y ago
      There are certain things charities don't or can't do. I can't donate to a charity and have them repair a local bridge for example. And my donation wouldn't move the needle on nearly any government project. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in my situation. You can take a penny from each of them and it would beat my donation. That is the whole point of taxes, to pool our money together for the greater good. You can't run a country on just the charitable generosity of its people. Things like infrastructure would never get built in that world.
      - coolso 9y ago
        > I can't donate to a charity and have them repair a local bridge for example. You actually could probably send a check to your state/county/township/borough's public works / infrastructure fund. > There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in my situation. All of whom have the option to write a check for as much as they want to the Treasury. > That is the whole point of taxes, to pool our money together for the greater good. And trust me, we as Americans pay plenty in taxes, and those who disagree, are welcome to pay more - it's perfectly legal, even encouraged. The real issue is government spending.