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I like one of the memes online that describe filing tax as you’re taking a test that the government knows the answer to, and if answer the questions wrong, you

I like one of the memes online that describe filing tax as you’re taking a test that the government knows the answer to, and if answer the questions wrong, you go to jail.

loeg 10mo ago
People say this, but it's wrong. If you made an honest attempt and get it wrong, you might pay a fine. You have to deliberately lie to go to jail.
silisili 10mo ago
It's a bizarrely simpleminded and incorrect meme, then. The government doesn't know the exact answer - if they did we wouldn't have to file at all. Have a kid? Buy a house? Go to college? Make $60k selling illicit drugs on the black market? Get a $200 bank signup bonus? These all affect taxes. One could argue in a dystopian way that technically "the government" as a whole does know these things, but suffice to say, the IRS doesn't, necessarily. The whole point of filing is that our tax code is ridiculous. We shouldn't get mad at filing, but at our ridiculous tax code. But it'll never be fixed, there's way too much pork stuffed in it from both sides. Also, nobody files 100% correct taxes. Show me the person, I'll show you the crime(so to speak). You do not go to prison for making mistakes!
- jofzar 10mo ago
  > Have a kid? Buy a house? Go to college? Make $60k selling illicit drugs on the black market? Get a $200 bank signup bonus? Lmao in Australia, other then the drugs, yes the government knows because everything is reported to them. America is just behind.
  - silisili 10mo ago
    America has famously bad government everything. Everything they touch becomes a jobs program for the least qualified. Every comedian jokes about the DMV and TSA because they're the ones most people deal with regularly, but it's depressing to realize every government run institution is just as if not more bizarre. My interactions with USCIS and DHS, who I thought would be more professional, made me question if I was on a hidden comedy show... My favorite interaction to tell however belongs to the TSA. I went through the scanner and it flagged the back of my head. The TSA agent said he needed to verify, so put on gloves and patted the back of my head before letting me go. I wear a military cut, the back of my head is done with a #1/2 guard. For those not in the US, that's a buzz cut of length 1.5mm.
  - astrange 10mo ago
    If you're a business owner then they're not going to just know because it's up to you in several different ways how to report things. If you're a child then they're not going to just know who you're a dependent of.
  - deleted 10mo ago
    [deleted]
duxup 10mo ago
That's not accurate, the government doesn't know how you're going to file, deductions, quite a few details.

I like one of the memes online that describe filing tax as you’re taking a test that the government knows the answer to, and if answer the questions wrong, you go to jail.

loeg 10mo ago

People say this, but it's wrong. If you made an honest attempt and get it wrong, you might pay a fine. You have to deliberately lie to go to jail.

silisili 10mo ago

It's a bizarrely simpleminded and incorrect meme, then. The government doesn't know the exact answer - if they did we wouldn't have to file at all. Have a kid? Buy a house? Go to college? Make $60k selling illicit drugs on the black market? Get a $200 bank signup bonus? These all affect taxes. One could argue in a dystopian way that technically "the government" as a whole does know these things, but suffice to say, the IRS doesn't, necessarily. The whole point of filing is that our tax code is ridiculous. We shouldn't get mad at filing, but at our ridiculous tax code. But it'll never be fixed, there's way too much pork stuffed in it from both sides. Also, nobody files 100% correct taxes. Show me the person, I'll show you the crime(so to speak). You do not go to prison for making mistakes!

jofzar 10mo ago
> Have a kid? Buy a house? Go to college? Make $60k selling illicit drugs on the black market? Get a $200 bank signup bonus? Lmao in Australia, other then the drugs, yes the government knows because everything is reported to them. America is just behind.
- silisili 10mo ago
  America has famously bad government everything. Everything they touch becomes a jobs program for the least qualified. Every comedian jokes about the DMV and TSA because they're the ones most people deal with regularly, but it's depressing to realize every government run institution is just as if not more bizarre. My interactions with USCIS and DHS, who I thought would be more professional, made me question if I was on a hidden comedy show... My favorite interaction to tell however belongs to the TSA. I went through the scanner and it flagged the back of my head. The TSA agent said he needed to verify, so put on gloves and patted the back of my head before letting me go. I wear a military cut, the back of my head is done with a #1/2 guard. For those not in the US, that's a buzz cut of length 1.5mm.
- astrange 10mo ago
  If you're a business owner then they're not going to just know because it's up to you in several different ways how to report things. If you're a child then they're not going to just know who you're a dependent of.
- deleted 10mo ago
  [deleted]

duxup 10mo ago

That's not accurate, the government doesn't know how you're going to file, deductions, quite a few details.