Today I Learned...

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Ugm, because he thinks you're a tax accountant?

That's funny!

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Ugm, because he thinks you're a tax accountant?

'think' is a little strong. Imply would be a better word

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by soundman98

'think' is a little strong. Imply would be a better word

For you, definitely.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

That's funny!

Man I set you up, leave that softball just hanging there and you miss the correct response.....

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Spuds

For you, definitely.

I try to leave the heavy lifting for the boss

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Man I set you up, leave that softball just hanging there and you miss the correct response.....

Oh brother, I new what he was getting at, I was playing dumb waiting for his response.

Then .....

[Captain Snooze]

I don't remember exactly what I saw on shelf price tickets in California but it was something along the lines of price of item without tax and the amount of tax to be paid at checkout. Or maybe it was price of item without tax and getting surprised at checkout because I had to pay tax on top of price. What ever it was I thought it was weird. Here the price you see at the shelf is the price you pay at checkout.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

I don't remember exactly what I saw on shelf price tickets in California but it was something along the lines of price of item without tax and the amount of tax to be paid at checkout. Or maybe it was price of item without tax and getting surprised at checkout because I had to pay tax on top of price. What ever it was I thought it was weird. Here the price you see at the shelf is the price you pay at checkout.

Many states tax sales by some percentage. The tax is allowed to be passed on to the consumer which basically means it doesn't have to be included in the advertised price. The seller collects the tax at checkout and eventually pays it to the state government. Yes, it's quite a strange arrangement.

There is no US federal sales tax, so you won't see that in some states.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

Oh brother, I new what he was getting at, I was playing dumb waiting for his response.

Then .....

You're just so good it's like you're not even trying.

[86-75309]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Many states tax sales by some percentage. The tax is allowed to be passed on to the consumer which basically means it doesn't have to be included in the advertised price. The seller collects the tax at checkout and eventually pays it to the state government. Yes, it's quite a strange arrangement.

There is no US federal sales tax, so you won't see that in some states.

Sales taxes can also be imposed by counties and municipalities, at least in the state where I live. It would be impossible to advertise a single, out-the-door price for something if you're a retailer with multiple outlets in multiple jurisdictions.

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by Spuds

I think you are overreacting, but sure, tax code is unnecessarily complicated. IMO, part of the problem is the patchwork nature of updates. That itself is caused in part by clever tax professionals finding ways for rich people to avoid taxes. When too many people start doing it too (less rich people) someone makes a patch that targets that specific hole. Then the cycle repeats.

I do know people that file all their taxes by hand every year. I pay for the convenience of Turbo Tax software to do mine. For the average person, it really isn't all that complicated.

Overreacting? Not at all, just being a realist. If anything, I'm UNDERREACTING in this post.

When you compare the differences how Americans used to make a means for themselves and their families back before the Federal Reserve was founded, (by private bankers mind you) where one person could sustain the entire household with a single income, to now where both spouses have to work full time just to barely get by with a little bit of spending money for extracurriculars, while you witness the debt ceiling grow ever higher year after year after year and see the "public" debt increase year after year after year, you start to ask questions and when nobody has the answers, you begin to educate yourself on what the hell has happened to this once great nation by reading. The information is in those three books, which I will post again here, just in case anybody missed them the first time,


And here's one more for you if you have any doubts or if you continue to believe that I'm overreacting:


For more than 30 years, I've been filling out my own tax forms on paper, and sending them in via the United States Postal Service (except for the five years that I couldn't due to the American Healthcare Act and it's penalty mandate for not having health insurance, which was in direct conflict with my state constitution). Why do I continue to file manually? Because electronic filing makes the entire process automated which removes the human element from the equation. There are no options to bring up challenges to issues that you may run into or mistakes that may have been overlooked by government computers. To that government computer, you are simply a number....a taxpayer who must supply the correct calculated amount of income or you generate an error in the system which causes the output to automatically mail you pieces of paper informing you as such. When they address you in the letter, you'll see that they never call you by your name, they ALWAYS start with, "Dear Taxpayer....." Do yourself a favor and read those books to find out why.

And when you say that: "......part of the problem is the patchwork nature of updates. That itself is caused in part by clever tax professionals finding ways for rich people to avoid taxes.", I agree with you that part of the problem is the patchwork of updates, but disagree with you that it is the clever tax professionals making those changes. It's actually the private lawyers and professional lobbyists hired by the ultra-rich that influence the code-writing procedures to make sure the money always comes back to the pockets of the ultra-rich bankers.

Again, I still say that the Federal tax system is doing exactly what it has been designed to do. And for those that want to learn the reasons why, the information is right there in those books.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Overreacting? Not at all, just being a realist. If anything, I'm UNDERREACTING in this post.

When you compare the differences how Americans used to make a means for themselves and their families back before the Federal Reserve was founded, (by private bankers mind you) where one person could sustain the entire household with a single income, to now where both spouses have to work full time just to barely get by with a little bit of spending money for extracurriculars, while you witness the debt ceiling grow ever higher year after year after year and see the "public" debt increase year after year after year, you start to ask questions and when nobody has the answers, you begin to educate yourself on what the hell has happened to this once great nation by reading. The information is in those three books, which I will post again here, just in case anybody missed them the first time,
Attachment 206948

And here's one more for you if you have any doubts or if you continue to believe that I'm overreacting:
Attachment 206947

For more than 30 years, I've been filling out my own tax forms on paper, and sending them in via the United States Postal Service (except for the five years that I couldn't due to the American Healthcare Act and it's penalty mandate for not having health insurance, which was in direct conflict with my state constitution). Why do I continue to file manually? Because electronic filing makes the entire process automated which removes the human element from the equation. There are no options to bring up challenges to issues that you may run into or mistakes that may have been overlooked by government computers. To that government computer, you are simply a number....a taxpayer who must supply the correct calculated amount of income or you generate an error in the system which causes the output to automatically mail you pieces of paper informing you as such. When they address you in the letter, you'll see that they never call you by your name, they ALWAYS start with, "Dear Taxpayer....." Do yourself a favor and read those books to find out why.

And when you say that: "......part of the problem is the patchwork nature of updates. That itself is caused in part by clever tax professionals finding ways for rich people to avoid taxes.", I agree with you that part of the problem is the patchwork of updates, but disagree with you that it is the clever tax professionals making those changes. It's actually the private lawyers and professional lobbyists hired by the ultra-rich that influence the code-writing procedures to make sure the money always comes back to the pockets of the ultra-rich bankers.

Again, I still say that the Federal tax system is doing exactly what it has been designed to do. And for those that want to learn the reasons why, the information is right there in those books.

Man, you should take a step back and reexamine your life choices.

There are plenty of single income households. I work, my wife doesn't. For years my mom worked and my dad didn't, with 3 kids and saving for our college. My grandfather would very much disagree with your opinion on one person being able to sustain the entire household on a single income.

Simple fact is people want more today for less, and the crazy thing is they get it. It's too bad you can't talk to people that were actually alive in the 1910s and 1920s, you might learn something. For example, you got a car?

I've never had a problem with reporting my taxes to the IRS electronically. PA local tax had a problem once, but we got it resolved with no penalties.

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Man, you should take a step back and reexamine your life choices.

There are plenty of single income households. I work, my wife doesn't. For years my mom worked and my dad didn't, with 3 kids and saving for our college. My grandfather would very much disagree with your opinion on one person being able to sustain the entire household on a single income.

Simple fact is people want more today for less, and the crazy thing is they get it. It's too bad you can't talk to people that were actually alive in the 1910s and 1920s, you might learn something. For example, you got a car?

I've never had a problem with reporting my taxes to the IRS electronically. PA local tax had a problem once, but we got it resolved with no penalties.

I don't feel it necessary to take a step back. I've made excellent life choices. In fact, after seven years with my current company, I'm starting a new job next week with a significant increase in pay.

And you're right, I really wish I could talk to some of those people back in those times. I could explain how we as a nation allowed our servant government to become this huge gorilla and could warn them not to make the mistakes that have led to it in the first place.

[ScoobsMcGee]

I'm not sure what all this hubbub is about. I just let my Pokémon file my taxes.