Tax Time
(04-14-2003)

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Well, you might say I'm being facetious, and you would be correct. Tax time may not be a favorite season, but it sure takes a lot of time.

I have realized something about taxes in America. Theoretically, in this country we do not report and pay taxes to a king who demands tribute for his beneficence. We report and pay taxes to our elected representatives who run the country for us, the people. In other words, we are reporting our income and property to our neighbors, and paying taxes to a common pool for common projects. Theoretically. I know it's not as simple as it was in previous decades, but this thought helped me as I filled out my forms this year. They still say this is the land of the free.

I want to be honest on my tax forms because I want to be honest with my friends and neighbors. I expect them to be honest with me. This rosy picture doesn't prevent me from noting injustices in our current tax system, of course. For example, our family purchased a new computer last year for use in our home business. Since we use the computer for business purposes, we must report the full cost for county property tax purposes. However, since we do not use the computer exclusively for business purposes, we cannot report the full cost as a business expense for federal income tax purposes. When it helps the government, we have to report it. When it helps us, we can't report it.

Consider another example. If a man takes his wife out to dinner to deepen their relationship, he can't write it off on his taxes. However, if he takes another man's wife out to dinner to deepen their business relationship, he can write off part of it on his taxes. What's wrong with this picture?

The problem is that we the people have put these ridiculous rules on ourselves. We the people voted for the representatives who made these laws, and we the people have failed to kick them out after they did it. The average John Doe doesn't realize how much of his money goes to the government, because he doesn't pay attention. Taxes are automatically deducted from his paycheck at work, so he just focuses on his take-home pay. When he buys something at the store, sales tax is added automatically, so he just accepts that as part of the cost. He doesn't have to think as much about property taxes and licenses, because businesses deal more with those.

Are you frustrated by the way things are going in Washington, D.C., and in your state capital? What can you do about it? You can contact your representatives to express your frustration, but that probably won't accomplish much. Besides prayer for the freedom to live a godly life, the most important action in the civil sphere is to elect representatives who are willing to reduce actual government spending and alter the basic tax system. Token tax cuts are meaningless if the government keeps collecting and spending more money and putting more regulations on law-abiding citizens.

1040. 1065. W-2, K-1, C-EZ, hike! I hope you don't have to stay up too late tomorrow for Uncle Sam. :-)