Taxes make me understand why the rich tend toward evil
2017-Feb-02, Thursday 15:50
For most of my life, I have paid no Federal taxes. At first it was because I didn't make enough and contributed to an IRA, then it was because ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
schoolpsychnerd was in school the year we got married, then it was because we lived in Japan and came in under the income limits, then it was because schoolpsychnerd was in school again. But the last couple of years, now that we both work full-time in real grown-up jobs, we've made enough that the bill has finally come due.
Last year it caught me by surprise due to the aforementioned lack of owing and we had a multi-thousand-dollar tax bill, which we fortunately didn't owe any interest on since our income had jumped so much. This year I was much better about estimating how much we owed and our bill is comparatively low, but I was surprised at my reaction when doing my taxes. Every time I put in something that raised our taxes I twitched. I owe money based on the paltry interest from our savings account? They're charging us how much for our dividends? What do you mean I can't deduct our contributions to an IRA because we make too much money?
Of course, taxes are the bill for civilization.schoolpsychnerd and are fortunate that we make enough that this is even a matter of consideration for us. But it's easy to see how without some thought, those moments of indignation could fester and turn into the lower-taxes-at-all-costs attitude that so many Americans seem to have. It's important for my own sake to remember that I'm not categorically different from a rich asshole--well, upper-middle-class asshole--and it could easily be me that falls into that destructive philosophy if I don't take some mental precautions.
I will indulging in some fist-shaking as that tax bill ticks up, though.
schoolpsychnerd was in school the year we got married, then it was because we lived in Japan and came in under the income limits, then it was because schoolpsychnerd was in school again. But the last couple of years, now that we both work full-time in real grown-up jobs, we've made enough that the bill has finally come due.Last year it caught me by surprise due to the aforementioned lack of owing and we had a multi-thousand-dollar tax bill, which we fortunately didn't owe any interest on since our income had jumped so much. This year I was much better about estimating how much we owed and our bill is comparatively low, but I was surprised at my reaction when doing my taxes. Every time I put in something that raised our taxes I twitched. I owe money based on the paltry interest from our savings account? They're charging us how much for our dividends? What do you mean I can't deduct our contributions to an IRA because we make too much money?
Of course, taxes are the bill for civilization.
schoolpsychnerd and are fortunate that we make enough that this is even a matter of consideration for us. But it's easy to see how without some thought, those moments of indignation could fester and turn into the lower-taxes-at-all-costs attitude that so many Americans seem to have. It's important for my own sake to remember that I'm not categorically different from a rich asshole--well, upper-middle-class asshole--and it could easily be me that falls into that destructive philosophy if I don't take some mental precautions.I will indulging in some fist-shaking as that tax bill ticks up, though.
