Preparation and execution of my income tax return
April 15th is the time of the year when Americans can
communicate with their government. I cannot testify for anyone
else, but I look forward to this marvelous opportunity and I am
careful not to waste it. This year, for example, so much has
happened to me since last year it took 15 single-spaced typed
pages to include everything.
However, to be perfectly honest (and who's perfect), I am a
little disappointed. All the years I have included a personal
letter in with my tax returns, I have yet to get a personal
letter in return.
I'm beginning to think this is a one-way relationship and it
wouldn't take much for me to quit this correspondence entirely.
Then what would my government think? How would they know what
I've been up to all year long?
I am not one to complain, but filling out my income tax return
seems to be getting more complicated each year. When I
familiarize myself with the rules for one year, someone changes
them the next year.
What could not be deducted last year can be this year; and what
was not deductible last year I must pay twice. Why can't someone
in the government make up my mind and quit all this unnecessary
fluctuation?
On April 16, each year, our government immediately destroys the
tax books to keep them from falling into the hands of a foreign
power. By "foreign," I mean Canada.
Heaven help us if our neighbor north of the border ever got
their hands on this information. Canadians are not usually known
for their joviality, but once they see these books, the entire
country would break out into uncontrollable laughter. Who knows
what this would do to the delicate relationship now existing
between the two countries.
Because of this important precaution, we need new tax laws each
year.
Right after the New Year's Eve party, someone in the Internal
Revenue office asks his assistant to "bring me those tax books."
When informed there are no books, this same person (who shall
remain nameless for obvious reasons) says to his assistant,
"Bob, write me a new tax law book for this year and have it on
my desk by 5 o'clock."
This sets the wheels of government to whirling and by golly, by
5 o'clock that new tax law book is on the desk. The reason the
tax laws differ from one year to the next is the assistant
responsible for this is fired every year and a new one hired.
The only requirement for the assistant is that his name must be
"Bob."
I wish one year Bob would call me. It seems he has overlooked
many legitimate deductions every year. I would like to submit
some recommendations to be considered for next year.
First, I am not too happy with this April 15th deadline. I feel
it is much too restrictive and rigid. What is so special about
April 15 that our government should have such an apprehension
about me missing this deadline? What is wrong with June 15? Or,
September 22, for that matter?
I believe the IRS should be more understanding and practice a
nonjudgmental attitude. After all, this is a new millennium
calling for a new attitude on this whole business of taxes. They
ought to trust me to send in my taxes whenever I'm ready, or
remember.
There are some deductions I have never seen on the forms I have
filled out and I have always wondered why. Let me list some:
Grandchildren