• achekulaev (edited 4 years ago)
    +3

    I come from Eastern European country. I am not used to filing my taxes, and yes I find it inundating to fill in taxes in US

    BUT

    I also find that if you file as a "simple person", with a single w2, then it is actually very easy. Yes, it is harder than in my country, but it also reminds you, that you are paying your money to the government. The money you have earned. No you don't earn 40k, you earn 55k, and you forfeited 15k to the government. You paid them dude. So you can expect stuff. In countries without this "simple people" often see taxes as weather, something that just exists and you can't do anything about, often they don't even know how much taxes they are paying.

    And also I find that this cumbersome process actually is complex because it gives you hundreds of ways to save money depending on the life situation if you are smart enough to use them. It is highly optional to use them. You don't have to. Leave money on the table and file simple. Your choice.

    And even if you pay to attorney to do you taxes for you, I don't see it as a burden because in "other Western nations" it is still done for you, just by the government agencies that using your money you paid in taxes (that are much higher than those $100)! And you cannot opt out and do it yourself, or do it with TaxAct or something else.

    So again, yeah freedom is pretty cumbersome. Making choices and decisions, it's hard. But begging for someone to take the choice away because you're too inundated to spend your will power to make the choice is just weird.