Good Morning Middle America. I assured you that I would write something important today, and I think I just did. Let me hear from you. Is this right, wrong or indifferent?
Our individual knowledge of history has much to do with how we gauge normality. Most people believe for instance that the IRS is a indispensable institution. But then, it didn’t exist for first 137 years of this countries history.
Without the preconceived notion that the IRS is a “necessary evil,” wouldn’t we simply determine that this method of tax collection is so costly, burdensome and punitive that it just doesn’t make sense?
Let me state that a different way. Let’s play pretend. Pretend that the idea for the IRS as we know it today, were unveiled by some aggressive politician who announced this:
“My fellow Americans, I have a new and exciting tax collection plan that will employ tens of thousands of people who will do nothing more than see to it that you pay your taxes. You, the good citizens, will of course be responsible for keeping every scrap of paper that you receive throughout the year as proof of every penny that you collected and spent.”
“You will be required to keep these records for years in the event that you are targeted for audit. If you are audited, you will be assumed guilty until proven innocent and will be forced to reveal every aspect of your personal life to the IRS agents for fear of seizure and imprisonment. To such an extent in fact, that it would be prudent that you have an attorney, like myself, present at such audits.”
“It will also be necessary for you to spend countless dollars for the professional preparation of your taxes. To be perfectly clear on that subject, the forms and rules will be so complex that it will be necessary for you to pay out large sums of money to determine just exactly how much money to pay out.”
“The total cost of this process, keeping in mind the lost time of the citizens, the total IRS budget, the tax attorneys, the accountants, the printing of forms, the cost of mailing, the ongoing auditing process, the writing of loopholes for the rich, and the retirement packages for all past Federal Agents, will exceed some 50% of all collections.”
“The entire collection process will be fear based and backed by armed Federal Marshal’s and Special IRS Agents. For those of you who resist this plan for collection, we can ruin your life by 5 O’clock today”
“The individual burden and stress placed on the American public and on U.S. business to comply with the volumes of rules (that will be strictly enforced by this code) have never been equaled in history.”
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