Articles
Why Are Taxes So Complicated That Even Really Smart Economists Can't Do Them Correctly?
The nomination of Timothy Geithner, former head of the New York Federal Reserve, seems to be teetering slightly on the news that he messed up his tax returns for a few years, though he has since repaid his back taxes, with interest. The question is: Why does no one think when the head of the New York..
01.17.09
This isn't an argument for a flat tax or anything that crazy, it's just that our tax forms need to be drastically simplified, and the IRS needs to offer an online service for free that does the same thing as TurboTax or other tax preparation software. Can you imagine what the meetings with the H&R Block lobbyists must be like: "Hello Senator on whatever committee oversees the IRS. We need you guys to keep these forms as analog and as complicated as possible, or we'll all be out of a job." To me, if Geithner can't do it, there is no reason to assume I should be able to, and there must be a better solution.*Note to IRS agents reading this post: "Almost certainly wrong" is hyperbole, which I am using as a literary device in order to make my point stronger. I am sure that my returns are totally above board. Please do not look at them too carefully, as you already seem to have decided they were fine. Just go about your business.