Nothing makes sense with our government. Nothing. How easy would a flat tax make things. Everyone pays the same percentage. Won't ever happen, the rich wouldn't stand for loosing their ability to dodge paying their fair share.
This has been going on for almost 2 years. It's not that complicated for those of you who are thinking about or are retired, but when you're a certain age, Uncle Sam demands that you start taking mandatory withdrawals from your IRA so that they can tax them. (They were exempt when the money was being earned and stashed in the IRA.) However, if you give some of that money to charity, you can deduct it from your income taxes when you file.
Why tax a distribution, then exempt it from taxes when given to charity? Why not allow a retiree to designate the distribution to go straight to the charity and not be taxed at all?
Well, I'm glad you asked boys and girls, because a plan like that would make a LOT of sense. (Something we don't credit the IRS with, very often.) Well, the IRS actually has a law that allows for exactly that situation. So, having filed all the appropriate paperwork, my mother has her distribution go straight to Opera San Jose. Opera San Jose | San Jose, California
But the IRS, apparently won't read the paperwork that was sent in to them telling them this little fact. OR... they can't read. We're not sure. So rather than referring to the required paperwork that was filed a few years ago, OR reading the many communications mother's tax expert sends them... they find it much more satisfying to keep sending certified mail demanding payment, announcing how much extra she is being fined, and telling her to meet them in tax court. Friggin' FEDERAL Court!!!
So naturally this makes a 93 year old woman with limited vision who lives alone and has NEVER been on anyone's legal radar physically ill.
I am so angry, I could spit nails. I would like to say I want to throttle the nearest IRS agent, but that would be bad and the NSA might be monitoring a Labrador Retriever Forum, so we would never say anything like that at all. Ever. Honest.
Nothing makes sense with our government. Nothing. How easy would a flat tax make things. Everyone pays the same percentage. Won't ever happen, the rich wouldn't stand for loosing their ability to dodge paying their fair share.
You're right. A flat tax would be great and would raise plenty of revenue, but would not allow enough room for graft. So it will never happen.
Had a dispute with the IRS years ago and it took years to get it straightened out. They intimated the heck out of me. Never want to go through that again and I was only in my 40s at the time. Can't imagine the stress on your mother.
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