Tax Reform - a 'baby step'?

[ERD50]

OK, I've read quite a bit on the various tax reform proposals, and unfortunately, I think meaningful tax reform is dead-on-arrival, as the politicians are addicted to using tax programs as carrot/stick.

So, how about a very practical, baby step, that does not try to take away that power? Here's my modest proposal:

PROPOSAL: Citizens should demand that the 2007 tax rules and forms are *finalized* and publicly available by Jan 1, 2007. That's it!

BENEFITS:

A) The Tax Software companies could actually have their programs ready for the tax season (TurboTax is still issuing updates - maybe some is their fault, but it sure would help them if they knew the rules in advance.)

B) Citizens could actually do their taxes a little each month, and actually be done on Dec 31 - just verify year end statements with your W2s, 1099s and other forms received in January and you are done!

C) Citizens could actually do some real tax planning - look at your 2006 taxes, enter assumptions into the available 2007 forms and see the effects of tax decisions.

This just does not seem like too much to ask. Just help make it a little easier for us to comply with our tax responsibilities. And they could still add things like the Katrina assistance as a separate addendum, w/o changing the basic forms.

I'm ready to write my representatives, but thought I'd try for some feedback from this forum first. Any suggestions? Good/bad idea? Waste of time? If good, anything else to push it? I may write to the TurboTax forum also.

-ERD50

 

[MasterBlaster]

Well your proposal would make sense, in a perfect world. However politicians don't seem to get their act together (if you can call it that) until the very last minute.

I have another very reasonable proposal for you:

have elections on April 15th. I'll bet that would change the discourse.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I cant see any way you'd get hundreds of politicians to give up the ability to hold up their vote on tax issues pending being able to influence their pork and personal agendas, just to accommodate the people...

 

[ERD50]

I have another very reasonable proposal for you:

have elections on April 15th. I'll bet that would change the discourse.

Yep, that would likely do it. But it seems like 9/10 people I talk to do not understand the difference between the taxes they pay, and what they pay/receive on April 15th. Sad.

Seriously, if this small change strikes you as being hard to get through (and you are probably right), there really can be no hope for significant tax reform. Well, there probably never *was* any hope for it. Also sad.

-ERD50

 

[PortlandDiehard]

Oh man, this is a pain. I work for a company that makes payroll software. We have someone that monitors each state's department of revenue web site for tax law changes.

If we could only count on them to only make the changes at the start of a quarter...