Drowning In Paper
If you are going to steal from me, you could at least do it efficiently
Well, I’m writing this on the afternoon of April 13th, and I can report to you that I successfully paid my federal and state taxes today. The bloodsuckers got a few more dollars to waste.
But, actually, this post isn’t really being written to complain about the taxes I pay, or that you are stuck paying either. I’m sure that at least a cent or two out of every dollar we pay goes to something sort of worthwhile.
Nope, today I’m complaining about the paperwork.
I’ve got a CPA who does my taxes. He’s been doing my taxes since I was old enough to pay taxes. Before that he did my dad’s taxes, and before that he actually did my grandfather’s taxes. Sometimes I wonder if he found the fountain of youth and will simply live forever, I’ve got to imagine that he’ll decide to retire soon.
So, I’ve got this CPA, he’s a great guy, and he’s been with me all my life.
Each year, around January, I start collecting the papers. Papers received in the mail from employers. Papers received in the mail from clients. Papers, papers, papers. I take all of those, then I add papers of my own. Receipts and stuff. Records of payments made and received. Eventually, long about late February, I gather up this big bundle of stuff and I send it off to my CPA.
He takes the bundle, then does some kind of witchcraft to the whole mess of paper. Magick that no ordinary mortal could ever understand. Abracadabra!
Then he sends me a bunch of questions, and those questions result in me digging through more paper. My answers result in more numerical witchery for him.
After that, his spell is somehow complete, he mails me a huge packet of new paper destined for the tax collectors, and a bill.
This year it was actually three bills. His bill, for transforming one form of paper into a governmental form of paper. An IRS bill, for taxes owed on income in 2025, and a second IRS bill for taxes that will eventually be owed on income in 2026.
So, today, I wrote the checks, wandered down to the local post office, and mailed all that crap.
All I can say is that I thought the “Big, Beautiful Bill” was supposed to result in tax relief. Methinks not.
So, I’ve dealt with stacks and stacks of paper, all for the federal tax man.
But…
I’m not done yet!
There’s also the state tax man, and he wants his paper too!
Now, due to the nature and size of my tiny little business, the state tax man doesn’t actually want any money from me.
But, he wants lots of paper from me, showing him why he doesn’t want money from me.
So, I go online, download all the stuff he wants me to convert from the internet to paper, then wander over to the Library to print it all out.
Once I have all this new paper in hand, I transfer numbers from official federal paper over to official state paper. Then I do some math. Then I look at some charts and add some more numbers to the state paper. Then some more math. Then at the end, I come to Zero.
Having come to Zero, I bundle that big stack of paper up, shove it into an envelope, make the second trip to the Post Office, and send it on its way.
All of this takes hours and hours and hours of my time, none of which the government compensates me for. It also takes my CPA hours of time, all of which I must compensate him for.
Our tax system isn’t simply broken because taxes are too damn high (they are) it is also broken because compliance with it is far too difficult and far too costly. This whole thing could be simplified down to nothing. File on a postcard if you will. Years ago politicians used to campaign promising to do just that, but none ever followed through. Now they don’t even bother to make such promises.
As for me, I’m at least as pissed about the pointless paperwork as I am the dollars. Both are nothing but drags on productivity and our economy.
I too just filed. My accountant recommended I file electronically with a form 1040 for an extension while she wades through my mountain of paperwork for my retirements, Social Security and my 401(k). I usually have her fill out a voucher and send a check, with TAXE$ printed on the memo line. It has been my last act of frustration for the tax year. But this year she recommended I do not send a check, and I acquiesced. When I looked at my credit card statement, I found an $89.32 Service Fee to a contractor for the IRS. Outrageous!
Agreed, with comments. The BBB may not have helped you, but it was a godsend to us. we went from oweing 3K or more a year most years, to getting 5K back. that said, it was an all day evolution to do the taxes, and that should not be.