The Tax Preparation Industry

Campus Report ^ | October 15, 2009 | Allie Winegar Duzett

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The Tax Preparation Industry

Allie Winegar Duzett, October 15, 2009

Can you believe that it can cost you more to pay your taxes than you actually pay in taxes? “Last year, Americans spent more than $250 billion on tax preparation,” Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com told the audience at the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) summit on Defending the American Dream, held on October 3, 2009. “It costs us twice as much to comply with the tax code as it costs us in taxes, total,” Morrissey asserted, illustrating his point that our current tax system is “ridiculous.”

“Ironically, what prompted our Founding Fathers to write both these documents [the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution] was a crushing tax system that we colonists felt disconnected from. My, how things have changed,” Morrissey said. He went on to state that rather than focusing on health care, America’s leadership ought to be focusing on a “tax code overhaul,” which Morrissey contended is “decades overdue.”

“Why is the tax code so burdensome?” Morrissey asked. He went on to enumerate a few bizarre tax laws, including a bill called the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act (H.R. 3501), that would allow tax deductions for pet expenses. He went on to explain that these tax deductions serve one purpose: they give the American people a reason to invest themselves in the present tax code. Why support an overhaul of the system when the HAPPY Act will let you deduct your pet expenses from the present program?...

[Diogenesis]

“ Funny thread. WTF pays taxes?”

[Alex Murphy]

....these tax deductions serve one purpose: they give the American people a reason to invest themselves in the present tax code. Why support an overhaul of the system when the HAPPY Act will let you deduct your pet expenses from the present program?

There is one- and only one - reason why I don't support an overhaul of the present income tax system: I don't trust the politicians in charge of such an overhaul to lesson my current tax burden.

[Alex Murphy]

lesson my current tax burden = lessen my current tax burden

Obviously I need to claim a few more tax deductions for education

[KarlInOhio]

“It costs us twice as much to comply with the tax code as it costs us in taxes, total,” Morrissey asserted, illustrating his point that our current tax system is “ridiculous.”

Complying is expensive, but it is not in the $4 trillion range. Fibbing doesn't help our side because the press can latch onto that, claim that since it is wrong the entire premise is wrong and thus the tax code, as it is now, is good.

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Starting to seriously consider moving out of the country. Most of the politicians should be tried for corruption, and the government is so anti-business, why bother.

[Mack the knife]

Complying is expensive, but it is not in the $4 trillion range.

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Estimates of the costs of Income Tax compliance are documented on the Fair Tax website. It is large, and is part of the justification for the Fair Tax.