“I like to pay taxes."

[Peacetrain]

" With them, I buy civilization.” ... Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

[clarice]

1. "I hate to pay taxes...especially when the money is ill spent" .....Clarice nt

[name not needed]

2. I take it he never lived in New Jersey.

[loyalsister]

3. Nice

I am also quite happy to pay the share requested because it reinforces the "we're in it together" principle I strongly believe in.

[Igel]

6. What do you mean by "the share requested"?

(It's not really requested, actually, but that's a different matter.)

Do you take all the permitted deductions and credits allowed under the law?

I know people who keep track of their electricity expense and have space dedicated to doing work at home.

Taking all the legal deductions and exemptions and credits is still paying what's "requested." That's popularly called "tax avoidance" and incorrectly called "tax evasion."

Not taking them all is either volunteerism or simple expediency. I seldom take every possible deduction because working 55-60 hours a week and having wife and kid and hobbies I don't have time. (Some hobbies require consistent practice.)

[loyalsister]

7. I don't take any deductions or credits

I am on a fixed income and not required to pay income taxes. I do pay sales tax. I usually vote in favor of them because income taxes are so low (not updated since the 1930s) that the only way to pay for our libraries, schools, sidewalks, etc is through sales tax. I am happy to kick in, since the people and majority party representing them are too greedy to care about such things.

[JaneyVee]

4. No one really likes paying taxes.

I see the need for taxes, but I feel like I pay too much.

[Warpy]

5. I get a zillion tax breaks, it seems, so I often feel I don't pay enough

especially since I live so far below my income (weird to hear that in underpaid America, isn't it?). I just hate seeing 55% of it being flushed down that five sided black hole in Arlington, VA.

Put the fucking Pentagon on a strict diet you can double my taxes and I won't complain.

[LuckyLib]

11. I always pretend that not a dime of my $$ goes to the

the war machine - every penny is going to folks struggling, the environment and education and research. It helps.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

14. You can rest easy then

because 55% isn't flushed down the five sided black hole in Arlington, VA.

[TygrBright]

8. I don't "like" paying taxes. But I'm PROUD to pay them.

Paying taxes means I'm fulfilling my obligation as a citizen and a patriot.

I don't agree with everything the government does with my taxes, but I regard paying them as a validation of my participation in "We, the People."

And I DO appreciate many, many, many of the things the government does with my taxes. I like libraries, roads, emergency services, safety, baseline rules for how to get along when my neighbors and I have differences, and much, much more.

If more people were proud to pay taxes, we might get a bit more leverage on making the tax code fair and progressive. If the tax code were fair and progressive, we might actually collect enough taxes to pay for putting right much of the decaying infrastructure that was created by the government with our taxes back when the tax code was fairer and more progressive.

Grownups pay taxes.

Patriots pay taxes.

Involved citizens pay taxes.

People who care about their communities, their neighbors, and their children pay taxes.

I'm proud to be all those things.

I'm proud to pay taxes.

appreciatively,
Bright

[passiveporcupine]

10. Excellent post!

[Cryptoad]

9. I dont mind as long as they are Progressive

some is wasted but all in all we get way more than our money's worth for what we pay in !

[napi21]

12. It's never really FUN to pay your tax bill.

However, I recall, a long time ago, my cousin who was a CPA said this while filling out my parent's tax return: "I'm happy to pay more in income taxes because that means I'm doing well. If I didn't have to pay any or very low taxes, that means I'd be scrimping just to get by."

I was only 12 or 13 when I heard him say that and I've never forgot the thought. I don't agree with where all the $$ is spent, but neither does anyone else. What one person wants is the opposite of someone elses desires.

I'm still glad that I'm employed and making enough $$ to pay my share of operating the Country.

[linuxman]

13. Paying taxes feels a bit like going to the fair and playing the carny games for me.

I'm going to pay to play, but I'll never see anyone get their money's worth.

Maybe when we stop blowing money of ridiculous bullshit I'll see it differently.