Reply #49: Here's the way I look at it

[blogslut]

I spent many years living below the poverty line. At the end of the year, if I did my taxes, I got a refund. However, I still payed those taxes - they were taken out of my check and I had no power over those deductions other than to reduce them a tiny bit by claiming one dependent.

In my mind, I fronted my government a certain amount of money every year. In essence, I gave them a loan. At the end of the year, the only way I could get it back was to fill out those damned forms. Since I was below the poverty level, I didn't have to file taxes at all. If I had not filed taxes, the government got to keep that money.