My thoughts on being thankful all started when I realized that on November 6th the political ads would stop and I could go back to liking my friends because I no longer would be reminded how they were going to vote everyday on FaceBook. And then it turned to why are we so hot and bothered this year about who wins? In the end either party has a mess to work with. Our tax system is one of a kind and no one alive today likes it. But when you pull it apart and try to make sense out of it or come up with a plan that will fix it you quickly become overwhelmed and want to scrap the whole thing. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought I’d focus on the positives of the tax system.
1. The tax code is large and cumbersome and I am thankful for that because it means I have job security. Sure you could give up several weekends to prepare your tax return on Turbo Tax but do you really want to?
2. I dislike the chunk of change Social Security and Medicare take out of my paycheck every week but I am thankful for the funding it provides for my grandmother’s care in a nursing home. Without it the cost of her care would fall to me and the rest of my family. So in the end it is worth the 5.65% withheld in 2012 or even the 7.65% when payroll taxes go back to normal.
3. I grumble about the income taxes withheld for the federal government. But I am very thankful for the money spent on national security. Without it days like 9/11 would be an everyday occurrence. And I’m thankful for paved roads and yes even the signage telling me how fast I can go. Without it anarchy would rule.
4. I grumble some more about the income taxes withheld for my state government. But truth be told, I’m willing to pay a little bit more if Colorado would actually talk to me instead of hanging up because the call volume is too high for the staff to handle my question.
Truth be told, I actually prefer to pay taxes than be charged to use services. Imagine if every road was a toll road? Or if when I bought my groceries I had to give an extra $100 to cover those on welfare. Or paying the fireman to put out my house fire? The list goes on and on and it isn’t very pretty.
Yes, I am thankful I pay taxes. It means I am gainfully employed and on the giving side of the system. I am thankful tax rates in the US are not at 50% like they are in other countries. But most of all I am thankful the political ads are over for another 4 years!!