Tax prep time is here
As I write this column I have already taken my tax-related documents, i.e. W-2, proof of medical insurance, etc. as part of the appointment process to the local H&R Block office.
The tax process is one of drudgery and procrastination. Every so often Congress tweaks the tax law and it leads to questions. This year, of course, Congress did the first major rewrite of tax law in 30 years. That will lead to additional questions for many filers.
How all of this will affect me won’t be known until I pick up the paperwork. Of course, I also have to file my state tax forms, also an unknown. While the federal government has apparently cut taxes to some degree the state Legislature upped its rates.
All of these changes provide an opportunity to rant and rave by taxpayers. Yet, I recognize I have a responsibility to pay my taxes. I recognize that government in itself is filled with many good people and while I have concerns at times with the direction of Congress or the state Legislature, I believe if I voice a concern to an elected official he or she will seriously consider the matter. That’s all I can do and probably the best an official should promise to do—sincerely listen.
Funding any governmental entity has become more complex as the perceived needs for publicly funded services continue to grow. In the process of the complexity, the scrutiny of programs and policies becomes even more necessary, regardless of the entity. I always admired public watershed projects in which rural property owners found a central need to control flooding and maintain ponds in a systematic manner to preserve farm and ranchland rather than always focusing on large reservoirs that displaced farm families many miles from their homestead.
At a younger age those decisions seemed to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Today, those farmers, ranchers and landowners who collectively worked together provided a solution that is much better managed than from a large-scale funded government program.
Continuing the path of paying taxes makes me more suspicious of certain government services and yet I know I have to live in a democracy that has to allow for ebbs-and-flows of needs of constituents. Perhaps I will be one who needs the services because of an unexpected accident or ordeal in my life. Voicing empathy and sympathy toward others in a humble manner is not a bad approach.
The certainty of the rules of life—death and taxes—is always bandied about with a myriad of punch lines for comedians. My hope is for you and I there are many healthy years ahead to pay those taxes.
