Our tax system is a huge ****ing joke. In other developed nations forms are presented to the government and the individual. Then the government generates a tax "return" of sorts, more just a report. Tax is calculated automatically for 80% of the population and all you do is review it and file a return of your own if you have a special circumstance, like multiple businesses and such that aren't cleanly handled with what is already given to the government. In other words, simple and easy for 80% of the population, and accurate.
So here we have the exact same documentation presented to the government, and the individual. Then the individual has to fill out these hugely complicated forms, or pay someone to do it, to tell the government you have what they already know you have and owe what they already know you owe. And if you get it wrong, since they can see exactly the same info you have, then they can come in and "audit" and fine you for messing up on their hugely complicated forms, to tell them what they already know. It is ridiculous in the extreme.
I am being audited by the state of Utah for tax year 2016. I have confimations that they received my return electronically, they are claiming they never received it. In the end, they would owe me like $36. So I never really checked to make sure that got deposited, especially since we were moving at the time. Now I am trying to dig back through 6 years of records to see if I can get all the documentation they are asking for, so they can give me $36. What? I am sure this entire thing is costing them hundreds. I provided print outs of the return but they are asking for other documents I did not remember receiving and cannot find in my documents. Note that none of these affect my income, they are just verifying I reported I got the documents the government also got, so they know I got them, they have to do with transfers of 401ks to IRA with no distribution, essentially. But because they weren't included in my return, even though they will have zero effect on my return, I could get fined, because, again, the government got the documents and know that I should have them. So why again do I have to produce them? Again, what the actual ****? Why are we so ****ing backward for a supposed developed nation? It is like a guessing game designed to hit you for whatever money they can. I know what documents you got, do you know? Oh one got lost in the mail huh? Well since I know it exists and I know the exact impact on your taxes, you know, nothing, but you didn't say you got it, well then you get a fine, since you didn't guess right!!
