Taxing Taxes

For this Two Cents Tuesday – let’s talk about taxes.

Ugh.  I know.  Taxes, well..for lack of a better word, suck.  Or rather, paying taxes does. 

Without going into any long debate over tax reform or tax law, let’s just say that taxes are kind of annoying and extremely confusing.  Tax brackets, tax rebates, tax deductions, sales tax, income tax, tax, tax, tax.  It silently envelops us.

Ben Franklin reminded us that “nothing is certain but death and taxes” and his words have lasted in thought and action.  (Hmm – funny how death and taxes are lumped together – rather poetic, don’t you think?  Two equally unappealing certainties of life.  But I digress.)

As I’m prepping to purchase property, I’m frustrated at the large amount of taxes collected at closing.  Yes, I’ve done this before and I’ve educated myself on the particulars, but it continues to blow me away how everyone has their hand out…waiting for my hard-earned sheckles. 

Fees and taxes.  Where does it all go?  Whose pocket am I lining?  I always feel like somehow, I’m getting taken advantage of – because they (lawyers, banks, etc) know better than I.  They have education and loopholes as their weapons – and all I’ve got is a lousy nail file.  It always makes me wonder how anyone EVER buys real estate – with its complicated paperwork and confusing deal-making.

But it’s not just the taxes in this transaction that rub me the wrong way – it’s the whole taxation system.  No one can deny it’s convoluted and overweight.  You can’t buy a stick of gum or a gallon of gas without taxes.  We’ve become numb to them – expecting them, surrendering to them, as just “the way things are.”  Ok, I get that.  But I have an underlying mistrust of the system and its creators.  I don’t “buy” they have my interests in mind.

I don’t know what the answer is – all I know is that taxes wear me out.  I don’t mind paying my fair share as long as we are ALL doing so.  And that’s definetly not the case.

Today’s Two Cents post is taxable.  Pay up. – BB