Saturday, March 07, 2015

Taxes

Why is it, I wonder, that my federal tax return, complete with all forms and such, is 3 pages long, but my California return is 9 pages?

6 comments:

Mrs. Widget said...

Come to the South. Several southern states have no income taxes.

We have awesome food. Cajun, Southern, Soul, BBQ.
Memphis, Home of the Blues ; Austin, Live Music Capital. Atlanta, Dallas have much to offer for their metropolitan areas. Or go to a small community. Fishing, Boating, Hunting (if that is your thing) Outdoors, small communities where you know everybody will be at the football game Friday night.
The South is growing, and we need teacher, high quality teachers.

Niels Henrik Abel said...

Because California is "special." Aren't you lucky!!

maxutils said...

Realizing that this may have been purely rhetorical -- for your out of state readers, The US Constitution may be up to 4 pages now. CA's Constitution I believe is over 100, and gets worse every year because we're allowed to amended by popular vote. And, for stupid things which in no way belong in a Constitution, even if they're good ideas…which they usually aren't. So we have more provisions to take care of. More complicated begets more complicated. Add to that, having to correct for a bunch of areas where federal and state tax law differs, and the innumerable causes that you can give money to? Voila!

pseudotsuga said...

Because...um...California is broke, and by making their code so complicated, they're hoping they can have more of your money? *shrug*

Ellen K said...

I would like to know why I go to the trouble to fill out all the nonsense on the long form and in the end it always ends up the standard deduction is more. Incidentally, even with my husband out of work, the IRS has decided we owe money. Go figure.

maxutils said...

Ellen K…because that's how they calculate the standard deduction. The intent is to make it easier, so that you don't have to, but you're not told that. So you do it anyway. Basically, unless you run a small business, have a lot mortgage/property tax, or abnormally high medical expenses? Not worth your time, and certainly not worth paying someone to do it for you. Always take your tax CREDITS, though.