As I was unfortunately driving on my scooter in a near hurricane, I saw a bumper sticker that read “If 10% is enough for god, it’s enough for the IRS”. While I admire his passion to limit the distinction between church and state, however I did have a problem with his overall logic. Contrary to popular opinion, the IRS is not to blame for how much money you pay in taxes every year.
The IRS is merely an agency that makes sure everyone pays. I am actually thankful for the people who work there because I couldn’t imagine how mind-numbing it would be to work there.That bumper sticker is the equivalent to getting mad at a cashier because you feel the sales tax is too high on your burrito. Even though you have a right to air your grievances out in public, for his or anyone’s sake who feel this way, your energy is better spent complaining to the people who actually have the power to do something about it.
In this instance, it is Congress who solely has the authority to levy taxes. So I guess I am trying to make two points. One, you shouldn’t get mad at people who can’t do anything to help out your complaint. For instance, it is fair game to write me an angry email about how stupid I am and how incorrect my statements are, but it would be almost useless to write me an angry email about how high your taxes are because I am not a member of Congress and cannot do anything to help you.
The second point is that the IRS actually does a relatively important job in this country by collecting and making sure that people pay their taxes.
As always if you have any complaints or questions, email me at bussj14@ufl.edu.
