# Taxes, Part Deux! Or, they don't even understand it.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxes-part-deux-or-they-dont-even-understand-it/353109>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 18, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxes-part-deux-or-they-dont-even-understand-it/353109 "2006-04-18T02:11:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxes-part-deux-or-they-dont-even-understand-it/353109/41 "2006-04-19T19:07:44Z")

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> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> While they’re in there, they get food and drink, forms, instructions, scratch paper, a calculator, and all the bits and pieces of paper they need to document their income, deductions, etc. But no tax software, no outside help, just them and all the materials one would need to do a complete return.

Do they get a bucket? Will minions come to change the bucket? 😃

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxes-part-deux-or-they-dont-even-understand-it/353109/42 "2006-04-20T17:13:26Z")

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> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> The Constitutional amendment I’d like to see would require all members of Congress to do their own taxes. At a time of their choosing between January 31 and April 15, lock 'em each in isolation cells and don’t let 'em out until they produce a return to file with the IRS. While they’re in there, they get food and drink, forms, instructions, scratch paper, a calculator, and all the bits and pieces of paper they need to document their income, deductions, etc. But no tax software, no outside help, just them and all the materials one would need to do a complete return.
> 
> Bet the tax code would get a **lot** simpler.

Heh. They should be _required_ to make at least one call the IRS asking for help, too.

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**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxes-part-deux-or-they-dont-even-understand-it/353109/43 "2006-04-20T17:52:21Z")

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> [@Smeghead](#):
>
> Actually, I really don’t I assumed you typed “help” instead of “held”, but the phrase “elections should be held the day after elections” still makes no sense to me, unless you’re proposing we elect a new government every day.

I pretty sure he meant to say “elections should be held the day after taxes are due” – he just typed elections twice.

And on this note… might as well get a little campaigning in…

_stepping up onto dais_

:: Ahem ::

When I, **Monstre** , [am elected in 2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332626), my first priority will be to feed the current tax code into a Fargo-style wood chipper (along with any lobbyists for accounting firms, law firms, etc. who intend to fight with me over this) – and have the tax code re-written from scratch.

Among the requirements for the “re-write”:

- ALL instructions for filing a return must fit in a pamphlet that can be mailed with one first-class stamp.
- Instructions are to be easy and clear enough so that anyone can prepare their own tax return in under an hour. Yes, anyone. Even Jessica Simpson… Yes, even Britney Spears… Yes, even Anna Nicole Smith. Okay, maybe not her…

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