# Which “nonessential” federal government functions do you think you’ll need in the near future? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271 "2019-01-05T22:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271/21 "2019-01-09T18:50:50Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! I know the answer - pick me! > > It’s because there are no reliable ways to project the tax you will owe. Even years when our income stayed basically the same, when we’ve adjusted the withholding we’ve either underpaid or overpaid a lot the next year. Not only does our income fluctuate a little year-to-year, but the tax laws change a lot every damn year. We just let the deductions ride and take the refund. > > This ought to be straightforward: projecting income $X, tax laws mean taxes will be $Y, so Z deductions will cover the required withholding. Somehow nobody - especially the IRS - can build such a calculator that comes close to working in real life. This is not rocket science. It’s not Estes rocketry. Yet nobody does it right. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I meant just temporarily. Say you’re really counting on that $500 refund. Have Payroll deduct $100 less from your next five checks and you’ve got your $500. If and when the refund does come thru, stick it in the bank in case you owe it next time around. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271/22 "2019-01-09T19:07:34Z")
Another one: most of the FDA’s food inspectors are furloughed. > **[With inspectors furloughed, reduced FDA inspections ‘put our food supply at...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/experts-warn-of-safety-and-security-risks-from-government-shutdown/2019/01/08/855472e4-1362-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html?utm_term=.ef3f861480a0)** > > Shutdown curtails federal health and safety efforts, raising “risk of a failure in the system.” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271/23 "2019-01-09T19:36:52Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > I meant just temporarily. Say you’re really counting on that $500 refund. Have Payroll deduct $100 less from your next five checks and you’ve got your $500. If and when the refund does come thru, stick it in the bank in case you owe it next time around. How nice that you work for a company that lets you do that. My employer only lets me change the number of deductions, the filing status, and any extra withholding. If there’s no extra withholding, changing deductions can swing the tax withheld wildly, IME. Far more chaotic than it ought to be, IMNAAHO. And off topic, so I’ll bow out until I have something relevant. Sorry about the hijack. Don’t post sleepy, kids. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271/24 "2019-01-09T22:59:15Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > How nice that you work for a company that lets you do that. My employer only lets me change the number of deductions, the filing status, and any extra withholding. If there’s no extra withholding, changing deductions can swing the tax withheld wildly, IME. Far more chaotic than it ought to be, IMNAAHO. > > And off topic, so I’ll bow out until I have something relevant. Sorry about the hijack. Don’t post sleepy, kids. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk You should be able to manipulate the number of deductions, filing status, and extra withholding to achieve the desired result. I don’t know who you work for, but they should work with you to make this happen. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271/25 "2019-01-09T23:10:44Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Within the gov’t, in the context of furloughs/shutdowns, I have not heard of “services” being described as essential or not. Instead, it is “employees” who are designated as essential or not. Essential employees are required to work during a shutdown Not quite - even for essential employees, it may only be certain work that is designated as essential. I’m an “essential employee” myself but only one of my projects is designated as essential. On days when no tasks are scheduled for that project, I’m on furlough status. I am not allowed to work on my other projects. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271/26 "2019-01-09T23:23:20Z")
Speaking as a federal government employee, I’d have to say the payroll department. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nonessential-federal-government-functions-do-you-think-you-ll-need-in-the-near-future/827271.md?page=1)