What if instead of taxes you received an itemized bill of services rendered and paid?

[Betonhaus]

Taxes are theoretically used to fund for projects like road works or fire fighting services. What would happen if the tax form was changed to the format of a general bill of services rendered, where you are able to request a more itemized bill by section? So it would show you exactly what you are paying for and how you have been paying for it, and what services you are actively using (like school fees or road use). It could potentially also act as a way to choose what additional things you want to pay for, like if the mayor wants to build a sky palace or a ring road?

 

[Monolith]

Sounds like a reasonable idea, which is why no government would ever go through with it.

 

[Betonhaus]

Sounds like a reasonable idea, which is why no government would ever go through with it.

Probably not. A theoretical Anarchy governing structure might use something like thisz where you can choose between providers if there isn't a monopoly for that specific thing.

 

[Érui]

In the UK the Council Tax bill is broken down to list police, fire service etc, but that is just local authority spending rather than national.

 

[BirdUp]

this assumes that government officials do not want to line their pockets by creating as many useless or overambitious projects as possible and forcing everyone else to pay for it

 

[WTBOnlineFather]

That'd theoretically be pretty nice in an ancap/lolbert society except it would end up exactly like hospital bills in the US, like Null described on the last MATI.

 

[VargReallyDidNothingWrong]

Given just how much shit your average taxpayer in the US is actually paying for, that "bill" would end up being a 500 page document full of acronyms, vaguely worded "programs" and would be as confusing as just doing the research on where the annual federal budget goes yourself.

 

[libRT]

I like this idea, good way to reduce taxes in the long term.

 

[TV's Adam West]

Then I'd know how much of my taxes aren't going to America, then I'd stop paying taxes, and the government doesn't really appreciate that.

 

[Troonos]

Still wouldn't work, since I can't choose whether or not to pay for services I didn't receive. I'm not getting food stamps and Medicaid. I don't need them to itemize my money being stolen and given to useless people. I need them to stop stealing it.

 

[Judd]

I would be more interested in seeing a list of people who ultimately end up with your tax money after it's been properly laundered through all of the bullshit programs and shell companies

 

[Catler]

In the UK the Council Tax bill is broken down to list police, fire service etc, but that is just local authority spending rather than national.

Same where I live, my property tax bills are broken down into things like snow clearing, street lighting, fire dept, etc. It's nice to see, but it ultimately doesn't change anything.

 

[whatever I feel like]

Then I'd know how much of my taxes aren't going to America, then I'd stop paying taxes, and the government doesn't really appreciate that.

About one percent, dipshit. But then again after the rebate I doubt you even pay anything at all.

 

[Kel1 shi1]

I'd rather not know how much of my hard earned money was going to pay for people just sitting on their ass all day not working.

 

[Gargamel]

I remember when I was poor they would take money out of my paycheck every week, and then return almost all of it at tax time. Fuck the itemized list, what they really need to do is pay interest on tax overpayments.

 

[Catler]

what they really need to do is pay interest on tax overpayments.

Fully agreed actually, they shouldn't be taking money and holding it interest free. Getting money back at tax time is something people love, but it's actually a bad thing from a financial perspective, it would have been better even in a low interest savings account.

 

[Lobster Cult High Priest]

Given just how much shit your average taxpayer in the US is actually paying for, that "bill" would end up being a 500 page document full of acronyms, vaguely worded "programs" and would be as confusing as just doing the research on where the annual federal budget goes yourself.

Spoiler all those programs are directly related to Israel.

 

[ArnoldPalmer]

I want this country to collapse and I already dodge most of my taxes.

 

[Dyn]

Fuck the itemized list, what they really need to do is pay interest on tax overpayments.

Actually yes why aren't they already doing this.

 

[m1ddl3m4rch]

They lie about the political and progress they've made, so now they'd just itemize their lying with vague concepts like defended the country, fed the poor, welcomed migrants, protected civil rights, etc. When the money is made up, the spending doesn't matter. Hard to feel the pinch when you can just fiat some more currency.