12 leading “gripes” about federal income taxes

1. Instructions and tax forms are too complicated.

2. Bills for additional taxes do not make it clear why more money is owed.

3. Tax notices often are poorly typed, can’t be read.

4. Requests for explanations go unanswered for long periods, or bring a form reply that isn’t clear.

5. Some agents and districts disallow deductions that others allow.

6. Rules keep changing from year to year, even when the law is unchanged.

7. Agents often are unfamiliar with new regulations.

8. The Government in many tax cases refuses to follow the precedents set by lower-court decisions in earlier, similar cases.

9. Unless big money is involved, the cost of fighting a tax bill may be more than the cost of paying up.

10. Special rules give some taxpayers advantages over others.

11. The burden of bookkeeping and reports seems to grow and grow.

12. The Government makes more and more people collect taxes as well as pay them. Businessmen collect both income taxes and Social Security taxes. Farmers and housewives collect Social Security taxes, under complicated rules.