[quote]nephorm wrote:
No offense, but you’re an economist with (I imagine) a rather flexible schedule. Most people work at least 40 hours a week, and don’t have time to research how to squeeze every dime out of their tax returns. [/quote]
That’s why there’s the friendly neighborhood CPA like rainjack. OK, maybe not FRIENDLY, but CPA nevertheless.
[quote]nephorm wrote:
I don’t think that makes them stupid. It’s just one more reason why so many people support the flat tax and other simplified programs.[/quote]
OK, is uneducated less offensive?
I’m also all for simplified tax laws, however if you complain about something you need to at least understand it. I just feel that it is a bit silly to complain about something you really don’t understand, especially when it is such an important deciding factor for something as serious as picking a candidate in an election.
By the way, I am very aware YOU are not someone that would decide on a candidate based on that, but trust me: lots of people do. Even our dear friend Arnold admits initially he decided to become a Republican based on their “published stance” on taxes at the time…
[quote]nephorm wrote:
I also think that at large percentage of the people being hit by AMT have accountants to help them minimize the impact. For some reason, though, they still seem to be getting hit with it.[/quote]
Accountants are not miracle workers – they cannot fix things if you do go out and get a second mortgage for something other than buying or improving a house, or you exercise stock options and do not sell the stock immediately. After the mistake is done, it’s too late. No turning back…
And then, of course, there is the very small number of people who will be hit by the AMT either way, and seem to have the knack for getting a lot of attention, even in spite of their ridiculously small number.