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The world seem to have gone a little mental the last week. First off is the Good, here personified by Donald Rumsfeld and his letter to the IRS[^]. Where he states that he doesn't really know whether his taxes are correct and in accordance with US legislation, as the legislation is way to complicated to fully understand.
The bad and the ugly, well its from Italy. Silvio Berlusconi is sentenced to do some charity work at a nursing home[^]. That is one party I don't wont to go to, as the phrase "The sh*t hit the fan" easily can become, quite literally, true. Whose hurting whom here?
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A man who had probably the largest defence budget on this planet is incapable of filling in his tax returns? 
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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If I remember correctly he was only minister of defence, although it is the place the money went, and quite a large sum went missing too[^].
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Or on September 10th 2001 when he announced that $2.3 trillion was unaccounted for in the defence budget...
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Well, Bush was running on a platform to reduce the government spending, so I guess that in that light they wanted to say that lot of money was being spent on fruitless things in Pentagon, which "incidentally" also spends the most money in the budget. I think they were preparing to cut the military budget, but that didn't happen.
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GuyThiebaut wrote: A man who had probably the largest defence budget on this planet is incapable of filling in his tax returns?
The defense budget is simpler.
Marc
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“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Kenneth Haugland wrote: Where he states that he doesn't really know whether his taxes are correct and in accordance with US legislation, as the legislation is way to complicated to fully understand.
You think your taxes are complicated, try filling it in correctly in Belgium. 
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For most people, the complicated US tax system claim is a crock of Sh^t.
There's a 1040EZ which about is a dozen lines - aside from you name and address. [1040EZ^]
People with complicated tax situations whine - but they're almost always complicated because they've been doing their best to game the system (i.e., pay less tax then the poor slobs who really work for a living).*
*For any who were going to shout, not only do I do 1040's, but the 1065's, K-1, etc, and my state's equivalent.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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The 1040EZ is too simple to cover lots of things that many people who aren't trying to play any games have, ex deducting student loan interest. If you're hiring a baby sitter/etc and not committing tax fraud by paying the person under the table and not paying the taxes you owe as an employer you have to use the full 1040. 
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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The 1040EZ does cover most employment scenarios - you W2 workers.
As for the baby sitter, there's two flavors. The kid down the street - really not a tax problem. Then there's the full-time nanny type: potentially making one an employer (presuming they're not from an agency, LLC, etc). But how many people earn enough to make it worth it to go to work so they can pay someone else full time to watch their kids? It doesn't have to be so, but I would doubt their tax situation is merely going to/from work (not that it couldn't be). Day care centers is what the common folk use.
But there's a real point I was hoping to make: although lots of people have complicated tax messes, myself included, they really are in the minority. I was hoping to find some stats on how many people file which forms, but it turns out that most have a paid preparer. The questions is: are they afraid due to all of the hype or simply innumerate?
My first adventures with the 1065 family were very unpleasant. Once done the first time, they act as a fine template and things go along smoothly.
The hype over the difficulty, along with comedians and whiners, far exceeds the reality.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Using HR Blockhead's software saves me 2 or 3 hours reading instructions/figuring out WTH they want me to do/etc. The time saved is well worth the $28 I paid amazon for the download for one of the mid-tier 1040A(?) generating versions this year. The extra $20 to have them efile the state form's something of a wash; PA offers free e-file but the last time I did it manually it took about an hour mostly because the website was stupid. HRB's tool took longer for me to enter my banking information to pay the state than to answer the handful of additional questions they needed answers to.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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I just noticed it... it looks heaps better than the previous one. ![Heart | [heart]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/love.gif) 
Kudos to the guy who changed it.
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And when your premium membership has expired, this email would tickle a bit.
"Sorry, to burst your bubble. But your membership has expired.".
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Yes, it looks like all premium accounts can live in a bubble of their own
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We used to glow radioactively...
...so I guess we needed to be contained for safety reasons!
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So Chris Maunder said "Let there be code on Codeproject", and the Premium coders stepped up and everyone could see that it was extremely usful...
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Kenneth Haugland wrote: usful
Got it! Now we understand.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
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Who's we in this setting? US-full? although useful makes more sense.
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Kenneth Haugland wrote: Who's we in this setting?
The non-premium members. "usful" = "premium members". It's a poor joke/jibe. 
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
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That's ok, been a sow day for me
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oink oink
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
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CarefulCoder wrote: Kudos
What does that mean?
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Well you learn something new every day. I didn't know it could mean so many things.
I had forgotten about the currency in The Algebraist (that novel was quite interesting).
In this case it obviously means the hamsters each get a granola bar.
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