Why do we have to fill out taxes?

As my 2014 tax statements came rolling in, I began to think of how many millions, or billions, of dollars that businesses, banks, investment firms, etc., spend on reporting to government agencies how much they make, and also how much money we individuals that work for, and/or invest with these entities, have made that is included in terms of wages, interest, rents, and profits that is reported to these agencies as income for tax purposes.

Then, I begin to think of how many millions, or billions of hours (and dollars) that individuals then spend filling out more forms, doing their best to interpret the existing and the latest tax rules, to report to these same government agencies what the businesses, banks, investment firms, etc., have already reported to them.

I propose that these government agencies, since they already have the information and are in such tight control of this information, just send individuals their bill. Their bill is based upon the information that has already been reported to them and can incorporate all of the existing and new rules that our representatives in government have made up since the inception of the various tax codes.

Since we individuals have also received the exact same information on what these business, banks, investment firms, etc. have reported to all of the government agencies, we individuals can then spend just a couple of minutes reviewing these agencies tax bill(s) and just write a check (or receive a check if that's the case). Then we individuals can all move on in our pursuit of happiness with our new found billions of hours of freed up time.

Some of us individuals may choose to make even more money, so that these taxing bodies can also get their percentage in order to continue their only responsibilities of establishing justice, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

Bill Martin

Arlington Heights