middleagedgamer
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2008
- Messages
- 1,363
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Computers are wonder machines. A computer can singlehandedly and accurately examine thousands of sheets of paper a minute, and identify the slightest error amongst a million pages.
I say, we can better fight tax evasion if we turn all our 1040s into scantrons (at least, the portion that you're supposed to fill out). Remember scantrons? I've spent a few years serving as a substitute teacher, so I'm familiar with scantrons. They're mostly used to grade tests, but they're capable of so much more. For example, they're capable of taking opinion polls, as long as the poll questions are multiple choice.
We can also use them for taxes. Granted, we'll have to turn the single pages into entire booklets in order to accommodate all these bubbles, and only a few of them would be filled in, but that's a small price to pay.
Not only that, but the computer can keep a record of who is supposed to be filing tax returns, and the computer will send out a red flag to the IRS agent, after April 15, giving out a list of those who have yet to turn in their taxes for that year, altogether.
Employers will withhold their employees' taxes using the same technology. The W-2's that employees receive each year will have the W-2 information, in plain English, but, instead of having to include a copy of your W-2 with your taxes, you simply fill in the bubbles for the serial number for that W-2. The IRS computer will then match up 1) the tax-filer information on your 1040, 2) the W-2 serial number, and 3) the employee information on their corresponding W-2. Only if there is an inconsistency would the IRS even have a need to investigate.
"But, Middleagedgamer, what if my employer spells my name wrong?"
Then, whoever is at fault for the needless IRS audit will pay the IRS the cost of their investigations, and you can't discriminate against anyone because you were found to be at fault for a needless IRS audit. To do so would be just as illegal as discriminating because you're black.
Thoughts?
I say, we can better fight tax evasion if we turn all our 1040s into scantrons (at least, the portion that you're supposed to fill out). Remember scantrons? I've spent a few years serving as a substitute teacher, so I'm familiar with scantrons. They're mostly used to grade tests, but they're capable of so much more. For example, they're capable of taking opinion polls, as long as the poll questions are multiple choice.
We can also use them for taxes. Granted, we'll have to turn the single pages into entire booklets in order to accommodate all these bubbles, and only a few of them would be filled in, but that's a small price to pay.
Not only that, but the computer can keep a record of who is supposed to be filing tax returns, and the computer will send out a red flag to the IRS agent, after April 15, giving out a list of those who have yet to turn in their taxes for that year, altogether.
Employers will withhold their employees' taxes using the same technology. The W-2's that employees receive each year will have the W-2 information, in plain English, but, instead of having to include a copy of your W-2 with your taxes, you simply fill in the bubbles for the serial number for that W-2. The IRS computer will then match up 1) the tax-filer information on your 1040, 2) the W-2 serial number, and 3) the employee information on their corresponding W-2. Only if there is an inconsistency would the IRS even have a need to investigate.
"But, Middleagedgamer, what if my employer spells my name wrong?"
Then, whoever is at fault for the needless IRS audit will pay the IRS the cost of their investigations, and you can't discriminate against anyone because you were found to be at fault for a needless IRS audit. To do so would be just as illegal as discriminating because you're black.
Thoughts?