Tax Return (truck money)

The main issue is taxation without representation. Seeing the waste of tax dollars on things that bring no benefit to ANYBODY can be a hard thing to support. Taxes are necessary but the long tradition of waste is what most have issues with

 

Absolutely this.

 

I can totally get behind that...which also explains why a lot of current/former feds hold that opinion. We are the most direct witnesses to a lot of it.

But you are represented, unless you live in DC or a territory. You may not like your representatives, but the state collectively recognized them by democratic vote as their voice.

 

Government by design is self serving

 

A lot of the agencies I saw were self serving bullets into their own foot, but thats another topic for another time...

 

* I am as far away from a tax expert as I can possibly be, and my advice should be taken with a grain of salt. I also barely grasp the tax benefits associated with long term buy and hold real estate, and have literally no idea about anything else.

I thought I had a book on hand that was an excellent intro into this sort of thing, but I can't find it. Let me look through my library and text a couple of friends that I routinely share books with and I'll get back to you.

Pester me if I don't respond in a timely manner.

 

$13 owed to the state of Utah for me.

 

I tend to agree, depending on where you are in your journey.

When I was starting out I stashed away literally every penny to invest, invest, invest. I was able to grow quickly due to that mentality. But it had its impacts on my life, and my relationship, most importantly.

Now that the machine just about maintains itself, the spending of money on experiences (and material things, to be completely honest) has been well worth it. My quality of life is just too valuable to me. Just spent ten days in Beijing, Seoul, and Shanghai. I am a better person because of that experience. Several cities in Japan are on the list for this October, and I am sure it will be another tremendous experience.

Don't mean to purposefully be a little shit, but there is a point, based on what you desire, that stashing away cash and investing begins to decline down the other side of the inverted U-Curve.

"Money is absolutely worthless if all you do is have it."

 

Then you did it right

 

Very valid point. "Opportunity Cost" is a very real thing.

 

I got like $2k back from the feds though. Not sure why. But between that and my annual bonus, I now have a small house down payment

 

Wait for the next crash. It’s well on its way

 

Im with Conner.

 

With as fast as Utah has been growing lately (from all the fleeing Californians...) I don't suspect the impact had here will be too significant. Just not sure how much I can bear the market going up and getting priced out while waiting.

 

1. I don't believe a country can be run without some form of revenue
2. I do believe that the government has no idea how to spend those revenues in a responsible manner. At all. Since Harding/Coolidge.

Federal taxes do not fix roads, do not build schools, and do not keep LE equipment up to date, state taxes do. Yes there are grants via DOT, DE and DHS, but other than that, no.

I do not believe the monies taken from my pay check are being spent in a wise manner. To me, that is almost like loaning money to a drug addict.

Anyway, I could go on and on and on, but sliders.

 

I think you and I have a lot in common viewpoint-wise.

 

Let’s revisit this conversation in a year or two

 

Knowing my luck, it'll be the day after I sign my closing papers.

 

Can do, thank you!