Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#1

Post by Cbasedlifeform » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:18 AM UTC

Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?
nytimes.com

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#2

Post by jkaljundi » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:32 AM UTC

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jun/... http://www.businessinsider.com/estonia-efficient-tax-filing-...

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#3

Post by ominous » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:33 AM UTC

offtopic: Is this a new thing? Double clicked a word to try and select it, and the text changes size. Windows 10, Firefox.

Up there with "smooth scrolling", "clipboard hijack" and making me type something in the browser console so I can use javascript. Annoying.

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#4

Post by ekblom » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:37 AM UTC

This years it took me about three minutes: log in, scan throug the numbers, sign to accept. Then i went for a coffee. That how we do it in Sweden.

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#5

Post by dagenleg » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:38 AM UTC

The beauty of free market is that it can create markets where there otherwise would be none. Once you normalize lobbying in your society, possibilities are virtually limitless.

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#6

Post by i_feel_great » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:38 AM UTC

In Australia, via the mygov tool, for a simple wage earner like me, 10 minutes. All the payroll taxes amounts are prefilled, maybe 10 questions in all. Got my refund in ~ 10 days. The Australian Tax Office has a fairly extensive developers program to encourage more/better tooling and compliance.

Edit: The ATO developers programme: http://softwaredevelopers.ato.gov.au/

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#7

Post by jamesblonde » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:38 AM UTC

ekblom wrote: post #4

This years it took me about three minutes: log in, scan throug the numbers, sign to accept. Then i went for a coffee. That how we do it in Sweden.

I typically reply 'yes' to the sms to do my filing in Sweden.

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#8

Post by oakesm9 » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:40 AM UTC

dagenleg wrote: post #5

The beauty of free market is that it can create markets where there otherwise would be none. Once you normalize lobbying in your society, possibilities are virtually limitless.

Is it really a free market if you need to stop one party (the government) doing something to keep your market?

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#9

Post by reitanqild » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:41 AM UTC

jamesblonde wrote: post #7

ekblom wrote: post #4

This years it took me about three minutes: log in, scan throug the numbers, sign to accept. Then i went for a coffee. That how we do it in Sweden.

I typically reply 'yes' to the sms to do my filing in Sweden.

Similarily simple in Norway. (But I have a small company so I will typically add revenue and expenses into it before confirming it.)

Re: Filing Taxes in Japan Is a Breeze. Why Not in the US?

#10

Post by oakesm9 » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 9:44 AM UTC

In the UK the majority of people do absolutely nothing. Your wage slip says how much tax you've paid each month (through the PAYE system) and then at the end of the tax year your company sends you a P60 form (https://www.gov.uk/paye-forms-p45-p60-p11d/p60) which is simply a pre-filled summary of all the tax you paid that year.

That's the case for anyone with the most common case of a single salaried job. If you have a more complex situation (dividends from company share, taxable investments, multiple jobs) then you need to fill in a self-assessment form. I did one last year and it was all done online and took about an hour in total.