Why You Should LOVE Paying Your Taxes
If you like to grumble about April 15th, you’re not alone. For most of us, whether we’re getting a refund or not, tax day reminds us all that the government is out there and it wants your money. Remember, though, that it's not "the government": It's YOUR government. And your taxes go toward all kinds of useful things that you and your family enjoy on a daily basis.
Here are three tips for easing the burden on tax day:
1. Think of your taxes as an investment: Do you awake to the sounds of your favorite radio station? Government helps manage the spectrum to make that possible. Do you use roads to get to work? Public transportation? Walk on sidewalks? If so, you generally have government, at some level or another, to thank. Those of you who live outside of Washington, DC probably feel OK about your drinking water, and you can thank the EPA as well as state agencies for that. In fact, every day you benefit from some aspect of government, most of which is financed through your taxes. To find out more about how your taxes dollars are spent, check out www.federalbudget.com. Although this site tends to focus on the size of our national debt (which is enormous), it also offers a great overview of spending. Another good resource is www.kowaldesign.com/budget.. For a truly amazing service that allows you to analyze spending over time for a range of categories, check out the new Federal Budget Observer at www.usbudget.com.
2. Be sure you understand your benefits: Most Americans, at some point in their life, will be able to directly benefit from a specific government program such as Medicaid, Social Security, TANF, student grants and loans and hundreds of others. While you may not be enjoying these benefits currently, consider the fact that you might in the future. To find out if you're eligible for any benefits now, check out the Federal Government's benefits calculator at www.govbenefits.gov
3. Impetus to communicate with elected officials: If you want to be sure that your taxes are spent on things that you support, use tax day as an impetus to communicate your priorities to your elected officials. Start by identifying a program or project that you support. You can find a list of bills introduced in Congress at www.congress.gov and you can find your elected officials at www.congress.org. For more details on how to communicate with elected officials, checkout our free online course at www.advocacyclassroom.com or our tutorial at www.advocacyguru.com/demo_page.htm
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