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At Wit's End

Tax deductions worth lobbying for
Like many working-class folk I dream of the day when my ship comes in and I get so rich that I don’t have to pay taxes.
The thought occurred to me the other day after I finished filing my taxes and my adjusted gross income came to somewhere between broke and poverty stricken.
What really gets me though is why I still have to pay taxes on my measly income while corporations like General Electric can hire an army of tax attorneys and lobbyists to get them a few billion dollar return even through the company is raking in more bucks than a bag of leaves on an Autumn day.
So with no further adieu here are some of the write offs, tax deductions and credits I’d love to lobby for.
A $2,500 medical deduction for medication to alleviate the pain caused by lousy bosses. I for one can’t tell you how much I’ve spent in the last year at the corner bar just to forget all the abuse bosses and immediate supervisors have inflicted on me. This also includes the occasional bags of herb I must buy to keep my sanity as a working member of society. I say if the government wants a productive workforce we should get this medication deduction.
A $1,000 credit off the top and in addition to any Earned Income Tax to catch up on Con Ed and cell phone bills. Just as corporations argue they should get credits because they provide jobs, the government should understand once we catch up on essential bills it gives us more money to spend on goods we don’t need. This credit will pump billions into the economy, particularly at Christmas.
Speaking of the holidays, there should be a $500 Christmas gift deduction for all people making under $40,000. The argument for this one is that politicians always say how small business is the backbone of our economy. Well, who do you think supports the small retailer like the people hawking hats and gloves on street corners? It certainly ain’t the fat cats on Wall Street. They usually put their bonuses into fancy cars, houses and trips abroad. Yet, while they are likely to spend money out of the country we prop up the economy during the holidays and get nothing but good cheer in return. A deduction here is only fair.
A $2,000 entertainment and dining deduction for families making under $30,000. This is only fair for all the people that spend more than they can afford for birthday dinners at Red Lobster or even the all-you-can-eat buffets. Businesses get deductions for this because it’s the cost of doing business. Call this deduction the cost of being alive.
The more I think about it I can come up with dozens of such credits and deductions.
And why not?
If the rich get their millionaires tax rescinded and insist at the same time to cut the budget for the at-risk and marginal in our society, who am I to argue.
Cause there’s only two things in life the wealthy have to do. Die and figure ways to get around paying taxes.
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