re: Anyone else see a big difference in tax returns this year?

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Also he completely ignored the second part of your post

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I ignored it because it didn't make sense from the numbers he cited.

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The top 31% of earners paying 48% of the taxes is not at all outrageous.

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No, it isn't. But a very common talking point today is that of the money Americans pay into the giant tax cauldron, the rich aren't paying enough of the share. That isn't true.

America's rich pay a higher share than any other nation, even adjusted for inequality.

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Most people don’t use parks and emergency services very often in their life. Granted there are people who are unhealthy and people do frequently use parks but the overwhelming majority do not.

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You don't think that without the fire department a significant chunk of your town wouldn't have burned down by now? Do you know what that would cost the community?

And the police? Just because you've never called them, you think that means you don't "use" them? What would your town be like without the cops? Would it be as prosperous? Or would it be a shithole?

And parks. If you had to choose between a neighborhood that was nothing but houses, businesses, and concrete, or one with a park nearby, which would you choose? Which would people with kids choose? You may not care for parks, but plenty of people do. They boost the morale of the community as a whole. You directly benefit from this in the form of happier and more productive coworkers, higher property values, etc.

There is typically a reason why taxpayer-funded things are taxpayer-funded. It's because the "profits" from them cannot be directly tied to the expense. But the profit is real, and you benefit whether you realize it or not. Whether you feel you "use" them or not.

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That's because the top 1% owns 40% of the countries wealth.

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The top income brackets pay a higher percentage of the total income taxes than their percentage of the income. This isn't even debatable. Taxes are skewed to make the rich pay a disproportionate amount. The bottom fifty percent of earners don't even pay income tax. How is it the rich don't pay their fair share?

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This year we owe for federal and are getting a much smaller refund from our state. But at least the refund will cover our federal tax bill and still leave us $500.

I was a little bummed. Was expecting our usual refund and was gonna pay off some debts with it.

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You played it perfect. You got more of your money throughout the year to use, save, or invest as you see fit. Well done.

I keep reading this fallacy about corporations don't pay taxes. How do you tax a corporation? All they will do is pass on the incurred costs to the customer or reduce the dividend payout to the stock holders. But of coarse its not like Liberals have 401k's. The same people complain about gas being $3/gal but don't say a word about the cost of milk or beer which is a hell of a lot easier/cheaper to produce.

I'm fine with parks and roads. And even benefits. What I'm NOT fine with is trillions to a standing army that shouldn't exist, foreign aid, and agencies like the NSA who we pay to spy on ourselves. That's the kind of shite that people should be mad about.

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No, you subsidized much larger tax cuts for folks who make millions of dollars per year. Oh, and corporations.

Don't worry, we've been hearing for 39 years that that money you're giving to the rich will eventually trickle back down...I'm sure it will happen any year now. Be a little more patient.

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Heaven forbid the government just spend less by only doing what it’s supposed to do.

I made more money, had more money in my check each pay period, got less back and paid less in taxes. Worked out just well for me.