Personal Finance and Investing

I like to have last years tangible copy to work from. So I print 2 copies.

I did find errors in the forms since Trump scrambled the 1040 into 6 pages. One worksheet asked for info from line 3b. There is no line 3b.

And the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet is loaded with landmines. Did you get notice 1444? A or B? It tells you to put zero in line 16, when you get to line 16 it wants you to look up EIP 1 online, and put that amount in line 16. So line 16 is now filled with two numbers - $0 and $1200. EIP 1 is the actual payment from 1444-A. Got it?

Whatever happened to the Paperwork Reduction Act Notice on the 1970s? They were going to simplify the tax code. Only accountants can be happy with this mess, and they're making money from it, and wearing very thick glasses.

Has Congress ever simplified the tax code? Did I read it would take years to read the whole thing? Does any of these credits, worksheets, deductions, promote growth? Are we better off with them?

I went to a pro tax preparer for one form about 10 years ago. They were impressed I had gamed out the rest, which was not an uncomplicated timing move on taxable income, but the one page I couldn't figure it out. They did it. It was $115 for one page with about 8 lines filled in. That's why I do my own taxes.

Parts of the tax instructions have been rewritten over these last 4 years into simpleton gobbledygook. Please put adults back in charge of the Federal government!