Tea Party Cred

 
I’m a little upset with the IRS.

Before I complain, I want to be perfectly clear:  Grover Norquist and I have nothing in common, other than our mutual downtown D.C. office building. 

I have always fully believed in the importance of paying my fair share of taxes because public schools matter.  Safe roads and bridges matter.  Cops and postal carriers matter.  But in recent years, I’ve had a few issues with our US tax system and the agency which governs it.

1.       I pay nearly twice as great a percentage of my income in taxes as Mitt Romney does and, I suspect, in all likelihood, most Tea Party members of the Congress, who are currently in a lather because Tea Party-affiliated political organizations aren’t getting tax-exempt status as non-political groups.  But that’s our kabuki political culture for you.  Go figure.

But let me add, however, that I suspect many of you have this complaint, too --  so back to the larger point about income tax disparity:  As my husband would say in his best rural Indiana accent (which he only uses when he wants to make a point), “That ain’t right.”

 

2.       I believe there is a small possibility that the IRS may be (perhaps) unintentionally, but, in fact, sexist from time to time.   Long story short:  my husband and I file separately but married.  I usually have to pay a relatively modest (ok, not to me, but I don’t want to go there) amount of estimated taxes each quarter.  Last year, the IRS put those advance payments in my husband’s account, not mine – say wha???  Then they sent me a penalty letter demanding a not insignificant sum of money, including interest.  I finally got the problem fixed but it took the better part of a day on the phone and 2 or 3 separate (I lost count) “customer service representatives” to fix it. Ugh.

3.       Now to the present:  I just got a notice from the Social Security Administration about an irritating error the IRS made regarding salary I pay to the wonderful woman who cleans our house every 2 weeks and has for nearly 10 years.  What’s really irksome is that if I paid her what the IRS says I’ve said I pay her, she’d be coming to our house every week.  And that would be sweet.  But she’s doesn’t, alas ….and double alas, I now have to deal with 2 government agencies!  I see at least 8 hours on the phone in my future trying to remedy the problem – one probably due to a “keystroke” error made in a rush to get on to the next return.  So how come I’ve got to fix the problem when they created it?

What’s going on at the IRS these days strikes me as a manpower problem and crummy customer service -- and not a deliberately partisan issue despite all efforts to whip up a political frenzy.  So let’s drive that unemployment number down by 1/100^th of one-half percent and hire a few folks to qualify those “social welfare” organizations that pass legal muster for their 501(c)(4) tax-exempt tax status and stop screwing up my tax file, ok?  I, for one, would be a grateful citizen.

And Grover, don’t call me for a contribution.