this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
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Political Memes

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[–] rizzothesmall@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 hours ago

Yeah but the orange manbaby did funny impression of a disabled person, and that speaks to my inner dickhead

[–] BaldManGoomba@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

That isn't how taxes work in the usa. The government borrows money from your/our future prints it to pay all its bills. Taxes just cover a bit of the expenditures when they come in. The government can care less about balancing the budget. So it doesn't matter if they get their money throughout the year or in April you wont hurt them. Only thing at risk is general people being audited and hurt also i believe you pay a penalty for not paying through the year. Since I have been alive we never have had a surplus. It would take years of a democratic presidency for the surplus to hit as the programs take years to produce profits and reduce the deficit. Sadly a democratic president/platform never stays popular for long enough.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

How does the american tax system work?

I remember hearing 10 years ago that it was a hell of a lot of work to figure out how much taxes you had to pay to IRS, and that for filing your taxes, you often needed a lawyer or sth like that.

And then they changed it and implemented sth like "direct tax" or sth, and that means that they take your taxes from you automatically, without your intervention. Is that accurate?

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (2 children)

It's pretty straightforward for most people if you're filing for yourself. It only gets complicated if you do itemized deductions which only makes sense if your total deductions are greater than the "standard deduction" (which I think is like $12,500 or something? The tax app does it for you).

You decide how much withholding that your job will do when you are hired (you can have it changed if you want). You can choose to have them estimate based on how many dependents you have and deduct that from each paycheck. It will usually be slightly more than you actually owe, so you get a return when you file once a year. Or you can choose to not have them deduct anything, and then pay the IRS the total amount when you file.

The latter is probably the smarter way to do it in that you're not essentially loaning money to the IRS, but in a country where most people live paycheck to paycheck, people don't like the idea of having to write the government a 4 to 5-figure check every year.

[–] doingthestuff@lemy.lol 3 points 38 minutes ago

I'm self employed. My taxes are about six forms that cross-reference each other, a pita for sure. Also I pay a higher tax rate than billionaires.

[–] lmmarsano@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 6 hours ago

Or you can choose to not have them deduct anything, and then pay the IRS the total amount when you file.

There are dangers with that.

The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go tax. You must pay the tax as you earn or receive income during the year.

If you didn’t pay enough tax during the year, either through withholding or by making estimated tax payments, you may have to pay a penalty.

[–] Alaik@lemmy.zip 2 points 7 hours ago

Its both. Your taxes are deducted from your paycheck then from January to April you have to "file taxes" often with the assistance of a tax service or accountant then either pay extra or wait several weeks to get the amount you paid "too much" into.

[–] Legge@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

No, not entirely.

We have taxes taken out every paycheck that is kind of like an estimate of what you actually owe. At the end of the year, you file complicated paperwork to determine what you actually owe. Big tax companies lobby hard to keep it this way.

For anything more complicated than a very basic life, people often use a tax company (like TurboTax or HR block) for help, which costs money. For even more complicated ones, people may use an accountant.

It's a ridiculous system and the lobbyists keep it like that

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 9 hours ago

Food for thought: private income tax was levied in the US to bolster the Civil War effort against these fuckstains' ancestors (and, largely met with resistance, at the time), but then quietly forgotten to be removed again. IIRC, it was most recently given legal precedence when corporations became people. 🤔

[–] stringere@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 hours ago

Cool. Hiw about a national tax exempt status followed by a general strike. Starve them out.

[–] AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip 9 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

I wonder what sort of impact it would have if everyone who's upset with Trump's lawlessness adjusted their tax withholding at work to not withhold anything. They'd have to save the money so they can pay their taxes next April to avoid legal trouble, but in the meantime, federal income could get hamstrung.

[–] theparadox@lemmy.world 8 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

They'd just use it as an excuse to cut more programs.

Hell, according to the CBO, the current bill is guaranteed to cause an imbalance in the budget, which thanks to existing pay go rules means across the board cuts to everything, including Medicare.

This way they didn't purposely or directly fuck over Medicare. It was just an oopsie.

[–] AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip 1 points 8 hours ago

Sure, but compared to right now where your tax dollars are directly funding ICE... I dunno, I'm not sure it's so clear cut as good or bad.

[–] lemmy_get_my_coat@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

That's a tremendous amount of concerted effort that that plan would take. I don't see it happening.

[–] AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip 4 points 8 hours ago

I think it'd be a fuckload easier than arranging a general strike. No missed work, no lost income, no need to coordinate a universal date to act on collectively, just a little paperwork and some effort to maintain savings. As more people hear and get upset, the money faucet slowly shuts more and more.

[–] Maiq@lemy.lol 36 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

General strike is still legal and more efficient than not paying taxes which will land you in jail. Withhold the means of production long enough and Trump might just fall out a window.

[–] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 10 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

And quick reminder that the IWW will help anyone (including you, dear reader) unionize their job, no matter what it is, and even if you can only get one or two others on board with you!

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 24 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

"still legal"

Since when has that ever mattered? Remember, the first unions and labor strikes weren't legal but that didn't stop them. They didn't become legal until we forced the State to meet us on equal terms.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I'm sorry but that's bullshit.

strike is more efficient than not paying taxes

that's the bullshit. The government, like any organization, is utterly dependent in financial input. Without it, they fall over. Withholding taxes is the strongest move that protesters can make.

[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

A government that run its own currency does not necessarily need taxes to sustain itself.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

oh shit, you're right. i hadn't thought of that.

[–] BaldManGoomba@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

As of currently the way the government works is everything is paid for by printing money and the government taking out loans. It claws some money back with taxes but they haven't covered the government since I have been alive.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 46 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Because the commies and socialists will steal your guns, turn your kids gay, have state funded abortions, twerk, eat hot chips and lie if you don’t vote red.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Eating hot chips and twerking sounds like a recipe for a Pollock mud mask to the front three rows.

[–] swab148@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Gallagher fans are prepared

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 7 hours ago

I mean, they paid for a ticket to a shitshow, so that tracks.

[–] teppa@piefed.ca 12 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

Corporate tax cuts are economic growth, which helps approval ratings.

Deficits are an easy way to please everyone by offloading austerity to the future.

So every government in all of human history has borrowed from the future, and have even curated their economists to push a message that deflation is dangerous and that debt needs to be monetized.

Then for some reason debt has exploded, crypto and risk stocks are completely disconnected from reality, and the bailouts get larger and larger.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

As someone who may've taken the extended family on a 20k holiday when crypto boomed pre-panda, I would certainly describe the experience as unreal.

[–] derry@midwest.social 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

"may've taken the extended family on a 20k holiday" So Disney for a day?

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Why settle for Orlando/Anaheim when you can Quebec City? 🤷🏼‍♂️

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 7 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

That golden droplet ain’t money trickling down.

[–] teppa@piefed.ca 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

This in my view is the main cause of inequality, how could it not be when average people make a static salary while the money supply grows 8% a year?

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Yup. Pretty much.

[–] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

On the other hand, austerity politics (aka "don't spend money in order to reduce the national debt") tend not to work, either, because they offload maintenance to the future. Repairing broken infrastructure costs more than keeping it from breaking in the first place.

I suppose you could just raise taxes but even with WWII-level tax ceilings it's damn expensive to run a country.

[–] teppa@piefed.ca 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Well dont forget you obviously need to cut taxes as well for economic growth, while you run these fat deficits maintaining this "critical infrastructure".

[–] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

I generally find that cutting taxes is more popular with the politicians who think that reducing the debt is more important than a functioning power grid and bridges that don't collapse. Don't ask me how the hell reducing tax income is supposed to help with the deficit but it's probably built on the assumption that the ~~kickbacks~~ economic growth will make up for it.

[–] Carmakazi@lemmy.world 20 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Because federal thugs and hackers will garnish your wages and steal your property if you do not.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 7 hours ago

Yeah... I see a lot of internet tough guys on lemmy talking about how they're gonna stop paying federal taxes. I think they're in for a rude awakening if any of them actually go through with that (especially after announcing it publicly).

[–] Godric@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (2 children)

Did you make it funny: X

Did you just post your opinion in bold font : ●

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

it's funny because it's true

[–] Godric@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Take "1+1=2" to your local open mic and let me know how well "funny bc true" works for ya

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

that's not the same. 1+1=2 isn't funny because it's a well-known fact.

[–] Godric@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Ah, the go up and explain how subnetting works, that'll bring the house down

[–] Lucky_777@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

The will just lock you up if you don't. Corporations have to be ok with saying "no".

Not gonna happen.