15-03-2005 09:28									#1
	Thieves! Full PM-box? Change here!

The government stole $2,603.27 of my money last year, and I'm just now getting it back.

Here's a weird question -- when somebody is on a salary, how come they just can't deduct the proper amount of taxes per paycheque, rather than taking too much?

	15-03-2005 09:35									#2
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

The government is good at stealing money. Be glad you got some back. Most people never do. Grrrr.

	15-03-2005 09:47									#3
	Re: Thieves! Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by Asher The government stole $2,603.27 of my money last year, and I'm just now getting it back. Here's a weird question -- when somebody is on a salary, how come they just can't deduct the proper amount of taxes per paycheque, rather than taking too much?

In the US you can if you sit down and calculate out how many deduction it will take to get just the right amount. The government is hoping you are lazy and just let them do it because then everyone ends up giving them interest free loans. I don't play that game.

	15-03-2005 10:42									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

I've heard that if you change your W-2 forms every 6 months to '0' or '1' (or something like that) back and forth, you'd winding up owning nothing and the government owe you nothing.

I'm not sure about this although.

	15-03-2005 10:50									#5
	Re: Re: Thieves! Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by Oerdin In the US you can if you sit down and calculate out how many deduction it will take to get just the right amount. The government is hoping you are lazy and just let them do it because then everyone ends up giving them interest free loans. I don't play that game.

Yeah, you report to your employer that you have a couple of dependents, and that lowers the amount of money the government deducts. BTW: Don't lie to the IRS about this number... or else

	15-03-2005 10:53									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

Government "stealing" money

	15-03-2005 11:56									#7
	Re: Re: Re: Thieves! Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by Zkribbler Yeah, you report to your employer that you have a couple of dependents, and that lowers the amount of money the government deducts. BTW: Don't lie to the IRS about this number... or else

You can fill out a W-4 and put 99 dependents if you want to and have no taxes taken out of your checks........however when filling each year you had better report correctly.

ACK!

	15-03-2005 17:48									#8
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by Barinthus you'd winding up owning nothing

That doesn't seem too appealing

	15-03-2005 18:11									#9
	Re: Thieves! Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Asher The government stole $2,603.27 of my money last year, and I'm just now getting it back. Here's a weird question -- when somebody is on a salary, how come they just can't deduct the proper amount of taxes per paycheque, rather than taking too much?

How could they be that far off? Do you have a bunch of deductions and/or exemptions?

	15-03-2005 18:51									#10
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

Last year my roommate got ~1,000 Euro back from the government. But how could they have gone soo much wrong during the year? My roommate have lived of the government for a couple years, so the government pays him ~500 Euro each month for him doing nothing (which is his only income), but still they managed to end up having to pay ~1,000 Euro at the end of the year?

	15-03-2005 18:56									#11
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Isn't that more a problem with your accounts department rather than the government?

	15-03-2005 19:43									#12
	Re: Re: Thieves! Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Dr Strangelove How could they be that far off? Do you have a bunch of deductions and/or exemptions?

Only one I can think of is tuition.

	15-03-2005 19:55									#13
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Without actually seeing your tax return, it's difficult to say. Tuition would be a big one, another would be the amount of time you worked at whatever salary you're at. Didn't you just start last summer or something? I can easily see the discrepancy if that's the case.

	15-03-2005 21:56									#14
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Kontiki Without actually seeing your tax return, it's difficult to say. Tuition would be a big one, another would be the amount of time you worked at whatever salary you're at. Didn't you just start last summer or something? I can easily see the discrepancy if that's the case.

Yea-- most accounting systems take out taxes as if you made that salary for a whole year

I see it even more with Mrs Flubber if she works a lot of overtime in one pay period. She gets deducted on that cheque at the highest marginal rate even though she only has the pay taxes on her annual income at the middle rate . It does make for a nice refund although I share the feeling about interest free loans. They sure as heck charge interest if you are late paying them

	15-03-2005 22:25									#15
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Oh come on, they didn't steal it... they just borrowed it for a while.

	15-03-2005 22:28									#16
	Got spare money?

If you make RRSP contributions that can make a big difference too.

	15-03-2005 22:35									#17
	Suffering from ads?

They did it on purpose, obviously, so they could rake in some extra interest.

	15-03-2005 23:20									#18
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

I think they owe me some money too

	16-03-2005 06:40									#19
	Got spare money?

Yeah, that was the first reaction to my deductions, since I've always asked to not have them paid.

	16-03-2005 06:47									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Skanky Burns Isn't that more a problem with your accounts department rather than the government?

No, the government has a standarx "if you make this much then you pay this much" chart but their chart doesn't take into account the deductions which most Americans use to lower their tax bills. Thus the government ends up collecting lots of extra money which it uses as interest free loans for a year before giving it back to you. By fiddling with the numbers you declare on your W-9 form you can lower the amount of taxes you prepay so you end up recieve less back or ideally nothing back. You can put any number on the W-9 form since it only is used by your employer but you'd better put the right number on your IRS forms when you file in April or else you'll be in hot water when you get caught.

	16-03-2005 06:50									#21
	Re: Thieves! Full PM-box? Change here!

quote: Originally posted by Asher The government stole $2,603.27 of my money last year, and I'm just now getting it back. Here's a weird question -- when somebody is on a salary, how come they just can't deduct the proper amount of taxes per paycheque, rather than taking too much?

I don't know what interest rates are like in Canada, but in the US they're <2% on savings accounts. So if you had done all the calculations deducted the money paycheck-by-paycheck, you would have an extra ~$25-50 in your pocket.

Me? I'd gladly pay the government the extra fee to save me the hassle of doing the calculations. But then, I was born and bred in Blue states.

	16-03-2005 06:58									#22
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Happens every year - get used to it.

Tuition amounts causing disparity will slowly morph into RRSP contributions, Business use-of-home expenses, Dividend tax credits...

With a little bit of (mostly) one time effort, it is easy to create a spreadsheet system that predicts and calculates your end-of-year tax difference.

Set it up each year with the next year's rates, limits and personal amounts, and then feed it the figures from each pay stub and watch it figure out where you'll be.

	16-03-2005 08:58									#23
	Full PM-box? Change here!

FYI - In the US, if you get more than $5k back, you are in a world of ****....Uncle Sam does not take too kindly to that type of operation, else everyone would go for the pay at the end of the year thing. There is some kind of fine involved.