Two and One Half Years more or less...
Several things have occured since my last posting.
1. At the end of July, 2010, I was laid off from the national retail clothing chain that I've written about. Reorganization and downsizing were the official reasons but that could be open to interpretation.
2. Over the past two years, I've managed to be among the few tax professionals to be allowed to work off-season at the international tax service that I've written about as well. In 2010, several of the offices have been re-zoned to different districts which prompted me to leave that office and I'm currently working on my own at an office located on a military base which has given me the opportunity to work on the tax returns of active duty soldiers, sailors and airmen as well as their family members and retired personnel. To say that it was an educational experience would be the ultimate understatement. Along with the open comparison of The Domestic Military Unit with gypsies and nomads, it presents the real problem of addressing the issue of financial mismanagement not being limited to banking institutions and corporations. Somewhere along the line somebody must inform the public that important steps must be taken to keep track of all income-generating activity as well as notifying the federal and state government (when applicable) through reporting of their income taxes. While the IRS is taking steps to register tax professionals, they have a long way to go before they can understand the significance of the average American taxpayer being completely ignorant of their financial obligations to themselves and this country! I've corresponded with people from other countries and their governments seem to have worked out a system where the burden of reporting income falls on them while the verification of this information falls on the taxpayer. Somehow I don't believe that this system would work in the US because of the stigma of receiving a notification of unreported income through a detailed notice called CP2000. While it's comprehensive enough for the average person to read it, emotional paralysis prevents the average taxpayer to go beyond the fact that they've earned more money than they've told the IRS and they don't understand that this is a resolvable problem if they simply follow the rules! I guess if they did, I'd have to look for a new job.
3. I'm getting closer to owning the vehicle that I drive but due to point #1, it could take longer than I would have liked. Due to living from hand-to-mouth more or less on my own, I was oblivious to the fact that by paying the minimum monthly bills, I've denied myself the opportunity of owning it one year earlier! This is yet another example of how economic irresponsibility has presented itself outside of my notice and while I can easily blame myself for this, it's easier to blame The Economic System set up by financial institutions, like banks and credit agencies, that have managed to profit off of a fiscally irresponsible culture of which I am a part!
While I don't claim to have all of the answers regarding this economic quicksand that 18% of The American People, including myself, are struggling in, I can safely say this: until a more citizen-friendly government-based approach to Universal Economic Responsibility can be achieved, such as educating young people in becoming more economically self-disciplined, there will be a great deal more socio-economic trauma taking place in this country over the next few years that hasn't been seen since The Great Depression.
Several things have occured since my last posting.
1. At the end of July, 2010, I was laid off from the national retail clothing chain that I've written about. Reorganization and downsizing were the official reasons but that could be open to interpretation.
2. Over the past two years, I've managed to be among the few tax professionals to be allowed to work off-season at the international tax service that I've written about as well. In 2010, several of the offices have been re-zoned to different districts which prompted me to leave that office and I'm currently working on my own at an office located on a military base which has given me the opportunity to work on the tax returns of active duty soldiers, sailors and airmen as well as their family members and retired personnel. To say that it was an educational experience would be the ultimate understatement. Along with the open comparison of The Domestic Military Unit with gypsies and nomads, it presents the real problem of addressing the issue of financial mismanagement not being limited to banking institutions and corporations. Somewhere along the line somebody must inform the public that important steps must be taken to keep track of all income-generating activity as well as notifying the federal and state government (when applicable) through reporting of their income taxes. While the IRS is taking steps to register tax professionals, they have a long way to go before they can understand the significance of the average American taxpayer being completely ignorant of their financial obligations to themselves and this country! I've corresponded with people from other countries and their governments seem to have worked out a system where the burden of reporting income falls on them while the verification of this information falls on the taxpayer. Somehow I don't believe that this system would work in the US because of the stigma of receiving a notification of unreported income through a detailed notice called CP2000. While it's comprehensive enough for the average person to read it, emotional paralysis prevents the average taxpayer to go beyond the fact that they've earned more money than they've told the IRS and they don't understand that this is a resolvable problem if they simply follow the rules! I guess if they did, I'd have to look for a new job.
3. I'm getting closer to owning the vehicle that I drive but due to point #1, it could take longer than I would have liked. Due to living from hand-to-mouth more or less on my own, I was oblivious to the fact that by paying the minimum monthly bills, I've denied myself the opportunity of owning it one year earlier! This is yet another example of how economic irresponsibility has presented itself outside of my notice and while I can easily blame myself for this, it's easier to blame The Economic System set up by financial institutions, like banks and credit agencies, that have managed to profit off of a fiscally irresponsible culture of which I am a part!
While I don't claim to have all of the answers regarding this economic quicksand that 18% of The American People, including myself, are struggling in, I can safely say this: until a more citizen-friendly government-based approach to Universal Economic Responsibility can be achieved, such as educating young people in becoming more economically self-disciplined, there will be a great deal more socio-economic trauma taking place in this country over the next few years that hasn't been seen since The Great Depression.
