How to file your taxes

Civics 101

NHPR

History, Government, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 9 April 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Most Americans need help to file our tax return each year - about 90% of people use technology like Turbo Tax, or hire a human tax preparer. Why does it feel like it takes degree in accounting, or the money to pay someone with a degree, or computer software, just to comply with the law? We revisit our explainers on why our tax system is the way it is, and how to comply with it, just in time for tax day. We talk about everything that goes into filing taxes, how some people game the system, why it's so complicated, and how to successfully file your taxes (and avoid paying more than you should to do it). CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro. Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi Nick.
0:01.0	Hey Anna.
0:02.0	Nick, why do we pay income taxes?
0:06.8	Why are we expected to give some of the money we earn to the government?
0:11.0	Whoo, well, I'm not a big time city lawyer, Hannah.
0:16.6	But I feel like it's like the government is expected to do something for us in return for those
0:21.6	taxes, right?
0:23.0	By making and enforcing laws, providing security and protection,
0:27.0	giving us ways to live and work and travel safely and to help us access basic things like food or shelter.
0:38.0	Yeah, that's the idea.
0:40.0	But there's also something really important about our tax system.
0:45.0	We put a lot of emphasis on fairness.
0:48.0	How can you judge if a tax is fair to the taxpayer?
0:52.0	Well, most people today accept the principle that a person
0:55.2	should be taxed according to his ability to pay. As a result, we have a graduated or progressive
1:01.6	income tax. income tax.
1:03.0	Look, I mean, no one likes paying taxes, right?
1:05.8	We all have to do it because somebody has to pay the bills.
1:08.5	This is Joe Thorndyke.
1:10.1	He's the director of the Tax History Project.
1:12.5	Civics 101 talked to him back in 2017.
1:14.8	But that means that we want to make sure that everyone else is paying their fair share,
	...

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