Directing Your Tax Dollars

Before you go thinking you can decide exactly where your tax dollars should go, that’s not what I’m going to write about.  But really, I don’t think anyone (not even legislators, government executives, or bureaucrats) can actually direct their specific tax dollars anywhere for the simple reason that you can’t know the $1,000 you are spending is the exact $1,000 you paid in taxes.

But I digress…

Today is the Federal tax filing deadline (State of Hawaii returns are due April 20).  Every year, several of the questions that let me “direct” my tax dollars always receive special attention from me.

This question is on our Federal taxes:

Do you want to desingate $3 to a fund that provides campaign money to presidential candidates?  Selecting Yes will not increase your taxes or reduce your refund.

Where do these monies go?  Into a Presidential election campaign fund.  Most professional tax preparers (such as H&R Block) check the “Yes” box.  But here’s why I always check the “No” box:  this money goes to Presidential candidates who agree to certain campaign limits and the major parties for their political conventions.

So as a Democrat, why wouldn’t I want to give money to my party?  Because half of it can and does go to the other party.  The thought of me as a liberal paying for both of George W. Bush’s campaigns and the Republican National Conventions in 2000 and 2004 is too much.  You can do what you like on this check-off, but I will always check “No.”  If you’re a Republican, maybe you have the same thought of giving us ninny liberals your money.

Here are some questions from our State of Hawaii tax form:

Would you like Hawaii to add $3 to a fund that helps candidates run for state political office?

I also check “No” on this one, but not for the same reason as above.  In Hawaii, most politicians are Democrats, so it’s not like half my money would go to Republicans.  However, so few candidates qualify for this money that it doesn’t make much of an impact.

I’ll take these last three questions together:

Do you want to contribute $2 to the Hawaii Schools Repair and Maintenance special fund?

Do you want to contribute $2 to the Hawaii Librarires special fund?

Do you want to contribute $5 to the Hawaii Children’s Trust Fund or the Dmoestic Violence Special Fund?

Keep in mind that these last three check-offs do affect your taxes.  Checking “Yes” reduces your refund.  

Ever since the School Repair & Maintenance check-off has been on the form, I’ve checked “Yes.”  Public schools don’t have enough money to repair their literally crumbling infrastructure.

The Public Libraries check-off has only been around for recently, but I always check “Yes” on that one.  You already know I love and support the libraries from previous posts.

In years past, I’ve skipped domestic violence, but this year I checked “Yes.”  I used to think that the $5 was honestly too much to ask for, but with recent high-profile domestic violence cases, I had to say “Yes.”

Keep in mind that I do my fiancee’s taxes, so I duplicate my check-offs for her.  I also do taxes for free for family members, provided they allow me to do these check-offs. 

So what do you think and what will you do?  

Oh and if you haven’t already, you better get working on your taxes.  If that’s not possible, you can always file Form 4868 Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Income Tax Return.

Mahalo!

Tagged as: democrat, federal, Hawaii, libraries, library, presidential election, republican, school repair, state, taxes