Except you're paying $40 to a company that prevents you from having what every other modern western country has: $0, and the government did it for you.
They stole your $40 every year and used it to lobby Congress.
We have a TON of this kind of catch-22 in the US. Capitalism and all; you can choose the free complicated way or the not-free easy way. You’re still free to complain about either. If I had my way, we’d do a progressive flat-tax; going as high as 75% for anyone making more than 1 million a year with NO returns or deductions whatsoever—-I’m sure you’d happily call me a socialist dunce if I proposed that though.
> If I had my way, we’d do a progressive flat-tax; going as high as 75% for anyone making more than 1 million a year with NO returns or deductions whatsoever
"Progressive flat tax" Those two things are the opposite of each other.