A little history lesson…

• The first known taxes were in Sumer (Mesopotamia) almost 5,000 years ago. They were recorded on clay cones and paid in livestock.
• The writing on the Rosetta Stone, a monumentally important artifact and the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, is mostly about taxes.
• Income tax didn’t exist until the Civil War, in 1861, but the tax was disbanded in 1872 because it was deemed unconstitutional. It wasn’t until 1913 when the constitution was changed, via the 16th amendment, that these taxes were again re-introduced.
• The IRS was created during World War II and that’s when the government starting withholding taxes from paychecks.

Fast forward…

• The IRS sends out over 8 billion pages in forms and instructions every single year, that’s nearly 300,000 trees. (they do at least use recycled paper now)
• The easiest form, the 1040EZ, has thirty–three pages of instructions.
• In 2002 there were 526 different tax forms.
• There are over 7 million words in the tax law and regulations.
• Tip of the Day: Form 6478 – Credit for Alcohol Used as Fuel. (I don’t think the IRS really counts beer as fuel, though it does keep me going sometimes)
• According to CCH, the number of pages in the tax code and regulations went from 26,300 in 1984 to an 70,000+ in 2014.

If asking for help…

• There are over 1.2M tax preparers.
• In 2016, Americans spent about 6.1 billion hours and $29.6 billion on tax preparation services and/or tax software like TurboTax and H&R Block.

HERE’S YOUR HELP!!

Call B2 for all your tax needs.  (636) 333-3339 or (850) 775-1675

In this crazy taxing country, you really need someone on your side.  Obviously, the IRS is not here to help streamline your taxes, but we are! 

https://wallethacks.com/50-fun-facts-taxes/