tax induced dying gurgles....

[Amy Z]

Mary Ann started a riot by saying:

> Here in England, people who have to fill in their own tax forms are 
> those who own their own businesses.  People like myself--domestic 
> goddess with part-time job--and my husband--full-time postman--have 
> taxes automatically deducted from wages and any other income.  No 
> paperwork needed. 

I am DYING to know how that works.  We have ours automatically 
deducted from wages too, but there are so many exemptions and 
additions, and things that didn't get taxed on their way in like tips 
and interest, and things that get deducted like charitable donations, 
that it is a major project to fill out your taxes (easier if you 
don't own property or stocks or anything though).  And I have to pay 
a chunk of mine quarterly because for some bizarre reason ministers 
have to pay their own Social Security/Medicare taxes and can't have 
them deducted from their paychecks.  

Also, what do you do if you change jobs halfway through the fiscal 
year?  Here, the system is progressive, i.e. you pay a higher rate if 
you earn more money (well, it's more complicated than that, but 
that's the gist) so that you might be paying at 15% in the first half 
of the year, but then land a really high-paying job that puts you 
into the next tax bracket, so that at the end of the year you would 
find you had underpaid on the first 6 months.

Amy
glad it's a long time 'til April 15