People have been whining over the past few weeks because their tax refund checks are lower than previous years. The media, of course, is more than happy to amplify these complaints. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, meanwhile, weep in their graves.
Those who have even the most rudimentary understanding of our tax system will immediately see the problem here: a big tax refund is not a good thing. The check you get from the U.S. Treasury is not a gift or a bonus or a token of appreciation. It is not like picking a winning scratch off ticket or hitting cherries on a slot machine. It is your own money, which the government took from you during the year and is now returning without interest or even a “thank you” note.
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