Due You Feel Like We Due?
Saturday 28 February 2015 • 3:35 PM
H+R Block is back on the airwaves with their “Get Your Billions Back America” ad campaign. If you’re lucky enough to not know what I’m talking about, let me fill you in: a stereotypically looking ((I’ll let you decide what that looks like– hint: it rhymes with cold and bite)) accountant claims that H+R Block will maximize your tax refund (assuming you file with them). At best, this is disingenuous. At worst, it’s anti-American.
Why?
Like it or not Republicans, but American is basically a big union. And taxes are the equivalent of union dues. By not paying your fair share of taxes, you’re shirking your union responsibility.
What pays for roads and bridges that we drive on? Taxes. What pays for the wires delivering electricity to our houses? Taxes. What pays to ensure that the food, water and drugs we ingest into our bodies aren’t toxic? Taxes. Get my drift?
Here’s another way to look at it. H+R Block bragging that it can get you the biggest tax refund is like not tipping at a restaurant and only paying the bill. Technically that’s legal, but doing so totally screws over the waiter. Those not paying their fair share are screwing over us, the majority who do pay our fair share.
That’s why the sentiment this H+R Block ad campaign perpetuates is so worrisome: paying the absolute, “yeah-technically-that’s-legal-but-you’re-being-a-dick-about-it,” bare minimum in taxes fosters an undemocratic, “somebody-else-will-take-care-of-it-so-why-should-I-give-a-crap” mentality.
I don’t want America to get its billions back, because America will just blow it on saltines and DVDs. ((and not even bluray DVDs because America is like “The picture quality looks fine to me.”))