【美国精神】第56期

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Explanation:   

  There is a very well-known saying in English: “The only sure things (or things that will definitely¹ happen) in life are death and taxes.” Just like there is no way to avoid death (or to not die), there is no way to avoid paying taxes, which is money that we pay to the government so that the government can provide education, security², and other services to its people. In the United States, everyone who makes money must pay federal³ (or national) income taxes, which is money we pay to the government based on how much money we have made. 

 

  In the United States, taxpayers⁵ must file (or send in) their own federal income tax forms, which are pieces of paper that request information and have spaces for us to write down that information. The tax forms request personal information like your name and address, as well as information about how much money you made in the past year. The forms always must be postmarked (or stamped by the post office) by April 15th. If the federal income tax forms are postmarked on a later date, the taxpayer⁴ will have to pay a fine, which is money that we must pay because we did something wrong. 

 

  Filing tax forms is not very difficult, but if you own your own business or have your money in a lot of other things to make money, it can be complicated⁶. Many people fill out (or write in the answers on) their tax forms on their own. Other people have tax accountants, which are people who do taxes as their job, do it for them. Either way, it is important to keep all of our tax information organized throughout the year so that we will be ready when it is time to file taxes. 

 

  Throughout the year, the company where you work takes withholdings, which is money that you never see because the company sends it directly to the federal (or national) government. The withholdings are as much as you expect to owe (or need to pay) in taxes. Then, early in the following year, you file your tax forms. If your total tax owed is more than the withholdings, meaning you have not yet paid enough taxes, you will need to pay the difference between what you have already paid and what you owe. If the total amount of the taxes you owe is less than your withholdings, then you will get a tax refund⁷ (or money that is returned to you from the government because you have already paid too much). 

 

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