brandonmadeit OP t1_jeg9duk wrote on March 31, 2023 at 8:08 PM

Reply to comment by atexit8 in The IRS is a piece of work by brandonmadeit

I’d go so far as to say most of America has a lack of knowledge on how taxes work, which is why we end up paying tax experts to handle it. As I went on a tangent I was saying there shouldn’t even be a need for “tax experts” when as a W2 (see I learn quickly) employee the government knows how much I make already. But that was besides my main point of, if I don’t have the letter via snail mail in my possession what is my next step to even knowing what was written on it? And if the phone number doesn’t connect to anyone but Siri how can I communicate my situation to anyone but Reddit?

atexit8 t1_jegax43 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 8:18 PM

Did you want to rant or are you actually interested in asking a question?

You don't need a tax expert to know how to fill out a W-4.

brandonmadeit OP t1_jegof3e wrote on March 31, 2023 at 9:50 PM

A little of both but my actual question was an effective way to contact IRS about my payment plan.

Nagisan t1_jegdlz9 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 8:36 PM

> the government knows how much I make already

Taxes aren't based only on what you earn. They're also based on your filing status for that year, how many dependents you have, account interest earned that didn't generate a form (IIRC most banks don't send this unless it's over $10), money you gifted over the annual exclusion limit (not taxed until you use up your lifetime limit, but the IRS doesn't know about this until it happens), how much you contributed to IRAs (any forms generated for this happens after taxes close out), how much you contributed to HSAs (other than through your employer), etc., etc.

Point is they may know how much you make, but until they know everything above and more they don't know how much you owe.

Could they send everyone an estimated tax return? Yes. Would that eliminate the need for people to scrutinize their work and correct any errors? No.