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Hidden Taxes... ever considered these?

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Renegade:
Requiring people to print forms (at home presumably) shifts infrastructure costs as well. It's not just paper and ink. It's having a computer, printer, and Internet connection. The costs for those are around $3,000 at the low end ($2,000 for an Internet contract over 2 years, which is standard, and about $1,000 for a computer and printer).

While technology is supposed to lead to cost savings, those savings almost invariably are only reaped by organizations (governments, companies) while consumers end up paying the same or more.

CodeTRUCKER, you've got a legitimate complaint.

But I think the general principle is at work elsewhere also. i.e. Technology reduces costs that most often get pocketed by organizations instead of being passed along to consumers.

Take your telephone (land line) for example. Have the costs for it declined significantly? Likely not. Have the services or quality increased significantly? Well, not in proportion to rising costs. We still get the same crummy sound quality as we had about 50 or 100 years ago. Telecommunications is one area where technology has increased massively. But, on the consumer end, what benefits have we seen? Well, Internet yes, but not in actual telephony that's not tied to the Internet or mobile. And mobile telephony still offers the same poor sound quality as land lines.

Technology just provides new ways to increase profits. It's not a vehicle to increase quality of life. Or rather, it's not used to increase quality of life as compared to how it is used to increase profits.

When it comes to government, this is simply wrong. It's understandable that companies would increase profits as they are psychotically dedicated to increasing profits at the expense of everything else. But government? No. That's simply wrong.

Carol Haynes:
What do people without a computer do?

MilesAhead:
What do people without a computer do?
-Carol Haynes (October 19, 2010, 05:29 PM)
--- End quote ---

Presumably those without their own internet have to queue up at some free dispenser of internet access. In the US it's the Public Library.  I like the online access for doing mundane things in a hurry, such as driver's license renewal etc..

But when that access is the only access it gets a bit weird. One of the side-effects that causes people to put up with government is the thought that at least it provides some jobs as people do those public service tasks.  But now they're going to automate away the jobs and still charge the fees and baksheesh. You get the worst of both worlds if you don't have broadband. :(

Perry Mowbray:
Interesting thread: thanks!

I work in Local Government and we are seriously under funded, in fact, the whole funding model has moved (slowly and inexorably) from a tax based system to a user pays system. I'm certainly not happy about that or the inequalities it creates, but it's the flavour of the moment in Australia.

We are certainly moving toward online acceptance of forms / applications, but it is very slow. We provide all our forms both on line and at our various offices. Thankfully you can call our Call Centre, talk to a person without navigating any audio promps and request a form to be mailed out for free.

I think codeTrucker's point is entirely valid. If was my office, I would have expected the person "helping" to access the form (on line if necessary) and print it out for them (all free of charge).

In my ecconomy, if a form is available on line, the costs of accessing and printing it out should be compensated by the time required to visit the office to obtain the forms personally. Saving time saves money: it's your choice (well, hopefully you have a choice).

4wd:
In consideration of this it occurred to me I was subsidizing the government via...

* The use of my computer.
* The use of my paper.
* The use of my printer and ink.
* ... Well, you get the idea....
...

I'm not sure WHAT we can do about any of these types of oppression.-CodeTRUCKER (October 19, 2010, 12:12 PM)
--- End quote ---

You claim the costs involved on your Tax Return, that's what I do, so I don't end up paying any more tax than what I should, (of course that's a purely subjective amount ;) ).

If you already do your Tax Return via computer then you should already be claiming some of its cost as a tax deduction - you add a little more.  Same with the printer and its supplies.

About the only thing you can't claim is your time, (in Australia anyway).

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