Law is complicated for many reasons. Private people (here referred to as the personally taxed) don’t have the means, both financial and time, sometimes also the ability to understand the language used in lawmaking, which isn’t made to be easily understood, to keep up with the law. Normally people aren’t really expected to, if you’re a “good” person (morality being subjective and cultural, of course), you’re unlikely to break a law and get punished for it (not diving into edge cases of people forced by their circumstances). But then you’re forced to comply with tax law. If it’s automated, you can get unrightfully made to pay more without your knowledge. If it’s not, you get forced into a game staged against you. People shouldn’t be taxed. Tax should be solely handled by the companies, because they have the means to hire people dedicated to taxes. I feel like this is very important and tax is frequently brought up in many ways, but I don’t see people speaking of this and I’d love to!
Disclaimer: I file for tax literally refreshing for it to be available and help other people with their tax. It’s precisely why I think personal taxation is wrong. I know too many people who paid way too much in tax and didn’t know and cannot claim it, because it’s been too long since.
You prompted me to think a lot about a rational taxation system, and of course the most rational system is one without money where goods are distributed based on need, but if you concede that money has to exist for some reason (ie a transitional period) then taxation should be about encouraging pro-social behaviors and bandaging societal problems. Taxing unhealthy additives in food to discourage their consumption, taxing Wall St. speculation because it puts everyone at risk, etc. We should tax putting carbon into the atmosphere and making industrial use of common resources like drinking water, but we’re out here taxing people for getting a job.