I’ve been hearing that “Trump messes things up and this is the first time in years I didn’t get a refund.”

When I mention that they got more in take-home pay, the answer invariably is “yeah, $4” or some other small amount! Even so, what was the refund they were usually receiving? $200?

This is NOT President Trump’s doing. He started the ball rolling with the higher standard deduction. He also tried to make it easier, even saying some might be able to file on a postcard.

Now, some of the financial geniuses of big business (tax prep firms, etc.) got together with lawyers/politicians and began playing games with what used to be a fairly understandable tax form. Voilà! The arrival of our “new” 1040 tax forms!

Now, we have a higher standard deduction, along with the loss of the personal exemptions, but they raised the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000, and added a $500 extra credit for “other dependent!” Something I believe someone called Pelosi would call crumbs!

Oh, there are other “changes” added to this by the “backroom” to appease the poor little guy and make us think they’ve done wonderful things. But take a look at the form 1040, and it is two and a half pages! Now you sign on the first page, and Lord help you to understand and even be able to read and figure out the second half page. The lines are so close together, explanation of some of the numbers are only to be found on schedule one, two, three, four or five! Five new schedules in order to get a number where it should have been in the first place. This goes on and on.

All these ridiculous NEW tax form papers and rules could only be thought up by the opposition who are in dire fear of losing, tax clients, political futures and the lining of the pockets, and that is MY personal opinion of the new tax condition!

Ruthann Schlecht

lehighton