Death and Taxes

Decided it was time to do taxes the day before tax day.
I don't mind paying taxes, it is just the process of doing them yourself can be kind of monotonous and uninteresting.

Ended up owing this time around, through no fault of my own.
I calculate my personal taxes at about three months in and have come up with a process where I come out even on my end.
Re-evaluate in the middle of the year to see if I need to add more to what the government takes out.
There are some pretty good tax calculators that can help you do this but it is best to wait after they have been updated with the current year's approximate tax rate.

I know Trump always gets a lot of flak, but it was pretty nice tax wise under his tenure as president.

I have heard people around me talk about how much they hate paying taxes or that the government is ripping them off.
Just what would happen if we did not have taxes? Chaos? Anarchy?
I am curious if anyone has ever done an in-depth analysis on how much of our everyday life is affected by stuff taxes pay for.

Government is necessary in order for a society to function. Taxes are an important source of revenue for governments.

1. To fund government programs and services:
   Taxes are used to fund a wide range of government programs and services, such as education, healthcare, national defense, law enforcement, infrastructure, and social welfare programs.
2. To promote economic stability and growth:
   Governments can use taxes to influence the economy by promoting certain industries or activities and discouraging others.
   Taxes can also be used to address economic inequality by redistributing wealth through programs like social security or progressive tax systems.
3. To provide for public goods:
   Some goods and services, such as national defense or public parks, benefit everyone in society but may not be provided by the private sector.
   Taxes are used to fund these public goods.
4. To support the democratic process:
   Taxes are used to fund elections and maintain the institutions of government that are necessary for democracy to function properly.

Overall, taxes are an essential component of modern society and are necessary to support the various programs and services that governments provide.
However, the specific tax policies and systems used can vary widely across countries and can have different impacts on individuals and society as a whole.