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Watching from afar, it has always amazed me how complex and byzantine the US tax system is, and how utterly wasteful it is.
How much richer would Americans be if the resources spent on merely complying with tax filing requirements were free to be spent or invested elsewhere?
Living in a country where the tax system is overwhelmingly consumption based, with a payroll tax component that is collected by employers, I appreciate how simple life is here in comparison. No one I know has a personal accountant, or ever has to give a moment's thought to taxes, or has to factor tax policy into their daily consumption or investment decisions.
It is a testament to the vitality of the US that it can still be the economic engine of the world despite having such an anchor tied around its neck.
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"Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." - Robert Heinlein
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