OK so who's been stressing out about filing your United States tax return this year? Anyone? I bet a lot of you have been! I got some relief this morning when I saw my refund was approved...Ahhhhh! (huge sigh of relief for me!). It's going to be OK. At least until next year...

Before I begin this vulgar tirade that is my opinion about US tax law, the federal government, and the IRS itself, allow me to provide some links to those of you who might be still searching for info on how to report your crypto gains / losses but might not want to be subjected to my profane and vulgar language that follows...

Potential resources

• https://bitcoin.tax/
• https://cointracking.info/
• this Steemit account regularly posts helpful info regarding crypto / US taxes https://steemit.com/@cryptotax

BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER, let me say if profanity and vulgar language offends you then you need to STOP READING at the end of this sentence. <-----AGAIN, Stop reading here if you don't like profanity, because it's about to get nasty up in here.

My Problem with the current taxation laws: The IRS changed the tax laws this year at the last minute like they do every year and it affects every single person here on steemit and anyone who has bought and traded / sold cryptos

If you're not stressed out by US tax code and you're on steemit, you might not have been paying attention to the elephant in the room -- the IRS policy on crypto being considered PROPERTY and not currency or even a security like a stock (rolls eyes). Yes, we love the IRS and their multi thousand page fucking tax code don't we? Well they made it infinitely worse back in December 2017 for crypto traders and investors with their new laws regarding what they consider cryptos to be and how we are supposed to calculate what we owe them (again, property?? Really Guys?).

Although this is one of the dumbest fucking things I've ever heard in my entire life, it did not surprise me one bit because it is the US government we're talking about. They don't give a fuck about you, your family, your well being, your life or your supposed liberty and right to pursue happiness. Most of the aforementioned (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) are all things that the founding fathers TRIED to guarantee for US citizens after they fought a bloody revolutionary war in the 1700's to escape this kind of tyranny. What I see going on in the United States today is as follows and it ain't pretty...it's downright evil if you ask me. And it's all funded by you the taxpayer.

• taxation without representation--who are you kidding if you claim the interest of the common person is represented by our politicians? Those fuckers are bought and paid for by wall street, big corporations, and the ultra rich
• Appalling intrusion into citizens' personal lives by an all powerful government that fancies itself as more powerful than God himself (if one believes in such a being)
• Undue and unfair burdens are placed on the individual by the federal government whose powers I might mention were NEVER intended to be this far-reaching
• Serious crimes and injustices are being committed against other countries and the citizens of other countries by the ever-meddling U.S. war-machine and never ending covert spying that's perpetuated by said government which is funded by OUR tax dollars (drone strikes on countries we're not at war with, murdering U.S. citizens abroad, murdering foreign citizens, imprisoning citizens and non-citizens alike without due process, the NSA spying on other world leaders and everyone else on the planet for that matter...just a few nice little examples here)

The Burden on the U.S. Citizen

WE THE PEOPLE are basically considered guilty until proven innocent when it comes to reporting our income, gains, losses, health care coverage (???????), etc. (like that should all be the IRS's damn business in the first place). Every year I feel like I'm getting fucked in the ass by a ten foot pole courtesy of this monster just due to the time I have to spend calculating my taxes, filing the return, agonizing and worrying about whether or not I missed anything and if the US government will decide I'm cheating them and send me to a federal-pound-me-in-the-ass penitentiary.

Although that is very unlikely, they could if they wanted to (if I missed something on my return). The thought of being audited by the IRS terrifies me as I know people who have been through this horrible experience--very smart people who are far more versed in tax law and accounting than I am. If it was that bad for them, I'd surely have to hire an attorney to represent me if I ever were to be audited. That's expensive and I shouldn't have to worry about such things because I do my best to report my tax liability. I work hard and I pay my taxes. I don't even mind paying taxes but why does it have to be so damn difficult and awful of an experience? I am distressed by it all a bit more every year that passes.

So you can imagine my relief when I used the IRS "where's my refund?" tool https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp and gazed upon the stated approval of my refund by the IRS this morning. In years past I've had to refile because of some stupid mistake and the approval status just sits there for weeks and week unchanged and I was afraid that might be happening this year. Thankfully this isn't the case this time around.

Now that the refund has been "approved" I feel like I'm a bit more in the clear in regards to the IRS's 10 ft dick being brandished and thrashed about in such an intimidating manner (the new crypto tax laws and the reminders that we'd better pay up or else). I want no part of that shit. Ever. I'll pay them what I owe them, I've never claimed I won't, and I don't think I should have to live in fear of my government. But I do.

OK cryptokeepr, so you hate the IRS and you sound like an angry psychopath, what's your point?

Fair enough, maybe I am an angry psycho at this moment and thank you for asking...On to more of the point that I'm trying to make here.

There are people who ARE LITERALLY LEAVING THE COUNTRY partially over this issue and the fact that they're scared to death of the IRS and the government in general just like I am. Luckily I didn't get into BTC or ETH when they were dirt cheap (the irony of this statement does not elude me) so I'm a small fish in the eyes of the man, but in the coming years that might not be the case as I've got semi-significant crypto holdings now that could turn into life-changing money in several years. That would be amazing if it happened but then I'd surely be targeted by said entities for an audit like early bitcoin buyers are being targeted now.

I know it's been a worry in the back of my mind for a few months now that they've put these onerous tax laws into place. The worst part about it is that during this tax season, most accountants and tax professionals don't even know how the hell to report crypto gains and losses! So even if you were to go to your local H&R Block or some independent accountant or whatever, they'd probably say "we're sorry, you're pretty much fucked and we can't help you because this is all so new and we don't understand the technology and how the tax law affects your return, and blah blah blah"....End of story. You're on your own.

Yes, even many of the tax professionals are confused by this regulatory horse shit. So how is the average person to know how to comply with the new rules??

I don't have the complete answer to this. It depends on your situation. I'm not going into what I reported on my return this year or how I did it because honestly I fear that could open a pandora's box that I might never be able to close due to many possible reasons.

Again, there are people here on steemit and outside the platform who have done research into this issue as it relates to US taxpayers and they have posted about the subject at length. I provided resources for people who are struggling to figure out how to comply with the onerous regulations at the beginning of this post and hopefully it might help someone. If not then I hope some of you were at least entertained by my colorful and foul language.

So in closing, let me ask and plead that you, the citizens of the United States, do the following thing for your country, your friends, your family, your own well being, and perhaps even the rest of the world

Next time you go to vote, don't think that voting for a third party like Libertarian or whatever party or person you think has your best interest at heart is a waste. If enough of us do it, we could eventually bring about meaningful and good change in this country. It is a long shot but it's up to us. This is all we can do. We could not possibly win a bloody physical fight against the might of the behemoth that is the federal government like our ancestors did against their oppressors over 200 years ago. They're just too powerful and they have unfathomable resources and firepower to direct at any opposition.

EDIT: Allow me to admit I've voted at least once for each of the two major parties in power at some point in my life and this is not meant as me trying to shame anyone for voting for either of the two major parties. That's entirely your right and I respect your choice no matter what it is / was.

But if we do manage to elect politicians (especially to congress and the senate and at the state level) who represent our interests, we could slowly turn the tides. If the states had a constitutional convention and put term limits on the House of Representatives and The Senate, it could end the existence of career politicians--lifers in DC who have way too much power. It could put reasonable people in power who aren't already corrupted and owned by dark and powerful forces such as wall street, google, and entities like that.

And maybe, just maybe, in my lifetime I could have a year where filing my taxes doesn't feel like one of the most stressful things I have to do all year.

Thank you for reading and best of luck to all you US citizens trying to get your taxes done before the looming deadline comes and goes. I hope my rant was entertaining and didn't offend anyone too badly.