Written by: Theodore M. David, Chair, Tax Law Committee
Current Item:
1) Just How Smart is AI?
1) On the eve of the most historic presidential election in the history of the United States it does seem a little silly putting together a bar bulletin dealing with taxation. Now all the polls have been done and results tabulated and it’s clear one or the other of these candidates may actually be elected. You don’t need AI to understand that. So instead of trying to come up with something truly witty I thought I would just employ AI to do it for me. Now I will confess that my young nephew married and a new father gave me the idea. Holding his new baby with one hand he said as a matter of fact, if you can’t think of something why don’t you let AI write your bulletin? So not to kill a lot of your time as well as mine I took his advice. Now Chat GPT and things like it seem to be the future. So I downloaded the app and asked a simple question: Why do people cheat on their income tax returns? In a matter of one or two seconds this is what AI had to say:
People may cheat on their income tax returns for a range of reasons, from financial pressure to personal beliefs about the tax system. Here are some common motivations:
1. Financial Strain: For some, tax payments create a heavy financial burden, and they may feel that misreporting income or claiming unearned deductions is necessary to make ends meet.
2. Opportunity: The self-employed, freelancers, and those who receive cash payments may have more freedom to underreport income since it’s harder for tax authorities to track these earnings compared to salaried employees.
3. Belief that “Everyone Does It”: If people perceive tax evasion as common, they may feel less guilt about doing it themselves, rationalizing that it’s a widespread, socially acceptable act.
4. Distrust in Government: Some may cheat on taxes if they feel their money isn’t being used wisely by the government or that they’re paying more than their fair share. They might justify it as withholding support from wasteful or ineffective spending.
5. Perceived Low Risk of Getting Caught: If people believe the risk of being audited or penalized is low, they may be more willing to take the chance.
6. Complex Tax System: A complicated tax code can lead to mistakes, intentional or otherwise. Some people may take advantage of gray areas, interpreting laws in their favor or under-reporting simply because it’s difficult to understand exactly what’s required.
7. Sense of Entitlement: Some may feel they deserve a break from paying taxes, perhaps because of a perceived contribution to society or a belief that they’re unfairly burdened by the tax code.
Ultimately, while the motivations vary, cheating on taxes often involves a mix of personal financial considerations, beliefs about fairness, and perceptions of the system’s enforcement effectiveness.
So there you have it, unedited straight from cyberspace. I have no clue who wrote this, but it wasn’t me. Frankly, it’s a damn good response. Very scary. Can it write briefs, memorandums, an essay, a book, some poems, some jokes. So who has been writing all these bulletins for the last bunch of years? Makes you wonder.
2) BTW the tax brackets for 2025 are on the IRS website and the standard deduction limits too…or you can just go to AI and ask it.
Questions or Comments should be emailed to [email protected].