Independence Penalties

All over the world there are four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. However, in America, there is yet another season…..tax season.

Once New Year’s is behind us, Americans everywhere start watching the mail for tax documents and begin stressing over filing their income taxes with the federal government. If you’re lucky, you live in a state that doesn’t have state taxes included on top of federal taxes.

This will be the first time that I’ve filed taxes as a homeschooling parent. I was researching today whether there are any deductions, credits, or other tax benefits to help offset the major expenses associated with homeschooling three children. Much to my utter amazement, there was nothing. Oh, there were credits….for teachers who paid for classroom expenses out of their pockets, for people who were continuing their education, but nothing for homeschoolers. In fact, the IRS specifically listed homeschoolers as NOT eligible to take advantage of any of the established education credits. Wow! So, basically, with the mandatory taxes that I pay to the public education system and then the expenses for the homeschool supplies, I’m paying twice for my kids’ educations. Doesn’t seem fair if you ask me. I agree that education is important and that public schools shouldn’t have to suffer just because I choose not to use it for my kids, but don’t they get enough money in federal funds and grants? In Florida, the state lottery funds are supposed to benefit public schools. Where is all of that money?

Don’t get me started on getting my money’s worth either. If I were a consumer and had the option of firing the public education system for poor service I would – and demand a full refund. Instead, I’m paying twice for taking responsibility for my kids’ education. I’m being self-reliant, independent of the government, and I’m being penalized for it. It got me to thinking….what other penalties do we pay for being self-reliant and independent? What things could we do for ourselves that the government has opted to regulate, supposedly for our benefit?

Many people still prefer to hunt for their own food. Has the government penalized that? Yep! Each year you have to get a license to be able to hunt or fish. There’s an independence penalty.

Some people who still live in rural areas depend on crafting and trading for their living. Has the government impacted that? Yep! You have to have a license or permit to grow anything, build anything, or sell anything. There’s another independence penalty.

What about doing your own home repairs or building? Yep, the government is ALL over that one. Between building permits, inspections, and zoning restrictions, it’s not worth it to do anything construction-related for yourself.

Okay, keeping it simple, what about growing your own food, keeping chickens for eggs, or farmstock for the sole purpose of feeding your family? Yep, the government is all over that too. You have to have a permit to have farm animals and in many places you have to have a permit to simply grow a garden!

The government has spent decades shaping the American people into the lovely little herd of sheep that we’ve become. The politicians want us dependent on the system, so much so that when we try to be independent we are penalized for it or downright forbidden from doing it. Why? Because if enough people were independent the politicians wouldn’t have a career to draw their 6-figure incomes from.

It seems backwards somehow. People should be penalized for being dependent on the system, not rewarded for it. And people like me – and the millions of other homeschoolers – shouldn’t have to pay twice for trying to be independent.

Independence penalties. Welcome to the United but Dependent States of America.