dannnex

Right?

It's like... why does the government want my money if they're just gonna give it back?

Because you overpaid, basically.

Also, I've always been curious: I understand the idea that "it was my money to begin with", but I think I might disagree? I mean, do you consider the money you paid for groceries to still be yours? What about a water or electric bill, or a streaming subscription? There is a meaningful distinction in that taxes are mandatory, but other than that I've always just considered taxes to be, essentially, paying for the government to work the same as you'd pay for your water. 

This is of course a massive simplification. There's much more nuance there; this has been a point of debate for as long as taxes have existed. I'm open to arguments on either side, and feel free to take this to PMs or tell me to shove off if you'd rather.