February 2nd, 2006
IRS Computers Can’t Handle Gates’ Taxes
By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
Think you have trouble with your taxes? Well, I’m not going to feel sorry for the richest man in the world, but apparently his tax return is so complex that it requires a special computer, and because of that, if the info gets on the wrong computer, he erroneously gets notices of non-payment.
“Their normal computers can’t deal with the numbers,” he (Gates) said of the hapless taxmen. “So I am constantly getting these notices telling me I haven’t paid something, when really it is just on the wrong computer.”
According to an IRS spokeman, the agency’s main computers do not use the Windows operating system. IBM designed the original processing system for the IRS in the 1960s, which was largely tape and disk driven. Believe it or not the same system is used today, processing the bulk of America’s tax returns including, presumably at one time at least, that of Gates. Source: Forbes
We Say: Perhaps it’s time for a hardware and software upgrade? I wonder if Ellison gets his own computer, and if not, if he’s jealous of that as well?
mynewsbot says:
Bill makes too much money .. thats why
February 2nd, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Mumblix Grumph says:
Bill’s a Leftie, so this shouldn’t be too hard. Just have him add up his income and fill out a 1040.
What? DEDUCTIONS!? Bill, you’re a big fan of big government, why should you be trying to get out of paying tax?
I’m sure all of Hollywood’s big-mouth leftists don’t try to weasel out paying as much tax as possible, right?
February 2nd, 2006 at 10:12 pm
Dick Long says:
Mumblix, where did that come from? Who said Gates is politically left? He wants to do away with the Estate Tax, which is every Republican’s wet dream.
February 3rd, 2006 at 4:46 am
Guile says:
why ya got to hate on him, he makes this much because it worked for it, he starting in a garage, today he owns the biggest software manufacturing corp. in the world, i dont think his avoiding taxes i think his just treing to pay them fiarly, am pretty sure noone would like to receive the same bill twice a month for every month, so for all ya haters drop it he got what he worked for so show some love.
February 3rd, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Dwight Giese says:
He worked for it? Odd, I tend to rile against a person that charges me over $200 for a 50 cent disk. I tend to rile against renting a product that I can’t ever own. Yes I know that I don’t have to buy (read rent) XP but in order to compete in this day and age I have to pay dear old Bill “protection”. Heck Bill is the main reason I tend to like the idea of a flat tax, that way he would pay his fair share , but then also so would I.
February 4th, 2006 at 3:05 am
Danno says:
Flat Tax? heck no, Fair TAX baby!
February 5th, 2006 at 10:08 am
GiveMeABreak says:
So let me get this straight… if any of the *complainers* here happen to hit it big (i.e. become successful in business for whatever reason, win the PowerBall several times, be the only heir from Grandma’s early investment in IBM, etc.), they would be any different than Mr. Gates in trying to minimize their tax?
Puulllleeeaaazzzz… I-do-not-like-you-because-you-appear-to-make-more-money-than-me isn’t the topic here. Sticking to the original article:
- the IRS computing systems appear to be out of date
- flat tax may be a good idea, considering that US tax codes are complex (e.g. for every tax code, there is at least one loophole, which means a future tax code, which means another loophole, etc.)
- Not all notes from the IRS are audits
February 5th, 2006 at 12:18 pm
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July 20th, 2006 at 3:32 am