Taxes Suck!

Taxes Suck – And Here’s Why (With Some Common Sense!)

Hey everyone, Steve and Brett here from Common Sense Ohio! We just wrapped up one heck of an episode called “Taxes Suck”, and wow, did we hit the ground running. With fall rolling in, deadlines looming, and Glenn Harper from Harper + Accounting at our roundtable, we decided there’s no better time to talk about why taxes really do suck—and what you can actually do about it.

First, a quick shoutout to Glenn, who dropped a bunch of knowledge bombs about the realities of tax planning for both regular folks and small business owners. People love to complain about taxes—heck, we do too—but most don’t realize just how much the tax code shapes our lives and decisions. Glenn broke it down: taxes aren’t just about government revenue; they’re also about incentivizing or disincentivizing behaviors. Ever wonder why you get a break for buying a house or investing in your business? That’s the government nudging you in their preferred direction.

One of the biggest takeaways? Most of us think we pay too much, and that “someone richer” isn’t paying enough. But if you really knew how much of every dollar you make winds up in Uncle Sam’s pocket, you’d be floored. (Pro tip: set aside half of what you make if you’re self-employed—you’ll thank us later!)

And what about those big, bad corporations? Glenn clued us in on how they use every legal method in the book to pay as little as possible, sometimes hopping their profits overseas. But the reality is, as the rules get stiffer, most will always find loopholes. The little guy—the small business owner—takes the brunt and feels every pinch.

We dug into tariffs, tax policy changes, and how the uncertainty around taxes can freeze businesses in their tracks. Unpredictability makes it hard to hire, invest, or even plan next year’s vacation.

Our bottom line—get yourself a good accountant, know the rules, and don’t pay a penny more than you owe. And keep those comments coming! We’re always here to tackle the issues, straight from the middle, right here in Ohio.