Nom de Plume

Doing business in Seattle is a pain in the neck. First, you have to get a Washington State business license. Then you have to get a Seattle license. And although Washington doesn’t have income tax, there is a business and operating tax. It’s not huge, but even so, when I got all the forms last week, I had to laugh at the brochure that said, “We’re here for you!” Of course they are.

But it got me thinking about taxes in general. I pay my federal taxes quarterly, and there’s nothing that saddens me more than writing a check for 30% of my gross income. It’s not that I don’t believe in taxes or even that I think that we pay too much. No, what irritates me is the deductions that people get; they essentially reward a certain way of life. Buy a house, boom! Pop out the anklebiters, double boom! And then, of course, there are all the tax breaks for rich folks.

Personally, I think there needs to be a separate tax break for being female; being a woman is MUCH more expensive than being a man. It’s clear when you add up the non-negotiables (tampons, bras, annuals, and so forth) that there are things that men simply don’t need to pay for. And that’s not fair. Then there are the negotiables: makeup, smelly lotions and soaps, perfume, clothes. Sure, you don’t have to buy them — but society expects more on that front from women than it does from men. Plus, we get gouged on simple things like haircuts. Even cheap haircuts. If a man and woman get the same haircut, the woman will pay at least double — because it’s not getting your hair cut, it’s having your hair “styled.”

So here’s to a special “Are you female?” question on the 1040. Then you can add $2,500 to your standard deduction.