A Letter To The IRS

Dear IRS,

For the first time I am filing taxes with a 17-year-old dependant.

As I was working on my taxes, I discovered that I can only receive the child tax credit for my dependants who were under 17 as of December 31, 2007.

As I was researching the details of the Economic Stimulus/Tax Rebate Plan, I discovered that I only receive the $300 rebate for dependants who were under 17 as of December 31, 2007.

What idiot made these rules? What’s the reasoning behind them?

Do you realize that in every single state of the US, a 17-year-old (unless they’ve been emancipated in some manner) is a minor and their parents are legally responsible for providing for them? Do you think it costs any less to provide for a 17-year-old than it does to provide for a 16-year-old, a 15-year-old, etc? It does not.

Common sense (which frankly, seems to be in short supply in Washington) dictates that you need to change these rules.

Signed,
A very unhappy taxpayer