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Americans hate taxes more than cleaning public toilets
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They also dislike the task more than changing diapers, cooking Thanksgiving dinner for their in-laws, and a host of other unpleasant things. - photo by Sam Turner
For 60 years, the deadline for income tax returns has fallen in the middle of April. Yet this year, as usual, many Americans will put off filing their taxes until the last possible minute.

It may be because they are "chronic procrastinators," as psychology professor Joe Ferrari told NPR. Or it may because Americans feel the same way about taxes as they do about dirty bathrooms and broken limbs.

A new survey by WalletHub shows just how far Americans are willing to go to avoid doing their taxes.

Those surveyed said they would do the following in exchange for never having to do taxes again:

  • Get an IRS tattoo (27 percent)
  • Move to a different country (16 percent)
  • Clean Chipotle toilets for three years (11 percent)
  • Stop talking for six months (10 percent)
  • Name their firstborn child Taxes (8 percent)
  • Spend a year in prison (4 percent)
It's no secret Americans don't like taxes, but when their distaste outweighs serving prison time, you have to wonder: Why do Americans hate taxes so much?

Survey data from Pew Research Center suggest that what bothers people most about the tax system isn't how much they are paying, but how little others are paying.

According to the survey, only 53 percent of people are bothered by the amount of federal income taxes they pay still a sizable number, but less than expected considering it's taxes we're talking about.

On the other hand, 82 percent of people said they were bothered by the idea that corporations aren't paying their fair share of taxes. And 79 percent thought that rich people don't pay enough taxes either.

This rhetoric of the inequality and unfairness of America's top earners may sound familiar if you have been following the U.S. Democratic primary election.

University of California, Berkeley, history professor Robin Einhorn writes that "no campaign promise works better than the promise to cut taxes," and that statement may have rung true in the past. Now, however, constituents don't want to pay lower taxes they want the rich to pay more.

This may explain why Bernie Sanders' presidential bid against Wall Street and the 1 percent has been so successful.

According to WalletHub, Sanders has the most popular taxation plan. Admittedly, 34 percent of respondents said they had "no idea" which candidate had the most favorable tax plan, but coming in second was Bernie Sanders with 26 percent of respondents.

But Americans dont just hate the idea of the richest people in America not paying enough taxes. They also hate the process of tax preparation. According to WalletHub, Americans would rather do the following than prepare their taxes:

  • Laundry (77 percent)
  • Cook Thanksgiving dinner for their in-laws (47 percent)
  • Change a babys diaper (43 percent)
  • Talk to their kids about sex (35 percent)
  • Fold 100 fitted sheets (32 percent)
  • Miss a connecting flight (23 percent)
  • Spend the night in jail (13 percent)
  • Break their arm (8 percent)
The Sisyphean task of folding fitted sheets alone is enough to illustrate the loathing Americans have for the process of preparing taxes. Part of the reason is that Americans see tax preparation as too complex.

According to Pew, 72 percent of people are bothered by the complexity of the tax system. This number goes up among higher income earners, often because their income and deductions are more complex.

Conveniently, it's often more feasible for higher income earners to hire someone else to prepare their taxes. But there are those who are suspicious of accountants.

According to WalletHub, 20 percent of respondents think tax preparation services are overpriced and 5 percent believe they are a scam.

Additionally, 36 percent said that their biggest tax-day fear was making a mistake. The chances of making a mistake, however, increase the longer you procrastinate doing your taxes, even if you do pay a professional.

"If you give it to your tax pro at the last minute," MSN Money columnist Liz Weston told NPR, "that increases the chances that he or she will make a mistake. So, you know, a little bit of lead time is a really good thing."
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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