It’s a brand new income tax year! Hooray! 

As seen in The Oakland Press

January 25th, 2026

It’s a brand new income tax year! Hooray!

by Ken Morris

This newspaper recently reported that a local resident plead guilty to identity theft and wire fraud charges. There were more than $500,000 in fraudulent unemployment claims. Meanwhile, in the national news, Minnesota officials investing fraud that might exceed $9 billion is an ongoing story.

Early in my career, I had an opportunity to hear the late Senator William Proxmire lecture on government waste. He was known for the Golden Fleece Award, which went to "the biggest, most ridiculous or ironic examples” of wasteful federal spending. Among the winners, awarded from 1975 to 1988, was a grant of more than $200,000 to teach college students how to watch television and $80,000 to study love.

Times have certainly changed since then. Finding government waste is no longer a novelty. It’s commonplace. Uncle Sam is practically throwing money away these days, and apparently with very little oversight. Even legitimate programs appear to have minimal safeguards to help minimize misuse of taxpayer funded programs.

I bring this up because we’re currently at the beginning of the annual income tax filing season. In 2023, 163 million individual tax returns were filed. But today, according to recent estimates, more than 60 percent of U.S. households pay no income tax because of various tax credits and deductions. In other words, the burden of funding the government rests on the shoulders of fewer than half of the population. Taxpayers who have skin in the game want their tax payments to be utilized judiciously.

For years, the battle cry has been for the wealthy to pay their fair share. Keep in mind that the top five percent of wage earners pay 60 percent of the total tax liability. You might argue that they should pay more. But an equal, or perhaps even stronger expectation, would be for Uncle Sam to be a much better steward of taxpayer dollars.

The income tax filing process is relatively easy for most people. But for some it’s a complex, time consuming process that requires professional assistance. Whatever your situation, do this before you file your records away. Make a mental note of how much you actually paid in federal and state taxes. Then ask yourself if you’re getting value or feeling as though you just tossed thousands of dollars out the window. Given Uncle Sam’s track record, I suspect I know how most must feel.

In today’s divided world, many view Uncle Sam as the ultimate problem solver. They think the government can create a level playing field for everyone. It just takes more money to do so. Others view Uncle Sam as the problem, with a consistently poor track record. Whatever your view, Uncle Sam needs to be responsible with taxpayers’ money.

Do you feel like someone is constantly trying to separate you from your money?  I receive multiple emails warning me that I need an extended warranty or that my bank account has been hacked. And then there’s the never ending snail mail, emails and calls from charitable organizations. At least most of them are legitimate.

We are just little fish in a big pond. Uncle Sam is an enormous fish, one that seems to be easy to reel in. Your hard earned tax dollars often end up in unthinkable places with little accountability. You have every right to be concerned.