You know, when I lived in the other place, the one that some people decry as socialism or whatever, I could confirm my pay as you go taxes for the year in a few clicks on a free website. Anyway, many hours with TurboTax later, I’ve filed my 2025 return. Please clap.

I have never encountered more bizarre bureaucracy and egregious form filling than in these United States.

@ben My other half is a US citizen and, notwithstanding that we live, work and earn money in England, she's UK tax-resident and has already paid UK income tax, she has to file a US tax return every year. The entire process is so complicated, Kafka-esque and loaded with bear traps that we have to pay a specialist US ex-pat tax accountant to do it for her, at a cost of well over a grand every year.

"Land of the Free", my arse.