#Income Tax

Income tax is the ritual of severing a slice from one's earnings apple and casting it into the invisible basket of public coffers. Under the banner of civic duty, collectors blind both the dutiful and the reluctant to the reality of inequity. Many pretend not to notice the lurking numbers that creep into their pay stubs. Wise folk are beguiled by the illusion of public services, while fools cheer at the meager crumb of a tax refund. In this tragicomic play of endless collection and reimbursement, every citizen is a reluctant actor on the national stage.

A yearly ritual in which individuals confess their earnings and expenses to the state, baring their wallets to faceless bureaucrats. Wandering through a labyrinth of absurdly complex forms and instructions, one chases the mirage called “deductions” while vitality drains away. As the deadline looms, anxiety and guilt intensify, and awaiting the final tax bill feels akin to a criminal awaiting judgment. Despite repeating the same ordeal annually, citizens can’t help but partake in this humble fusion of self-loathing and public service.