hacked tax forms

“There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes”

Benjamin Franklin

Some insights from hacking tax-forms

Back in 2003

I feel powerless, anonymous – I’m lost in a crowd

I’m feeling really disconnected - Government feels far away

There’s gotta be a way out of this…Let’s hack something together

Tax Choice

Hmm,let’s give mesome money to spend on

taxes!

Tax Report

And nowthose govpeople

better tell mewhere theyspent my

That was all back in 2003, what does it mean to me now?

Maybe back then I just needed to get more involved with people

With that behind me and many new friends what can we learn from forms?

Here’s how I think tax choice and tax report can help out being a citizen

Transparency: It shows where individual tax contributions go.

It starts a conversation: “tax-choice” engages people. Where did you spend yours?

Simplicity: Show what numbers mean

Learn: Provides social glue to inform people about running gov. projects

lifesizedATgmail.comwww.lifesized.net

James Burke

Thanks!

Technology