Why do friends (and some lovers) not show their tax returns to each other?

It’s rude!
“Hey, I have more money than you do!”
“Hey, you have more money than I do! Give me some!”

Why would you?

@filmfann What’s rude about having more money than your friend or lover?

@syz If you’re close to someone, why would you keep this information private from them if you share everything else?

Um, cuz it’s private info.

And uh, cuz it’s known as bad ettiquette, too.

Do you go around asking peeps how much they make & what they paid for the outfit they’re wearing?

Why would I show friends my tax return? I know I’ve shared the amount I’ve gotten back with close friends but it’s not usually something I just tell anyone.

It’s nobody’s business what I make – same reason I don’t flash my friends. ;)

I do flash my husband, though, and it also turns out that he’s the only one I share my income numbers with. Neat, eh?

In both cases, he’s the only person with a legitimate reason to be interested in my money – or my breasts.

@SpatzieLover Why is that, though? Isn’t it because taxes and earnings are the most intimate information we can share with someone because we value money and compete over it so much?

@laureth You demand a legitimate reason for someone to be interested in your breasts? What if someone is interested for no particular reason at all except perhaps that there’s nothing on TV at that moment?

They may be interested in my breasts, but I am not interested in them, so no deal. Similarly, I can’t think of any good reason for them to be interested in the cup size of my tax return, either. Nothing good can come of it, but plenty of bad.

@BenByTheWay I don’t work out of the home while I raise my son. I can’t imagine why anyone would need/want to know what my husband makes, though, nor can I imagine sharing my salary info while I was working.

Because true intimacy is scary for some people and in the greater picture we live in an imbalanced society which demands secrecy. And this is damaging for the collective overall. If we all knew this information some would feel surprised, ashamed, angry, hurt and the inequity of our system would be apparent to all.

I don’t really want to see my friends’ tax returns. I don’t care how much money they make and I don’t care how much check they got back.

If they tell me they’re broke, I’ll feel sorry for them and try to suggest only cheap outings, if they tell me they got a raise I’ll be happy for them and suggest a celebration. That’s about as far as it goes. Why would I care about the numbers?

@SeventhSense Wow. Great answer. I hope everyone reads that and thinks about it.

I can’t stand questions that are thinly veiled attempts to spout the OPs own opinions.

@La_chica_gomela Me neither

@La_chica_gomela Lurve!

@BenByTheWay Flag ‘em & Forget ‘em That’s what I say to this brand of questioning

@BenByTheWay: Guess that makes you a hypocrite, buddy
takes @spatzielover’s advice

^Or someone with a sense of humor^

Because people get worked up over money, and so you can’t win. If you make more than someone else, there’s a chance they’ll envy you or resent you; if you make less than someone else, there’s a chance that they’ll pity you or try to help you out. Most of the time, it’s information that people just don’t need to know.

My wife and I file a joint return, but we still don’t look at each other’s taxes!

Regardless of the motivation of the questioner. I just adore you holier than thou well meaning helpful folks the basis of a transparent society can only foster a more fair and equitable society over time. Isn’t it outrageous that we bailed out billion dollar corporations and they tried to cover insane bonuses and scoffed at our outrage recently? Thank God we can be privy to information.
@daloon
I find that funny. Here you have two people that share the most intimate parts of themselves with each other but money is secret? To me that would indicate a lack of trust

And this I think is the heart of the issue. As a society we do not trust each other but further openness can only foster trust.

@SeventhSense It’s a joke! It is impossible not to share financial information if you file a joint return;-) I have such a good deadpan delivery, don’t I?

Doh! my bad