Bureacracy Flowchart Reflection

The bureaucratic task that my partner, Christine Walden, and I researched and flowchart-ed was filing for income tax. In the interest of keeping it simple and clean, we decided to focus on first time income tax filers (under 65 years of age, non-home owner, etc).

We began by narrowing down our subject. We decided on making a guide for first time income tax filers because, quite simply, they are the ones who need the most help. We downloaded the forms, and using the W2 of a generous donor, we completed them. We then created, edited, and submitted the flow chart. 

The paperwork that we needed to fill out was relatively short but tedious. We first made the mistake of printing the forms and the directions, after which we were left with 50 some pages to deal with. I personally mis-marked two forms before realizing that it would be easier to complete it digitally. After matching the correct directions to each sheet, it was pretty easy to enter the numbers and do the addition.

I think the most difficult part of the process was locating the correct paperwork and directions. The forms are labeled in a way that makes it difficult to find the one meant for your situation. If I could change it, I would make the online linking to the forms more user friendly.

The system was, at first, very simple, I'm sure. However, with the development of technology, government, culture, and economics, the process became appropriately tangled. It had to do with the country changing more quickly than the process could, so the powers that be settled for reformatory rather than flat out change.