Tax Brackets & Elevator Inspections
The Bracket System
Tax brackets divide income into floors, each taxed at an increasing rate. Like an elevator, you pass through each level sequentially. The first $11,000 is taxed at 10%, regardless of whether you earn $12,000 or $12 million.
Inspection Requirements
Elevator inspections occur annually in most jurisdictions. Inspectors check cables, brakes, safety mechanisms, and the emergency phone. A failed inspection can shut down the elevator entirely.
Tax audits occur less predictably. Auditors check documentation, deductions, claimed income, and mathematical accuracy. A failed audit can result in penalties, interest, and occasionally incarceration.
The Vertical Metaphor
Going Up
Higher income = higher bracket. Higher floor = longer ride. Both involve waiting.
Going Down
Deductions lower taxable income. Descending floors is faster. Gravity helps; tax code doesn't.
Stuck Between
Marginal rates apply only to income within each bracket. Express elevators skip floors.
Emergency Stop
Audit triggers freeze accounts. Elevator stops require manual reset. Both require professionals.
Select Your Bracket
Conclusion
Both tax brackets and elevator inspections exist to ensure orderly vertical movement through systems. One moves money up to the government; the other moves people up to their destinations. Both have emergency procedures. Both are required by law. Neither is optional if you want to participate in modern society.