A CPA Says Most People Have No Idea How Taxes Really Work. ‘You Can Put Whatever You Want On Your Tax Return Until You Get Audited’

Talk to enough people about taxes and the same myths come up again and again. Write-offs are treated like free money. Tax brackets are feared. Refunds are seen as bonuses. And plenty of workers are convinced that earning more will somehow cost them in the end.

A Familiar Argument Inside The Firehouse

Those misunderstandings were on full display in a recent discussion on Reddit’s r/tax forum, sparked by a certified public accountant who also works as a firefighter and shared a moment that will sound familiar to many accountants.

During a training class, one of his captains confidently told the room that firefighters could write off razors, shaving cream, gym equipment, and even food eaten while on shift because it was “required for work.” 

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When the CPA pushed back, the captain doubled down, insisting his “tax guy” had been doing it for years.  “You can put whatever you want on your tax return until you get audited,” he told the captain.

That line quickly drew a response from hundreds of tax professionals, preparers, and regular taxpayers, who piled into the comments with stories that revealed just how misunderstood taxes are, especially when it comes to write-offs.

The Myth Of The Magical Write-Off

The most common misunderstanding, by far, was the idea that a write-off is the same thing as free money. Many people believe that if they spend $1,000 on something and “write it off,” the government gives them $1,000 back. 

“The number of people who think ‘write off’ means ‘the government reimburses me’ never stops surprising me,” one CPA said. “That misunderstanding alone explains a lot of bad tax decisions.”

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