“The tax code is a mess, no, make that a nightmare,” says Tom Herman. The long-time tax expert is stepping down after over 40 years at the Wall Street Journal.Our own tax expert, Raife Neuman, says that although Herman’s message may be a no-brainer for any of us who have tried to navigate the labyrinth of the U.S. tax code, it’s an important reminder of the deep problems in tax law.

Already beset by demons of my deteriorating mental and cardiac capacity, the idea that the capital gains tax was already 5% and I hadn’t even noticed had me in a panic! What else wasn’t I aware of? I shuddered to think!