100% of my exorbitant income tax is deducted at source. I can’t opt out unless I quit, find someone who will pay me in cash or bitcoin under the table (non existent for the income level I’m at), or cultivate a service based business over time and simply don’t file, and roll the dice. And when I die, it’d just come out of my estate, further burdening my heirs. Here, if an employee doesn’t pay as a deduction at source and doesn’t file and remit, they just garishee future wages or take it out of your bank or the employer is on the hook for it. Essentially making every employer an agent for the state. I asked our HR if I could administer my own income tax and just set that money aside for manual payment each year at tax time, and they couldn’t do it even if they want to. The payroll provider’s software won’t even permit it if you are considered an employee rather than a contractor. There’s an exemption request form you can fill out, but the approvable reasons for exemption are few. It’s  all a trap.