REALLY annoyed

I asked my parents back when we did our taxes why they still claimed me as a dependent. Apparently it gives them some tax benefits still.  On the flip side, it’s definitely a detriment to my taxes. I discovered today that it’s a HUGE detriment to my taxes – I’m not going to get the $600 rebate from the government.  So between the missing rebate and my 2007 taxes, there’s no net benefit anymore.  So it’s got me pretty irritated at the moment.

Someone want to explain this to me: We live in a time where it’s harder for students to obtain alternative student loans.  College tuition is rising.  General cost of living is rising.  It’s harder to get jobs for students leaving college.  Financially, it’s difficult for a new college grad to get on their feet.  Bearing that in mind, why in the world does it matter whether the college student is claimed as a dependent?  Being claimed as a dependent doesn’t change any of the above problems.   *sigh* It’s just one more thing on my list of things the federal government needs to fix…