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I'm not going to get involved in the flame war with the tax-loving nuts, but I will post this thing as a rebuttal to the dismissal of the concerns about the taxation level in this country:

Below is a partial list of taxes American's pay. Reference: http://www.angelfire.com/az/nativebob/politicTAXES.html

* Income taxes, general taxes both federal & state: wages

* interest

* dividends

* capital gains

" Payroll withholding:

* Social Security Medicare

* State disability

* Unemployment Taxes collected at the register:

* State

* City

* County

* Liquor

* Tobacco

* Special taxing district

"Real Estate Taxes

"Gasoline taxes:

* (In Arizona these taxes are not revealed at the pump or on the printed receipt. This from the same government which insists food manufacturer's list every gram of fiber, carbohydrate, fat, calorie and insect fragment in everything they produce.) Federal excise

* State excise

* State sales tax

" Taxes, termed 'registration fees':

* Auto

* Boats

* Trailers

* Motor homes

* motorcycles

City/County taxes disguised as:

* fees

* permits

* licenses

State fees:

* Driver's license

* Various professional licenses

" Inheritance taxes:

* Federal

* State

Gift taxes:

* Federal

* State

Double taxation on dividends:

* Corporations pay taxes on all income prior to dividends being paid out and then taxes are paid on the dividends by the owner of the stock.

Hidden taxes:

* Within bank charges and insurance premiums

Miscellaneous taxes on:

* Airline tickets

* Hotel rooms

* Rental cars

A.P.S. Electric Utility taxes, surcharges & assessments: (Taken off of my Arizona Public Service statement dated 11/03/2003)

1. ACC mandated environmental surcharge

2. Regulatory assessment

3. Sales tax

Telephone taxes and surcharges:(Taken off of my Cox Communications bill of 10/17/2003)

1. Federal excise tax

2. State sales tax

3. County sales tax

4. E911 tax

5. Telecommunication Fund for the Deaf

6. State universal service fund

7. Local communications sales tax

8. Universal service fund fee

Miscellaneous Taxes Not Collected in Every State:

* Taxes on corporations

* Think about this, the more money a corporation spends on Social Security, unemployment taxes, income taxes, permits, fees, complying with government mandates, the more it must charge for its products or services and the less it can budget for payroll, benefits and dividends. Transfer tax stamps and recording fees on real estate transactions

* Import duties / Tariffs on foreign-made goods

* A recent Fortune Magazine article stated that import taxes on foreign made clothes alone add up to 66% of the retail price of a garment purchased in the United States! U.S. Customs taxes on items you bring into the country

* Township taxes

* State tax on your assets or capital (stock, bonds, savings)

* Taxes on water bill

* EPA fees, levies and duties on garbage collection and worn tire disposal

Calculate from the list above what you paid in taxes last year. Divide the total taxes you paid by your gross income (your income before taxes). Then multiply this number by 100 the result will be the percentage of your income you paid in taxes. You will have the shock of your life. Most American's labor 1,040 hours (which is equal to 26 weeks) every year just to pay the myriad of taxes that our governments burden us with.