Paying high taxes and loving it

Oak Lawn (IL) Reporter ^ | 4/15/04 | Michael M. Bates

[Mike Bates]

Difficult to believe. I could accept it for any single one alone, but not all three combined.

I've seen this fact cited quite a few times, including Cato http://www.cato.org/dailys/5-12-98.html and Americans for Tax Reform http://www.atr.org/talkingpoints/110101taxfacts.html

[looscnnn]

If only they would get off their duffs and get things rolling on the bills. The sooner they start on it, the sooner we can start to swamp our members to get them passed.

[ancient_geezer]

From what little information I have been able to gather together, the plan is to build up Congressional & grassroots support the remainder of this year and go into a full court press in the next session of Congress.

That was pretty much confirmed by DeLay in statements he made regards the NRST the end of last month.

[FeliciaCat]

"It’s difficult at times to believe that opposition to taxes was a principal reason for American discontent with England during our colonial experience. The Stamp Act and the Townshend Act, which raised taxes on a variety of items, including a three-pence per pound tax on tea, fanned the flames of rebellion."

Isnt that the TRUTH! Why did we even bother getting rid of crazy George? I would happily pay a 3 cent tax on tea now...what a deal. (I'm kidding...)

[looscnnn]

I had not heard anything and was starting to worry that they are just token bills, created to get people excited and help them get re-elected but that is all.

[ECM]

Imagine if, instead of that, people had to write a check to IRS every April for thousands of dollars. Their tax burden would be more painfully obvious.

Speaking as someone that lives the freelance life, this is much more than a thought experiment for me =(

[Mike Bates]

Don't feel lonely. I also have income that's not subject to withholding, so I'll be doing the same sometime Thursday night.

[Mike Bates]

The tax would have probably been more if it were decaf green tea.

[Taxman]

Excellent article, Mike.

Where is the RAGE?

[Erik Latranyi]

FYI - My wife and I paid over $24,000 in Federal Income Taxes alone. We still must cut a check for nearly $2500.

It's a disgrace!!!!!

[Mike Bates]

Thanks, Taxman. I wish I knew where the rage is. Maybe everyone is so wrapped up in American Idol and The Apprentice, not to mention Paris H, they just don't have time to think about more weighty matters.

[goldstategop]

Yep... on my airfare ticket - I pay $40 worth of taxes. If they didn't exist, I could fly for a lot less. Ask yourself if you had to write a check to the IRS, instead of having it withheld from your paycheck, if it would be worth the cost. People would be up in arms if they learned what their true tax burden was. We don't know how much we owe but we can't shake the feeling we are overtaxed. And liberals solution? We need to ante up still more!

[Mike Bates]

And liberals solution? We need to ante up still more!

And we know why. All together now: It's. . .for the children.

[Taxman]

Sounds like there is some RAGE in your house, Erik!

You, Mike and any other FReeper who is OUTRAGED that the US has a Marxist progressive income tax system are cordially invited to join with us to replace the income tax with a National Retail Sales Tax and abolish the IRS.

Here are your links: http://www.fairtax.org; http://www.salestax.org; and http://www.cats.org.

[Taxman]

I have been in this battle since April 17, 1991. And I cannot answer the question any better than you just did.

We have not yet reached the tipping point, but every day we get just a little bit closer.

Eagles Up!

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Well, I think of myself as probably a bit above typical in income. I pay $14,000 for housing, $8000 for food, and less than $1000 for clothing per year. If I paid $23,000 or more in taxes, I'd be broke. As it is, my total direct income/phone/property/sales/gas/social-security taxes are around $16,000 (which I still think is far too high, although President Bush gets credit for lowering that by nearly $3000 in my case). Its difficult to imagine that a typical American family, earning a few tens of thousands less than me, is going to pay more in taxes, or drastically less in the expenses listed above. I would estimate a family of four @$50,000 per year is paying $13,000 or less in taxes. Even with say a $500 per month mortgage, they are still paying $10,000 per year just for housing+utilities. And I think most people spend more on clothing than I do.

[TheMightyQuinn]

It's easy enough to run the numbers:

Without getting too specific, i can say that I pay OVER TWICE as much in taxes than I do for food, clothing, and shelter combined.

This does not account for state sales tax, car tax, or any embedded taxes.

[Not a 60s Hippy]

Please remove me from the tax bump list.
Thank you. Not a 60s Hippy

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Without getting too specific, i can say that I pay OVER TWICE as much in taxes than I do for food, clothing, and shelter combined.

Without a doubt, given current tax law, I can assure myself that either (a) your income is extremely high, or (b) your mortagage is paid off, or very minimal in payment size from being old. Most Americans do not fall into either situation. Without getting too specific, you totally fail to address the assertion concerning average Americans.

[scott7278]

I believe withholding federal and SS taxes to be the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American public. I naturally adjusted to what was written on my paycheck when I worked as an employee of a company, and as long as I wasn't having to write a check to the government, I really didn't notice all that much.

I about fell over (literally) when I got my tax forms back from my CPA for this year. I found that I owe over $3,000 in self-employment taxes alone because I moved from being an employee of a company to being self-employed. I didn't think anything about a self-employment tax.

I notice taxes now, believe me, and it's far worse than a tax on tea. Imagine if everyone had the same shock -- there might be some change.