Not your average tax bite

Today is Tax Freedom Day in America. The Tax Foundation says the average American at last has earned enough this year to pay his local, state and federal "be-thankful-I-don't-take-it-all" taxmen. Starting today, he's working for no one but himself. Until Jan. 1, when he becomes a government employee again, except without the oversized paycheck, pension and abormally low productivity expectations.

That said, the Connecticut taxpayer isn't your average American. No, his Tax Freedom Day is still 18 days off, two days after New Jersey and four days after New York. Connecticut is bringing up the taxpaying rear for the 13th consecutive year. You can thank Rep. Christopher Murphy, D-5th District, Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, and John Larson, D-1st District, for that, along with the other socialists in the congressional delegation.

That's not even the worst of it. The foundation said its calculations don't factor in the record federal debt, now $12.7 trillion and growing by $1 trillion a year. The gap between "what governments are spending and what they're collecting has never been as great as during 2009 and 2010. If Americans were required to pay for all government spending this year, including the $1.3 trillion federal budget deficit, they would be working until May 17 before they had earned enough to pay their taxes — an additional 38 days of work." That would push Connecticut's freedom day into June.

Connecticut's prospects are grimmer going forward. The Obama administration is plotting to let the Bush tax cuts on job-creators' incomes and capital gains, interest and dividends; has imposed a new tax on "unearned income" as part of the Obamacare railroad job; and is plotting further tax-law changes that The Heritage Foundation estimates would add $3 trillion to the nation's tax burden over the next decade, increase unemployment and stifle economic growth. Suffice it to say, these changes would sock Connecticut taxpayers the hardest. Yet their congressional delegation stands united in their intention to stick it to their constituents, good and hard.

Their constituents get a chance to return the favor Nov. 2 by making Election Day their real Freedom from Tax-and-Spenders Day.

Since this is a thread about taxes, I have a question. Yesterday, I saw our accountant to have our taxes done. I pay quarterly and we usually leave money in each year so that I really don’t have to pay each quarter and the refund each year is enough to simply roll it over.

In January, our accountant told me that we would be very close in April, and that the roll-over would be used up, but that I wouldn’t owe anything or get a refund. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I find out that we have a $3600 refund coming. A good surprise, but I was a bit miffed that we had that much money *sitting with the government*.

He explained to me that Obama did something wonderful with taxes and since my husband was willing to work, and I was willing to work, we get a big tax credit. There was a name for this tax credit, but I don’t remember what he said. And I don’t believe him that Obama did something for me to get a refund. Plus, we started having extra money taken out each pay because of the tax rebate checks and I assume it was simply way more than necessary (like $100 per pay).

So, what’s the real info on Obama’s tax break?

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