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Taxes bite harder than a pit bull
Contra Costa Times ^ | 4.12.04 | STEVE BUTLER: RETIREMENT PLANNER

Posted on 04/12/2004 3:07:26 PM PDT by ambrose

Posted on Mon, Apr. 12, 2004

STEVE BUTLER: RETIREMENT PLANNER

Taxes bite harder than a pit bull

My son, who plans to become a veterinarian, went to Turbo Tax and prepared his 2003 tax return. He worked last year as an entry-level "tech" at two veterinary clinics. Part of the year, he had lived and worked in New York City, but more recently, he has taken a job here in the Bay Area.

In New York, he was bitten twice by pit bulls and sent to the hospital. He went to the hospital again after having been badly scratched by a huge male cat named "Ricky." The most painful "mauling" of the job, however, was his realization that his entry-level income was taxed a combined total of more than $3,000.

How can this be? Where are those tax cuts we keep hearing about? How can someone at his first real job out of college be taxed at a rate of more than 20 percent?

(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 04/12/2004 3:07:27 PM PDT by ambrose
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To: Shermy; martin_fierro; MineralMan; EggsAckley
ping.
2 posted on 04/12/2004 3:09:04 PM PDT by ambrose ("I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it" - John F. al-Query)
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To: ambrose
That 20% includes NY and NYC taxes. All of it is absurdly high.
3 posted on 04/12/2004 3:09:11 PM PDT by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestus globus, inflammare animos)
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To: ambrose
I'd give my left arm to be taxed at only 20%!

In NY all of the municipalities and school districts are going broke. Taxes are at an all time high. We can not continue to provide the level of social services we currently provide. The system is about to implode.
4 posted on 04/12/2004 3:18:29 PM PDT by JBBooks
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To: ambrose
Another tidbit from the article....

"The most painful "mauling" of the job, however, was his realization that his entry-level income was taxed a combined total of more than $3,000.

How can this be? Where are those tax cuts we keep hearing about? How can someone at his first real job out of college be taxed at a rate of more than 20 percent?

Social Security and Medicare amount to 15.6 percent, including both my son and his employer's portions. This alone amounts to $2,652. The federal tax was $700, California and New York state taxes were another several hundred, and the city of New York weighed in with an $18 levy.

What Warren Buffett said was true. Buffett's receptionist at Berkshire Hathaway paid a higher percentage of income in taxes than he did. Somehow, it just doesn't seem right.

What is NOT said in this "piece" is that everyone who wants to MOVES UP the CAPITAL ladder....I'll bet Warren Buffet's receptionist is young and maybe without a husband....there's more to her story AND more to his guy's son's story too, like why did he pick two of the MOST expensive places in the world to live?

5 posted on 04/12/2004 3:19:07 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Tagging you.....)
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To: ambrose
In the end, we'll be confronting "the law of unintended consequences." In a parallel example, the federal government has calculated that at least 1,047 life issues and laws are impacted in some way by legalizing same-sex marriage. Given that surprising statistic, what do we think the total impact might be as we shift the tax burden away from taxing capital and toward taxing salaries?

The net effect of this dramatic change is anyone's guess, but unlike same-sex marriage, this tilt in the playing field will affect all of us.


Lefty.
6 posted on 04/12/2004 3:25:17 PM PDT by mlmr (Honest officer, I wasn't speeding. This SUV is a low-flying rocket!)
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To: JBBooks
We can not continue to provide the level of social services we currently provide. The system is about to implode.

The reality is you're paying for a much higher level of service than what you're getting. I imagine for your level of taxes, you should get your own personal bureaucrat.

7 posted on 04/12/2004 3:50:55 PM PDT by Moonman62
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To: mlmr
In a parallel example, the federal government has calculated that at least 1,047 life issues and laws are impacted in some way by legalizing same-sex marriage.

That sounds like a lot of job security for lawyers and politicians, which is the real reason the Left is promoting the issue.

8 posted on 04/12/2004 3:52:40 PM PDT by Moonman62
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To: goodnesswins
Social Security and Medicare amount to 15.6 percent, including both my son and his employer's portions. This alone amounts to $2,652.

In reality that's no different than income taxes. It all goes into the same slush fund.

9 posted on 04/12/2004 3:54:59 PM PDT by Moonman62
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