On your way to work you have to stop and put gas in your car. While filling your tank, you are paying an average of 35-45 cents in taxes on each gallon of gas you pump. That means for 10 gallons of gas, you are paying $3.50-4.50 in taxes. The Federal, State and City goverments all get a cut.
For lunch you decide to eat out. Enjoy the food; because along with your meal, you are paying a State and a City tax.
On your way home you decide to pick up a few things. Depending on where you live, you might be paying taxes on groceries. Non-food items are definitely taxed by both the state and city in which you live.
After dinner you decide to go see the latest blockbuster movie. When paying for your admission, you don't just pay a state tax, you are also paying a city "entertainment" tax (I love that one---taxing you for having fun!). Getting snacks at the theater? Again, food, plus State and City taxes attached.
On your way home, you have that snack attack come upon you, and only an ice cream cone will take it away. On top of whatever you pay for the icy treat, State and City taxes once again are a part of your bill.
Do you see where this is going? Aside from walking down the street, just about everything we do has some sort of tax attached to it. Don't believe me? Think about what you do on a typical day, and determine whether or not you are paying taxes all day long.
Have a pet? The county you're in probable requires a pet license (tax!). Want to go to your favorite state park? It most likely has a "Day Use Fee" (tax!) in order to enjoy the benefits of the park.
How about a trip to your favorite amusement park? You'll pay taxes on the cost of admission, taxes on any food you buy, and on any souvenirs you purchase.Oh yeah, you probably pay a parking fee (tax!) too!
When you buy a car you pay taxes on the car, and a tax for registering it with the State. Then, every year that you own that (or any other) car, you get to pay a licensing fee (tax!) to be able to continue driving around in a vehicle that you already paid taxes on. In the buisiness world, this is called double dipping--a practice in which you provide a product or service only to get a better version a year or so later and charge the same customers a larger sum (for the new product) than they paid a year ago. In the case of our car licensing fees (taxes!), this happens every year; literally for the rest of your life.
To me, the most mind-boggling tax of all is what happens after you die. The State and Federal governments both get a cut of whatever estate remains (the "Death Tax")--and it is a huge cut at that. Then, those who inherit the remainder of the estate usually have to pay taxes on that inheritance!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!
At some level, I think politicians secretly hope that no one will figure out that the taxes paid by the average American in a single year is staggering. Since they bear the tax burden of this country, I'd love to know how much the average middle-income American pays out in taxes (in whatever form) over the course of a year. I bet it would be in the area of around 50-60% of their income.
One of the catalysts for the colonies breaking away was Taxation Without Representation. In a way, our elected officials are doing the same to all of us by taxing literally everything we do. They hold quiet legislative meetings for 'public input,' then when few people actually show to speak out about the taxes, they pass the proposals on from one sub-committee to the next until it becomes law, and yet another unwanted tax is added to our daily financial burden.
I encourage all of you to write your political leaders and demand answers (as is our Constitutional right) as to the why's of the current US tax code, and ask, "When will it end?" Then, if they balk or refuse to answer, use the power of your right to vote, and elect a new person in his/her stead.
Nothing will ever be done if no voice ever rises above the madness of our tax system, and we call upon our leaders to stop burdening us with taxes that only further shackle the very financial legs that this country stands on. Remember, the future of our country is literally in the hands of its people. So what will you choose to do?
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