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jv103 on 25 March 2009
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mrstickball said:
Final-Fan said:
TheRealMafoo said:
Let me put this into perspective... I pay over 35% in taxes, and I work for a living (I am not rich).

That means if the government took there share first, I would have to work January, and give it all to them. Then work February, and give it all to them. Then work March, and give it all to them. Then work April, and give it all to them. After a few days in May, I can start keeping what I make.

If I was in the lower 30% income earners, I would start keeping what I make January 1.

Somehow, I think I do ok by the poor. Asking me to do more is a little crazy. 

I ... don't believe those nuimbers.

Exactly what don't you believe? That's exactly what American taxation is like.

I'll give you an example from my actual work stub:

Income Earned: $5,025

  • Federal Income Taxes: $598
  • Medicare: $70
  • Social Security: $301
  • State Income Taxes: $122

That's 21.7% + State Sales Tax (7.0% where I live, on all purchases) on whatever I buy, which equals out to about 28.7%. I make $30,000/yr on salary, so I am certainly in the lower section of taxation. In my case, every 4th paycheck goes to the government for FIT, Medicare, SS, and SIT alone. If you are on welfare, or the like, you keep your money, and do not get taxed on it.

Now, in my case:

  • I will never use medicare (I have private health insurance through my company)
  • I will never withdrawl from Social Security (virtually useless. Will put about 1/2 what is taken out in SS into a 401k or other investment and make far, far more)
  • I was never publically schooled. I was home schooled, and my education cost under $500/yr

Yet I pay for them. Crazy world with crazy taxes. I think that some of the people arguing on these forums about taxation have never paid taxes, and realized how their money gets spent. Americans constantly argue about minimum/living wages, but fail to realize that a large part of what could be living wages are taken out via taxation, and not due to minimum standards.

What is your effective tax rate after deductions and everything?

I like the idea of not being taxed for things you don't use. For example: I haven't had certain treatments for cancer, so any money that ends up going for research shouldn't be my tax dollars. I don't have kids, why pay taxes for local schools? I don't really care about being invaded so I don't want money going to arms services. I have a gun so I don't want police. I walk everywhere, so I don't need to pay for roads. < I like the idea of every individual selecting what they don't want to pay for because they personally won't need it. That's the kind of society I could get behind.  

I've paid taxes. I owed California 600 bucks a couple years ago, I guess they didn't take out enough (I paid taxes, am I now more qualified to debate something or have an opinion? Oh boy!)