Benjamin Franklin once said that nothing is certain but death and taxes. Today, he may have altered his famous quote to say that its certain that government is taxing people to death.American taxpayers will pay 1.2 trillion dollars in federal and social security taxes in 2008. They will pay $101.6 billion per month in personal income taxes and $65.6 billion per month in FICA taxes.
However, the total tax burden on Americans is far greater when state, local, sales, excise and property taxes and fees are considered. Since the Congress is bailing out bad mortgage loans, hedge fund ponzi schemes and the United Auto Workers, with American taxpayer dollars, how about a bailout of the actual American taxpayer?
A 2009 payroll tax holiday would be the best place to start but here are several tax initiatives that are such bad ideas that the American taxpayer needs an immediate bailout.
Can you believe that farms or ranches with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs may soon be required to pay an annual fee of about $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 for each hog?
The executive vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Ken Hamilton, estimated the fee would cost owners of a modest-sized cattle ranch $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
These new fee's are a tax on the gas emissions of farm animals. Its a tax apparently designed to reduce green house emissions and save the planet from global warming. It will result in bankruptcy for many farms and significantly raise the price of meat. Global climate change has more to do with the hot air of Washington politicians than with the gas of cows.
A loaf of bread needs a a bailout. The government imposes 30 different taxes on bread . They are federal income taxes, state income taxes, state and local property taxes, federal payroll taxes, sales taxes, capital gains taxes, unemployment compensation taxes, workmen’s compensation taxes, retailers’ excise taxes, business license taxes and fees, utility taxes, and state wheat farmer checkoff taxes. Enough is enough, government needs to give bread a break.
If you live in Alabama, North Carolina, or Nevada and possess illicit drugs, you should have already purchased a stamp that registers tax payments on those drugs. To pay the illegal drug tax, visit your Department of Revenue and pay a small fee for a stamp that is to be placed on the container of the drugs. The stamp serves as evidence that you paid your tax so after you get arrested for illegal drug possession, you won’t be fined an increased amount based on not paying your illegal drug tax. Whoever actually pays that tax has also been seen staring at frozen orange juice because it said concentrate.
Did you realize that every time you get on an airplane you are paying a $6.00 Immigration User Fee and a $2.00 Agricultural Inspection Fee, in addition to a $12.40 Arrival Tax, and a $12.40 Departure Tax? Its just amazing there is not a tax for a passenger's actual travel time in the air.
The amusement tax works like this: the government taxes the owners of places that offer “amusement” and in return those businesses pass those taxes on to us. You're not amused? I didn't think so. Paying taxes for amusement is certainly no fun.
Some areas of the country levy a 0.5 percent tax on all take-out food. Chicago and Washington, D.C. both have enacted a tax on fast food, purportedly to pay for the removal of litter often accrued with the purchase of burgers and dogs. This tax applies to everything take-out, from egg McMuffins to late night cheese steaks. Take-out of the tax code is the appropriate action for this strange idea.
New York Gov. Paterson, is very concerned with obesity. In fact, he is so concerned that he is considering taxes on non-diet soft drinks. If the tax passes, ice cream or anything containing sugar or fat could be taxed next. Fat chance that a hefty tax on non-diet soft drinks does anything to reduce obesity.
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