Shocking; We spend more on taxes than food, housing and clothing combined (suspect, Obama)

[greywar]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

People pay more than income taxes.

Often the taxes are hidden in the price of the products or paid for by your employer which is part of your compensation package as an example.

The only reason people are not walking the streets with pitch forks is the government does a good enough job hiding how much they take from the average working american.

And those taxes don't just disappear. Its not like the govt just pours it into a giant pool that elected officials swim in.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by greywar

And those taxes don't just disappear. Its not like the govt just pours it into a giant pool that elected officials swim in.

They might as well. Have you ever read a spending bill for over a trillion dollars? Their are probably 5 people in the entire country that knows where all the spending is actually going a fle they are probably idiot savants who latch onto government documents.

[Goinback2011]

Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber

They are currently very low. Average effective tax rate (17.4%) is lowest in 30 years, which includes Reagan years.

"The average rate paid by all households for all federal taxes combined — including income taxes, payroll taxes, excise taxes (on such things as gasoline, tobacco and alcoholic beverages) and individuals’ share of corporate income taxes"

Leches pay no federalincome taxes and use the tax system as a welfare program.

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by greywar

And those taxes don't just disappear.

No, they go overwhelmingly to artificially support the increasing numbers of people who take much more than they contribute. It's unsustainable, and there WILL be a tipping point.

1) Those who receive public assistance have a birth rate 3 times higher than those who don't. Stats and citations, here:
//www.city-data.com/forum/32045595-post217.html

2) Nearly half of all U.S. births are paid for by Medicaid (medical care public assistance program for the poor).
Medicaid Pays For Nearly Half of All Births in the United States | publichealth.gwu.edu

3) 70% of those who are born into poverty never even make it to the middle class.
Only 30% of those born poor ever make it to the middle class

What's the plan for paying to support the exponentially growing perpetually needy class? Hmmm?

[T0103E]

Originally Posted by greywar

If there was a sign that said "enter here to be mugged"...and they were mugged, knowing full well that was actually going to happen.....well...yes. yes I would.

I entered the country when I wasn't even able to understand that I existed, much less that I was going to be mugged. I came to realize I was being mugged despite all the propaganda telling me otherwise and now I'm standing up for myself and others.

Sure. Taxation is not theft, you have the option of leaving and giving up your citizenship if you do not wish to be part of this great country.

Really your complaint is that the US, like every other darn civilized place, needs money to survive.... You don't want to contribute, you just want all the benefits for free. Your false analogy is still false. The government provides real benefits, the mafia doesn't.

If the US just printed up the money, and we ate it through inflation instead of taxation, would you be happier?

You're either ignoring parts of my post on purpose, or you're misunderstanding. I don't have the option to be free of the state, so saying I can leave or else I consent is not correct. That was the purpose of the mafia analogy. There is no stateless society (there will be eventually, but not right now), so anywhere I go I'm going to be stolen from or in hiding so I don't get stolen from. Even if the mafia provided legitimate services, they'd still be stealing from me if I didn't want them taking my money.

The second paragraph is just...I don't even know what to say. I was pretty clear about that already. I don't want things for free. I want to pay for things that I want and not be forced to pay for things I don't want or am morally opposed to. I'm also not even arguing HOW society would function without theft, I'm simply saying that it IS theft. Saying that it's a necessary evil, which I don't even agree with, is trying to move our focus from the fact that it is still evil.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

The bottom 50% AGI earners paid an average of 3.13% in federal taxes.

The top 50% AGI earners paid an average of 13.8% in federal taxes.

Most people pay substantially higher percentage of their earned income for housing and food.

You left out dozens of other taxes. How convenient.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber

Average effective rate is 17.4% which is the lowest in 30 years. Some will always ague taxes are too high, and everyone is welcome to that opinion. I don't mind cutting services in order to cut taxes, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Even the GOP is already talking about increasing spending.

Source for your 17.4% stat? You know it's a lie.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by greywar

Lets look deeper and do a sniff test.

the 2013 survey on expenditures, shows that the three listed expenditures represent 49.6% of our take home income. For taxes to be higher that must mean that our average tax burden is 49.6%-or more. Wow...thats...amazing! I know mine isn't that high....in fact...I don't know anyone whose is.

http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann13.pdf

yeah the link from the OP? It fails the smell test.

Your post fails the smell test. The OP said nothing about take home pay.

And just because YOU don't spend more on taxes doesn't mean America doesn't. Please quote facts to dispute the OP, not anecdotes.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

The bottom 50% AGI earners paid an average of 3.13% in federal taxes.

The top 50% AGI earners paid an average of 13.8% in federal taxes.

Most people pay substantially higher percentage of their earned income for housing and food.

Just so you know;

#1 Air Transportation Taxes (just look at how much you were charged the last time you flew)

#2 Biodiesel Fuel Taxes

#3 Building Permit Taxes

#4 Business Registration Fees

#5 Capital Gains Taxes

#6 Cigarette Taxes

#7 Court Fines (indirect taxes)

#8 Disposal Fees

#9 Dog License Taxes

#10 Drivers License Fees (another form of taxation)

#11 Employer Health Insurance Mandate Tax

#12 Employer Medicare Taxes

#13 Employer Social Security Taxes

#14 Environmental Fees

#15 Estate Taxes

#16 Excise Taxes On Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans

#17 Federal Corporate Taxes

#18 Federal Income Taxes

#19 Federal Unemployment Taxes

#20 Fishing License Taxes

#21 Flush Taxes (yes, this actually exists in some areas)

#22 Food And Beverage License Fees

#23 Franchise Business Taxes

#24 Garbage Taxes

#25 Gasoline Taxes

#26 Gift Taxes

#27 Gun Ownership Permits

#28 Hazardous Material Disposal Fees

#29 Highway Access Fees

#30 Hotel Taxes (these are becoming quite large in some areas)

#31 Hunting License Taxes

#32 Import Taxes

#33 Individual Health Insurance Mandate Taxes

#34 Inheritance Taxes

#35 Insect Control Hazardous Materials Licenses

#36 Inspection Fees

#37 Insurance Premium Taxes

#38 Interstate User Diesel Fuel Taxes

#39 Inventory Taxes

#40 IRA Early Withdrawal Taxes

#41 IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)

#42 IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

#43 Library Taxes

#44 License Plate Fees

#45 Liquor Taxes

#46 Local Corporate Taxes

#47 Local Income Taxes

#48 Local School Taxes

#49 Local Unemployment Taxes

#50 Luxury Taxes

#51 Marriage License Taxes

#52 Medicare Taxes

#53 Medicare Tax Surcharge On High Earning Americans Under Obamacare

#54 Obamacare Individual Mandate Excise Tax (if you don’t buy “qualifying” health insurance under Obamacare you will have to pay an additional tax)

#55 Obamacare Surtax On Investment Income (a new 3.8% surtax on investment income)

#56 Parking Meters

#57 Passport Fees

#58 Professional Licenses And Fees (another form of taxation)

#59 Property Taxes

#60 Real Estate Taxes

#61 Recreational Vehicle Taxes

#62 Registration Fees For New Businesses

#63 Toll Booth Taxes

#64 Sales Taxes

#65 Self-Employment Taxes

#66 Sewer & Water Taxes

#67 School Taxes

#68 Septic Permit Taxes

#69 Service Charge Taxes

#70 Social Security Taxes

#71 Special Assessments For Road Repairs Or Construction

#72 Sports Stadium Taxes

#73 State Corporate Taxes

#74 State Income Taxes

#75 State Park Entrance Fees

#76 State Unemployment Taxes (SUTA)

#77 Tanning Taxes (a new Obamacare tax on tanning services)

#78 Telephone 911 Service Taxes

#79 Telephone Federal Excise Taxes

#80 Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Taxes

#81 Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Taxes

#82 Telephone State And Local Taxes

#83 Telephone Universal Access Taxes

#84 The Alternative Minimum Tax

#85 Tire Recycling Fees

#86 Tire Taxes

#87 Tolls (another form of taxation)

#88 Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)

#89 Use Taxes (Out of state purchases, etc.)

#90 Utility Taxes

#91 Vehicle Registration Taxes

#92 Waste Management Taxes

#93 Water Rights Fees

#94 Watercraft Registration & Licensing Fees

#95 Well Permit Fees

#96 Workers Compensation Taxes

#97 Zoning Permit Fees

[AeroGuyDC]

Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber

It means housing, food and clothing is affordable, and people are spending the rest of the money on something else. Hopefully they are saving too. Let's not pretend taxes are high, because they are not.

No, what it means is that we pay too much in taxes to support people who pay nothing in taxes.