Ayers Online - Combining Economics AND Technology

AyersOnline.com
Home > Ayers' Editorials > Classic Columns

Everything We Do Adds Up to
a Taxing Life
by

This first appeared in the
North Hills News Record

You know, just about everything we do is taxed. To prove my point, I've described one of my very ordinary days. Is it any wonder the paycheck just doesn't stretch very far?! "Tax Freedom Day Since 1900"

5:50 AM Get up. Turn up the thermostat. There's a state tax and a gross receipts tax on natural gas.

5:51 AM Stumble into the shower. Water is taxed twice. There's a utility tax on the water as it comes out of the faucet and again as it goes down the drain. And the shampoo, soap, razor, toothpaste, deodorant, make-up and towel all come with a sales tax too.

6:10 AM Get dressed. Imported clothes and shoes have a 25% to 40% tax. All jewelry, scarves, pantyhose, belts, purses, wallets etc. are subject to a sales tax.

6:45 AM Feed cats. Sales tax on cat food.

6:50 AM Eat breakfast. Pay utility tax, sales tax and gross receipts tax for the electricity used to heat bagel.

7:14 AM Take out trash. Yep, you guessed it. There's a tax for refuse removal and a tax on the plastic garbage bag.

7:15 AM Drive to work. What a revenue generator! The federal government claims 18.4 cents of the price of every gallon of gasoline while state excise and sales taxes consume about 19 cents more. And depending on the price of the car, sales taxes average about $1,200. If the car is an import, add another $1,000 in taxes. And don't forget the tax you pay for your car registration, driver's license, car inspection, emissions inspection and oil change.

8:00 AM Start of the work day. For every dollar earned (up to $61,200), 12.4 cents gets siphoned into Social Security. Medicare taxes sponge up 2.9 more cents. Plus, there's the federal income tax, state income tax, state unemployment insurance tax, local income tax, school tax, and occupation tax. Only after these taxes are paid can you start earning money to pay all the other taxes.

10:30 AM Snack attack. Sales tax on pretzels.

12:30 PM Pick-up dry cleaning. Pay sales tax. Mail birthday card. Greeting cards are taxed.

1:00 PM Eat lunch and read the newspaper. The diet soda, my beverage of choice, is taxed.

1:25 PM Begin making phone calls. Pay sales tax and utility tax. If call is long distance, add a federal excise tax.

4:30 PM Cook dinner. Those utility taxes again.

5:00 PM - 9:30 PM Go to class via the Pennsylvania turnpike. Pay toll.

10:00 PM Work on the computer. Software, computer and paper are taxed. So is the electricity.

11:00 PM Channel surf. More utility taxes for the cable.

11:45 PM Lights out. It was a taxing day.