Taxing Times

Free at last…

There is an outfit called the Tax Foundation that produces some very interesting numbers about taxes. You can visit them at www.taxfoundation.org

Spend some time there and you will learn about your country and its addiction to increasing the tax burden on its citizens. Their statistics go back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1909 we learn that an American had to work 19 days in order to earn enough to pay their taxes. So, the tax freedom day in 1909 was January 19. After that date Americans workers were working for themselves and their families. Back then, Americans were paying 4.9% of their income for taxes. That percentage is the lowest recorded in the last 109 years.

By 1918 the percentage of income paid in taxes had risen to 10% and it stayed in that range until 1929. Then it started to move upward big time. It seems that government uses periods of economic turmoil to take even more money from their citizens. And, it also seems that once it gets the money, it keeps taking the money at the higher rate. What is it about politicians and bureaucrats that cause them to want more and more of our money? Is it a disease? Is it a syndrome? Is it a psychological failing? Something that happened in their early years? Is it chromosomal? Is it a chemical imbalance? Is it a form of criminal tendency? Is it like animals in the zoo? What can explain this phenomenon?

By WWII the percent had risen to 20.9% in 1942 and 24.9% by 1947. Now we’re getting into the contemporary tax burden experience. In 1962, the percentage was 27.7% and it rose to 30.8% in 1969 and reached an all time high of 33.6% in 2000. In 2000, the average American worked until May 3 to pay their taxes. Slipped back in the last few years to the low 30’s and you can guess where it is headed. By the way, the report points out that in 2009 Americans will pay more in taxes than they spend on food, clothing and housing combined. What the heck has happened to our common sense? TheFundamentals wonders what the percentage paid by the colonists in 1775 was that upset them enough to upset the scheme of things? 30%? Doubt it!

Click on http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/sr165.pdf to see the entire report. If you are prone to depression TheFundamentals suggests that you avoid this site. In any event, TheFundamentals cannot accept any responsibility for your mental/physical state after reviewing the document.

Thank you to the Tax Foundation for their work in documenting this sad tale of governmental abuse and citizenry subjugation.

Free at last. NOT.