RE: Way OT: TAXES (rant)

[4campinfoxes]

 AustinBoston
My turn to rant.  As a fairly new (3rd year now) small business owner/partner, I m appalled at the taxes we pay.  If everyone in the country had to pay taxes quarterly - not through payroll withholding - I think there would be a revolt!  Writing those checks 4 times a year plus annual taxes is enough to make you sick.  Because our business is doing well (but we re not rich by any means) we get taxed at the highest rate - but it doesn t stop there!  We loose things that others take for granted like flexible benefit programs (our employees get that but we don t), payments to our 401k are tightly regulated & tied to how much our employees put in, we loose the child credit & most of our deductions (like mortgage interest & charitable contributions) no longer count in full.  I d categorize us as middle to upper middle class and I personally think we re getting a raw deal.  The country was built on small entrepreneurs but I don t see how you re supposed to make it as one these days!  My husband & I pay more in taxes than many people make but it s not like we re driving Porsches!  I d like to challenge anyone who thinks the current system is fair to look over my taxes.  And I m sure with so many double income families out there more people than you would think have similar problems.
 
 Just can t wait til April!
 
 Sharon

[AustinBoston]

 4campinfoxes

ORIGINAL:  4campinfoxes
 My turn to rant.  As a fairly new (3rd year now) small business owner/partner, I m appalled at the taxes we pay......My husband & I pay more in taxes than many people make but it s not like we re driving Porsches!  I d like to challenge anyone who thinks the current system is fair to look over my taxes.  And I m sure with so many double income families out there more people than you would think have similar problems.

 There is the biggest public misperception about the income tax.  Income taxes don t, never will, can t really, tax people who are rich.  Income taxes tax people who are trying to become rich.  If you are already rich, you can still have no income and pay no income tax.  It s not just sheltering and loopholes.  If you have a million dollars cash stuffed in a mattress, you will never pay tax on it, even if the government knows about it.  It s not how much you have (being rich), but how much you earn (trying to become rich) that people are taxed on.
 
 Austin

[bikolee]

 AustinBoston
I personally would be in favor of a flat rate of 12% across the board. Doesn t matter what you make, do, own, or what. I am in favor of the removal of the double taxation on dividends, interests, etc. I mean come on, I ve paid taxes on that money already. Why penalize someone for saving money?

[stoichie]

 bikolee
I thought that I would add AZ s rates.
 
 The state doesn t tax food.  Maricopa county doesn t tax food.  Phoenix doesn t tax food.  But, the burbs do.  You guessed it.  In Peoria, I have an about .5 % food tax rate.
 
 We have sales tax on everything, but food.  All goods & services are taxed at three levels.  The state has a base tax, the county & cities add to it.  In Peoria it is about 8.5%.  Our education funding (read salaries) are tied to this fluctuating tax.
 
 Now, I have real property taxes that are taxed by everyone.  The state, county, city, fire district, library district, school district, water district.  I also have a vehicle lieu tax.  This tax decreases the more your vehicle depriciates.  It is health tax.  My truck gets taxed (this year it might be less than $100) and my trailer gets taxed every year.  Otherwise AZ doesn t have a personal property tax.
 
 Your sin taxes are high on tabacco here.  In Nov, the voters raised the tax again on those products with proceeds to go to help fund low income medical insurance.  As if, AZ has a $150 million (I think) budget deficit this year.
 
 Oh, we have a special tax on rental cars and hotel rooms to pay for a Cardinals statium.  Why do they need a stadium, they can t sell out Arizona State s stadium?
 
 
 

[rednekrubbrduck]

 stoichie

 

ORIGINAL:  stoichie
 
 
 Oh, we have a special tax on rental cars and hotel rooms to pay for a Cardinals statium.  Why do they need a stadium, they can t sell out Arizona State s stadium?
 
 
 
 

 We have all those taxes also...the one that raises the biggest stink is the one they keep proposing for the stadiums (Arrowhead(Chiefs), and Kaufmann (Royals)).  They want like a 1/2 cent sales tax on everything between the all the cities on either side of the state line.  No one likes it  cause it benefits only the owners of the teams.  They want the tax payers to fund stadium improvements that are owned by multi millionares.  If I remember right...their is all ready one in place for that..they want to boost it though.  Fortunately it keeps getting shot down.  I m still waiting for the personal property taxes to drop on my truck and camper.
 

[cooncreekers]

 AustinBoston
well, i hope y`all don`t jump on me now. i don`t really like taxes any more than the next guy, BUT, i really like nice new roads to drive on, and when i call the fire dept., i think its mighty fine when they come very quickly and bring the newest, latest gadgets and equiptment with them on shiny new trucks. and i am very happy that the small hick town we live in has a new grade school and have added a new addition to the 100 yr. old high school building. oh, and if i have a burglar, a police officer comes quickly, because they are NOT understaffed.[] jmho

[bikolee]

 cooncreekers
Leigh Anne,
 Jump, jump, jump.....[8D]
 
 Actually what you are talking about comes from sales tax and property tax for the most part. Those aren t really a problem. It s the tax on the tax, on the tax that is the problem.
 
 I forgot in my earlier post to include doing away with the inheritance tax. It is NOT just for the wealthy, I know.  My father was not a wealthy man by all means, but after he passed away, I had to pay out over $60,000 in Estate taxes as I was the executor. Trust me, writing a check for over $50,000 to Uncle Sam is not a fun thing to do. The rest was to the state of Texas. Yes, we have a state Estate tax here. We also used one of the best CPA firms in the area to do all the taxes.  The problem with this is that my dad had already paid taxes on what was in the estate. Now, the kids get it and they tax it again.  That is where the problems with the current tax laws are.
 
 

If you have a million dollars cash stuffed in a mattress, you will never pay tax on it, even if the government knows about it.

 There is a major flaw in this statement. While it is true that you won t pay taxes on the " stashed"  cash. You paid taxes on it in the process of getting it. That is of course it was accrued in an illegal manor.

[bikolee]

 AustinBoston

the one that raises the biggest stink is the one they keep proposing for the stadiums (Arrowhead(Chiefs), and Kaufmann (Royals)). They want like a 1/2 cent sales tax on everything between the all the cities on either side of the state line.

 Here in Ft. Worth, they are proposing a 1 cent increase to build a TOLL road from the downtown area thru southwest Ft. Worth.  Hello? If it is going to be a toll road, let the ones that use it pay for the d*mn thing.

[AustinBoston]

 bikolee

ORIGINAL:  bikolee
 

If you have a million dollars cash stuffed in a mattress, you will never pay tax on it, even if the government knows about it.

 There is a major flaw in this statement. While it is true that you won t pay taxes on the " stashed"  cash. You paid taxes on it in the process of getting it. That is of course it was accrued in an illegal manor.
 

 Actually, that is my point.  If you HAVE it, you are rich, and don t necessarily get taxed.  If you are trying to GET it, you are trying to become rich, and are taxed.  Only those trying to become rich (or trying to become richer) are taxed.
 
 Austin