Dear
Enclosed is my 2006 tax return showing that I owe $3,407.00 in taxes.
Please note the attached article from USA Today, wherein you will see the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat
I am enclosing four toilet seats (value $2400) and six hammers (value $1029), bringing my total remitted to $3429.00.
Please apply the overpayment of $22.00 to the “
You can do this inexpensively by sending them one 1.5″ Phillips Head screw (article from USA Today detailing how HUD pays $22.00 each for 1.5″ Phillips Head Screws is enclosed for your convenience.)
It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward to paying it again next year.
Sincerely,
A Satisfied Taxpayer
TODAYS TAXES
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents! per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Ta x Interest Expense (tax on the money THEY paid tax on already)
Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal , State and Local Surcharge Ttaxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-Recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Toll Bridge Taxes
Toll Tunnel Taxes
Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)
Trailer Registration Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
COMMENTS:
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What the hell happened!
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Democratic Pundit Wrote: “What the h— happened!
Affluence = complacency = apathy = poor education = poor understanding of economics = dependence on government.
Democratic Pundit did not write this.
Just off the top of my head, the federal telephone excise tax dates to 1898 and funded the Spanish American War. (And was partially repealed in 2006! You got a refund! It was all over the news for days!) There are several other taxes on that list that existed 100 years ago or existed under different names at that time.
Marriage Licenses are a FEE, not a tax. Many states charged the fee 100 years ago. The fee is generally quite nominal. (And a lot of the “taxes” listed above are either fees or penalties.)
Property taxes date from the colonial period. Illinois was actually the first state to “universalize” them in 1818. Tobacco and liquor taxes helped pay off the Revolutionary War, as did fees on a variety of documents. Federal income tax dates from the Civil War. Recreational Vehicles didn’t exist until after WWII, so it would have been a neat trick to tax them in 1907.
Many of these taxes have come and gone since then (once the Civil War was paid for, federal income tax disappeared until WWI), but most of these are not “new” taxes and an awful lot of them existed 100 years ago.
And what’s happened in the last 100 years is a massive explosion of infrastruction that requires maintenance (that allows all that affluence), combined with huge advances in technology that make traditional government tasks (i.e., maintaining a military) far more expensive — but far more effective. All while the government ran out of land to sell, which was a huge way of raising internal revenue for many decades. (And, incidentally, reduced the extremely high import/export duties that served as our major form of tax revenue for our first century and a half and were a major restraint on trade.)
But it makes for very nice rhetoric nonetheless. Misleading, factually incorrect, unproductive rhetoric that does nothing to advance the debate about economic accountability by the federal government and preferred tax structures to pay for essential services, but I’m sure it’s quite effective at getting a lot of people riled.
I mean, seriously, did whoever came up with this list ever take US History in high school? It’s chock-a-block with tax policy and tax rebellions and tax debates. Is there seriously an American adult out there with a high school diploma who thinks U.S. property taxes are an invention of the 20th century?
Eyebrows: Where does the Garbage Tax come in? It goes to neither garbage or water so how does that relate? I need to feel better about something,,,,,
I didn’t write the list.
Feel better about not paying WWII-level income taxes where the top rate was 88%! Only 10% of citizens paid income tax in 1940; by the 1944 it was nearly 100%. AND there were rationing and shortages! (I suppose what THEY had to be thankful for was that Roosevelt’s top-tier rate of 100% failed to pass.)
On a tangent, I was doing some research on the Junior League in the 1940s a little while ago and at the time they ran a well-baby clinic. There was a nationwide shortage of – get this – cod liver oil, because so much was needed at the front. (I do not know why.) They had a dickens of a time getting enough cod liver oil for all those babies!
While I realize this is an “internet email letter” with no basis in fact, the statement ” 100 years ago and our nation … had absolutely no national debt” is completely erroneous.
As I recall, our nation upon founding, assumed $75 Million in debt that the colonies had spent during the Revolutionary War. The War of 1812 added to the deficit.
The cost of the Civil War alone coontributed to a national debt of almost $3 Billion (with a B). All of these happened quite a bit more than 100 years ago.
The national debt is a part of our society and our governmental operations. Maybe not something we can be proud of but it is there and clearly hasn’t contributed to our downfall. I won’t go on more at this point (it could be a lengthy response) but the debt, while large and a number that shocks everyone, isn’t that major a factor in our prosperity or lack thereof (depending upon your political persuasion).
Could have fooled me…
I’m no history professor but as I recall we were NOT the most prosperous nation in the world either. It took a few world wars to gain that title.
So… now we do have a large debt, mom works full time, we have lots of taxes and we actually are the the most prosperous nation in the world. Looks like their are a few wholes in that argument.
I’m pretty conservative myself and even I am willing to admit that SOME taxes are needed. (not the GRT though)
Democrat controlled America – taxing itself into prosperity!!
“What the hell happened!”
The Great Depression.
Remember part of the maintenance of our government is the huge salaries those in Congress are getting every year and they only have to work a few days a week to collect. (Just a personal gripe on my part)
I’d hardly call the mid-100s “Huge Salaries” – not for what they do. Plus having to maintain two households. The salaries are not out of line.
Some of the perks maybe.
Look alittle bit further at what these guys would be making as lawyers in corporate or private practice or as buinessmen (and women) and you will ifnd out it actually costs them money.
Peo Proud mentions perks, of which there are many – some that come with the job and some that come with the cachet of being an elected (or eventually, a former) official.
Salary for U. S. Congressman: $165,200
2005 Median household income: $46,326 (Census Bureau)
Median salary of Washington lawyer: $98,200
Viewers of last sundays 60 minutes may have noticed our own former congressman bob hey-thats-my-name-on -the-bridge is currently a drug industry lobbyist.
Some facts of my own:
Education (based on the 106th Congress):
All but 32 House members and 3 Senators hold bachelor’s degrees. A total of 146 members in both chambers hold master’s degrees. A large number, 252, of House and Senate members have doctorates or professional degrees in law or medicine.
U.S. Population (age 25 and over):
7.4% – Less than high school education
29.6% – H.S. Graduate
27.3% – Some College
15.0% – Bachelor’s Degree
5.8% – Master’s Degree
1.4% – Professional Degree
0.6% – Doctorate Degree
22.8% have Bachelor’s Degrees or higher.
First, you don’t make a fair comparison. You’re comparing all members of one occupation (who earn the same rate) against an entire countries populations who hold many occupations. Second, the real issue is what is the appropriate level of pay for a position of great importance………I definitely want them earning more than my neighbor down the street.
Sample annual wages (2005 data – taken from http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.t01.htm):
$174,240 – Anesthesiologists
$139,810 – Chief Executives
$133,680 – Dentists
$111,250 – Podiatrists
$110,520 – Lawyers
$105,470 – Engineering Managers
$102,360 – Computer and I.S. Managers
$101,360 – Astronomers
$89,950 – Human Resources Managers
$82,970 – Personal Financial Analysts
$67,500 – Business Teachers, postsecondary
$62,180 – Budget Analysts
$58,020 – Accountants and auditors
$57,620 – Urban and Regional Planners
$ 31,320 – Legislators
As noted above, yes, Members of Congress earn more than the average American. But they are also at the top of their organizational chain. If we compare their salaries to the best of the CEOs, College Presidents, Attorneys, Professors, Business Owners, etc. they are no where close to being out of line.
Salary for 535 Member of Congress x $165,200= $88382000
301529840 pop at this moment in time dived by $88382000= $.29311 per person in US just to put it perspective
[...] See a list of the sorts of taxes that did not exist 100 years ago: Hello, I’m from the IRS and I’ll be screwing you over today [...]