Saturday, April 16, 2011

Middle Class Tax Day Blues

Monday is Federal Tax Day--It is later this year, the 18th.

Talk about your classic no win situation.

If you get a refund--the government is giving you your own money back--and making you feel good about giving them a no interest loan.

If you have to pay (like I did) you look at the bottom line of hte tax bill and wonder if rocks can truly bleed and why it seems that the rich skate, the poor get hand outs, and all I do is pay, pay, and pay some more.

But, I am a good American and I pay my taxes. I am not even really trying to reduce my tax bute by sheltering money--which is probably stupid since probably everyone else is sheltering their money. And so, my bank account was debited yesterday for both my federal and state taxes owed!  I decided not to wait until the 18th.

When I spied my bottom line--not the tax due, but the total amount of taxes owed before subtracting withholdings--I was shocked!  I think some third world nations have GNPs less than my tax bill.

I know my total tax bite--(and I just realized that I forgot to add in my state tax bite) would be a good starting salary for some people.  Maybe I could just buy a teacher and not pay taxes? At least that way I would be able to know what my tax dollars are being used for.

At some point I'm worried that I won't be able to work because I can't afford the taxes. And I know I will never be rich enough to be at the point where I can avoid taxes altogether.

I despise tax season.

I fret about it from New Years Day until the returns are done and filed.  There is no joy in being confronted with the hard realities of being a middle class American in today's "turn the screws tighter on the consumer and tax payer" approach to government. 

Ugh! The frustration for 2011 is over at least. The payments are gone. I can wipe it from my mind until this time next year!






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